chapter 14 - stress, coping, and health Flashcards
define stress
a state brought on by situations that threatens or appears to threaten our sense of well-being or challenges our ability to cope
define a stressor
a situation or circumstance that triggers a stress response
define an acute stressor
acute stressors are stressful situations that is short-term and has a definitive endpoint (e.g. final exam period)
define a chronic stressor
a stressor that is long term, lacks a definitive endpoint (e.g. living in poverty)
what are the two factors that stress is typically caused/mediated by?
threat perception and appraisal of ability to cope (how well we think we can handle a situation)
what are the ways in which you can experience stress?
- feeling frustrated
- feeling conflicted
- feeling pressured
- feeling endangered
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define frustration
the feeling experienced when we are thwarted in pursuit of a goal
define pressure
the expectation or demand to act in a certain way
what is pressure to conform vs pressure to perform?
conform: to act in a way which is expected
perform: to do well and succeed
define conflict
when two or more goals or impulses are incompatible
what is approach-approach conflict?
when you have to choose between two equally desirable options (e.g. 2 good job offers)
what is approach-avoidance conflict?
when one choice has both pros and cons (e.g. good job offer but you need to relocate)
what is avoidance-avoidance conflict?
when you have to choose between two equally undesirable options (e.g. bad job offer or unemployment)
describe daily hassles (micro-stressors)
everyday annoyances that can contribute to high stress levels (with the cumulative effect)
what is the Daily Hassles Scale?
it measures how many daily hassles a person has experienced in the last month and asks them to rate how stressful each of them felt
what is the relationship between change and illness?
the more life changes a person experiences the higher their risk of illness
what are some of the most common stressors in adulthood?
death of spouse, divorce, jail terms
what are some of the most common stressors as university students?
death of a loved one, exams, grad school, being the victim of a crime
what are some of the most common stressors in childhood?
tests, homework, being left out, being bullied (physical illness is less important from 5-12)
define post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
an anxiety disorder that develops in response to trauma
- can involve lingering, persistent, and frightening thoughts, memories, dreams of the event
what are chronic negative situations?
living in a war zone, poverty, chronic illness, negative home life, etc.
what is the stereotype threat?
a person of a minority group having vigilance when interacting with majority groups
what is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?
it controls the body’s fight-or-flight response and stimulates organs
describe the HPA pathway of the flight-or-flight response
- hypothalamus
- pituitary gland (releases ACTH)
- adrenal cortex (releases cortisol)
- increases blood sugar, metabolism -> increased energy
describe the SNS pathway of the flight-or-flight response
- sympathetic nervous system
- stimulates the adrenal medulla (releases norepinephrine and epinephrine)
- causes a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, muscle tension - > increased energy
what are the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome by Selye?
- alarm (fight-or-flight activates)
- resistance (body attempts to stabilize itself, becomes vulnerable to illness)
- exhaustion (depleted of energy)
what is primary appraisal?
analyzing a stressor to determine the severity of it
what is secondary appraisal?
analyzing personal resources and our ability to deal with a stressor
what are the four factors that influence our individual responses to stress
- autonomic reactivity (how easily autonomic nervous system is activated)
- explanatory style (the manner in which we explain events - optimistic or pessimistic)
- personality type
- social support
what is an optimistic brand of pessimism?
expecting things to go wrong but hoping they won’t
what is a defensive pessimist?
anticipate negative outcomes to protect themselves but holds out hope that things will go right
what is a hardy-stress resistant personality?
a person who welcomes change, willingness to commit and take control of life
what are the different personality types?
type a: competitiveness, impatience, anger, hostility (coronary-prone personality)
type b: less aggressive and hostile than type a
type c: has difficulty expressing and acknowledging negative feelings
type d: worry, gloominess, social inhibition
what is opening-up meditation?
clearing the mind, seeking new experiences, envisioning oneself in another body
what is concentrative meditation?
concentrating on a mantra (word, object, phrase, idea)
what is lashing out?
hurting someone intentionally, harms social network
what is a repressive coping style?
denying negative emotions and trying to push them out of awareness, masking stress without doing anything to fix it
what is problem-focused coping?
dealing directly with the stressor, changing it in some way (e.g. studying when stressed out about an exam)
what is emotion-focused coping?
changing feelings about a stressor (e.g. focusing on the positives, altering mindset) (aka. cognitive reappraisal)
what are psychosomatic and psychosocial disorders?
they are caused by an interaction between psychological factors (stress) and biological factors (e.g. asthma, ulcers, heart disease, migraines)
what is psychoneuroimmunology?
it studies the links between stress, the immune system and health
what are lymphocytes?
white blood cells that destroy foreign invaders, part of the immune system
what is the function of norepinephrine?
it increases lymphocyte activity in low stress, but lowers it in prolonged stress
what is the function of cortisol?
lowers immune system functioning in high stress situations, but increases it in low stress situations
what do cytokines do?
in low/early stress, fights infection
in high stress, causes inflammation, heart disease, stroke
what is distress vs eustress?
distress: caused by unpleasant situations
eustress: the optimal level of stress to benefit health
what is inoculation?
exposure to low stress to improve later performance in more stressful situations (e.g. military training)
