Chapter 14 - Stress, Coping, and Health

Question 1

Define “stress”

Answer 1

Stress is used to refer to a range of concepts from external environment stimuli to internal experiences and bodily responses

Question 2

Define “stressors”

Answer 2

External stimuli and events that represent a perceived potential for harm, loss, damage, challenge, or other deviations from a balanced state

Question 3

What are stress responses?

Answer 3

Internal integrated psychological (cognitive) and biological responses to stressors that then work to restore a balanced state

Question 4

What are primary appraisals?

Answer 4

Based on perceptions of stressor characteristics, magnitude of demand, and relevance

Question 5

What are secondary appraisals?

Answer 5

Based on perceptions of the resources available for coping with a specific stressor

Question 6

Define “challenges”

Answer 6

Situations where resources exceed the demands of the situation - the potential for positive outcomes and gain are more likely to be perceived as challenges

Question 7

Define “threats”

Answer 7

Situations where demands exceed the resources available for coping

Question 8

How does one determine whether it something is a threat or a challenge when faced with a potential stressor?

Answer 8

When faced with a potential stressor, individuals will first evaluate the characteristics of the situation to determine the demands of a situation - primary appraisal. Then the individual will determine if they have resources to cope with the situation - secondary appraisal. Combined, the primary and secondary appraisals will determine if the stressor is perceived as a challenge when the resources exceed the demand and a threat when the demands exceed the resources

Question 9

What are the three different types of stressors?

Answer 9

1) Acute stressors: short-term external circumstances or stimuli, lasting min to hours
2) Chronic stressors: enduring external circumstances or stimuli, lasting weeks or years
3) Traumatic stressors: stressors involving threat to your own or another’s life or physical integrity

Question 10

What is an example of an acute stressor?

Answer 10

Sitting in rush hour traffic

Question 11

What is an example of a chronic stressor?

Answer 11

Long-term care for an ill parent

Question 12

What is an example of a traumatic stressor?

Answer 12

Experiencing a natural disaster

Question 13

Define “frustration”

Answer 13

Feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially due to to inability to change or achieve something - can lead to aggression

Question 14

What are the three basic types of conflict that Lewin described?

Answer 14

1) Approach-Approach: choose between two attractive goals
2) Avoidance-Avoidance: choose between two unattractive goals
3) Approach-Avoidance: choose if you want to pursue a single goal with attracticve and unattractive aspects

Question 15

When there are potentially stressful objective events, it will result in subjective cognitive appraisals leading to different responses to the stressors. What are the three responses?

Answer 15

Emotional response, physiological response, and behavioural response

Question 16

In emotional arousal and performance, Yerkes-Dodson Law states:

Answer 16

The inverted U shape curve for relationship between stress and performance states that too little or too much stress impairs performance

Question 17

What is the maximal adaptability model?

Answer 17

Emphasizes that animals are highly adaptive to stressors and can maintain high levels of performance even when experiencing underload or overload in terms of the demands of the environment

Question 18

What are physiological responses?

Answer 18

The stress response serves to protect us from harm and restore balance to the body - homeostasis - a coordinated response that allows us to mobilize energy to deal with a stressor, avoid injury, and reduce risk for infection

Question 19

What are the neurobiological responses?

Answer 19

Amygdala: responds rapidly to potential stressors; earliest stress responses - works in coordination with other brain areas that can increase or decrease the amygdala’s response
Hippocampus: learning and memory
Prefrontal cortex: higher-order processing of stimuli

Question 20

What is the purpose of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 20

Cause of flight or fight and release of stress hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine)

Question 21

What is the purpose of the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 21

Dampening the stress hormone

Question 22

What are feedback loops?

Answer 22

Output from one system influences the output of another system by either increasing (positive feedback) or inhibiting (negative feeback) the second system

Question 23

What is an inflammatory response?

Answer 23

The immune systems response to injury, infection, and psychological stressors that allows for killing of any foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria as well as healing of bodily tissue

Question 24

What does the body increase levels to regulate inflammation when encountering acute psychological stressors?

Answer 24

Cytokines

Question 25

Define "eustress"

Answer 25

This is considered "good stress" - Includes external circumstances, internal emotional experiences, and bodily responses that can be beneficial and motivating

Question 26

Define "distress"

Answer 26

This is considered "bad stress" - Includes external circumstances, internal emotional experiences, and bodily responses that can be harmful, reduce motivation, and impair functioning

Question 27

What are the three phases of stress levels in general adaptation syndrome?

Answer 27

1) Alarm 2) Resistance 3) Exhaustion

Question 28

Describe the first phase of general adaptation syndrome - Alarm:

Answer 28

- Activation of the sympathetic nervous system - Release of stress hormones which triggers increase in blood sugars and supresses immune system - Cannot last indefinitely as parasympathetic system tries to restore homeostasis

Question 29

Describe the second phase of general adaptation syndrome - Resistance:

Answer 29

- Continued recruitment of resources - Can last a long time, but resources being depleted

Question 30

Describe the third phase of general adaptation syndrome - Exhaustion:

Answer 30

- Resources dangerously depleted - Increased vulnerability to disease - Can manifest itself with cardiovascular problems; immune system difficulties

Question 31

Define "coping stress"

Answer 31

Active efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress

Question 32

Define "learned helplessness"

Answer 32

Passive behaviour due to exposure to unavoidable aversive events - giving up, fatalism and resignation, acceptance

Question 33

Reduced self-control when facing stressors; acting on impluses - increased levels of stress can lead to changes in eating habits, spending habits, etc. can be defined as:

Answer 33

Self-indulgence

Question 34

Define "constructive coping"

Answer 34

Relatively healthful efforts to deal with stressful events

Question 35

Enduring psychological disturbance after experiencing traumatic events that causes distress, flashbacks, depression, anxiety, and insomnia is known as:

Answer 35

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Question 36

Theory that mental and physical disorders develop from a genetic or biological predisposition for that illness combines with stressful conditions that play a precipitating or facilitating role is known as:

Answer 36

The Diathesis-Stress Model

Question 37

How is stress and illness related?

Answer 37

- Stress associated with increase in chronic conditions and can be a precursor to health problems - Stress can decrease immune function and worsen pre-existing conditions - Stress can also contribute to blocked arteries and the deterioration of the hippocampus

Question 38

What is Type A's personality in relation to stress?

Answer 38

- Strong competitive orientation - Impatience and time urgency - Anger and hostility

Question 39

What is Type B's personality in relation to stress?

Answer 39

- Relatively relaxed and easygoing - Amicable behaviour - Less competitive and aggressive

Question 40

Define "high neuroticism"

Answer 40

Experience negative emotions and get themselves into stressful situations through their maladaptive behaviours

Question 41

Define "telomeres"

Answer 41

DNA-protein complexes tha cap chromosomes and protect against the damage to the DNA the encodes our genes

Question 42

What is instrumental support?

Answer 42

Tangible help - for example, offering to take notes for someone

Question 43

What is appraisal support?

Answer 43

Help evaluating the demands of a situation and the resources available to cope with it

Question 44

What are the 6 factors in how people change?

Answer 44

1) Precontemplation 2) Contemplation 3) Preparation 4) Action 5) Maintenance 6) Termination