Chapter 14 - Stress And Health Flashcards
What are the two types of stressor?
Acute and Chronic
What is an acute stressor?
An occasional, limited type of stressor
What is a chronic stressor?
A continuous or repeated type of stressor
The stress response is associated with which nervous system?
Sympathetic nervous system
What is the body function causing the stress response?
HPA-axis
What is the HPA-axis?
Hypothalamus-pineal gland-adrenal gland axis
What syndrome did Hans Selye propose?
General adaptation syndrome
What are the three stages of general adaptation syndrome?
1- Alarm phase
2- Resistance phase
3- Exhaustion phase
What type of stress affects your immune system?
Chronic stress
What is the name of the study of how the immune system reacts to psychological variables such as stress?
Psychoneuroimmunology
How does stress alter the DNA replication?
Through telomeres
What is the métaphore used in class for the telomeres?
Caps, e.g. caps on shoe laces
How many steps are involved in the interpretation of stressful events?
Two-step process
What is the two-step process of stressful event interpretation?
1- Primary appraisal = nature of stressor
2- Secondary appraisal = determining if something is a threat or a challenge
What is the difference between a threat and a challenge?
Threats = insurmountable
Challenge = can be surmounted
What factor also plays in the secondary appraisal?
Personality factors
What are the three type of ways to manage stress?
MBS (mind, body, situational)
In mind management, what are the three types of coping?
1- Repressive coping (aka procrastination)
2- Rational coping
3- Reframing
What is biofeedback?
A type of mind-body technique to somewhat control bodily function under stress, such as breathing and heart rate
What is the function of the HPA-axis?
Counter fight-or-flight response
What is the function of the hypothalamus in the HPA-axis?
It’s the one who senses the stress factor and control everything
Which hormone is released by the pituitary gland through blood?
ACTH
What are the two stress hormones released by the adrenal gland?
Cortisol and norepinephrine
What is the consequence of the increase in cortisol level?
It encourages the hippocampus to turn off, therefore its decrease in size
