Chapter 12-Stress, Coping And Health Flashcards
What groups are at especially high risk for stressful events?
Young and unmarried people, immigrants, African-Americans, Aboriginals, and people of low socioeconomic status
What is the Clinician’s illusion ?
Even in the face of horrific circumstances, like shootings and natural disasters, most of us are surprisingly resilient. Clinician’s illusion is the error of overestimating people’s fragility and underestimating their resilience
What do some researchers call the psychological and physical response to a stressor
Strain
What is stress
A type of response–consists of the tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise in a situation, call a stressor-a stimulus in the environment-strains our ability to cope effectively
What is a traumatic event
A traumatic event is a stressor that’s so severe it can produce long term psychological or health consequences
What are the three ways researchers have approached the study of stress
1 stressors as stimuli-focusses on identifying different types of stressful events
- Stress as a transaction-examine how people interpret and cope with stressful events
- Stress as a response-assess peoples psychological and physical reactions to stressful circumstances
What is primary appraisal
When we encounter a potentially threatening event, we initially engage in primary appraisal, Which is our initial decision regarding whether an event is harmful before making a secondary appraisal
What does Richard Lazarus believe is a critical factor influencing whether we experience an event as stressful?
Our appraisal-or our evaluation of the event
What is secondary appraisal
Perceptions regarding our ability to cope with an event that follows primary appraisal
What is problem-focused coping
Coping strategy by which we problem solve and tackle life’s challenges head-on
-we are most likely to engage in problem-focused coping when we are optimistic and think we can achieve our goals
What is emotion focused coping
Coping strategy that features a positive outlook on feelings or situations accompanied by behaviours that reduce painful emotions
-we are most likely to engage in emotion focused coping when situations arise that we can’t avoid or control
What is corticosteroid ?
Stress hormone that activates the body and prepares us to respond to stressful circumstances
Define a hassle
Minor annoyance or nuisance that strains our ability to cope
-The frequency and perceived severity of hassles are actually better predictors of physical health, depression, and anxiety than major life events
What are two scales used that are used to gauge the nature and impact of different stressful events
Social readjustment rating scale(SRRS) and the Hassles scale
- both major life events and hassles are associated with poor general health
Describe General adaptation syndrome(GAS)
Stress response pattern proposed by Hans Selye that consists of three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Describe the three stages of adaptation that prolonged stressors take us through
Stage 1: the alarm reaction-excitation of the autonomic nervous system. limbic system is involved in the discharge of adrenaline&cortisol(floods person with energy). physical symptoms of anxiety. Blood pressure rises and adrenaline readies person for Fight or flight response.
Stage 2: Resistance- after the initial rush of the stress hormones they adapt to the stressor and find ways to cope with it(relaxation replaces tension)
Stage 3: exhaustion- when a stressor is more prolonged and uncontrollable and if our personal resources may be limited and we lack good coping measures, then our resistance may ultimately breakdown, causing levels of activation to bottom out. Results can range from damage to an organ system to depression and anxiety to a break down in the immune system
