Chapter 15 Flashcards
psychologists view stress in 3 different ways
a stimulus, a response, and an organism-environment interaction
stress
eliciting stimuli or events that place strong demands on us, stressors
micro stressors
daily hassles like a shit job, shit commute, shit classmates
person-situation interaction
transaction between organism and environment
marriage, divorce, housing, getting/losing a job
catastrophic events
occur unexpectedly, affect a large number of people
major negative events
stressful life events, more likely to develop ptsd, likely not a natural disaster\
school shooting, assult, etc
life events scale
quantify stress over a given period of time
indicate whether a particular event occurred
appraisal of being positive or negative
indicate amount of control/predictability
4 aspects of stress response appraisal process
- primary appraisal-demands of situation, what do i have to do?-study for test
- secondary appraisal-resources available to cope, how can I cope? study
- judgements of consequences of situation, what are the costs to me? failing
- personal meaning- what does the outcome imply What does this say about my beliefs in myself? World?
Chronic Stress and the GAS
General Adaptation Syndrome = GAS
Physiological reaction to prolonged stress
Three Phases:
Alarm-shift from relaxed to stressed
sympathetic nervous system, cortisol, cant last forever
Resistance -always being in panic->exhausted Continued recruitment of resources
Can last long time, but resources being depleted
Eventually are no longer sufficient
Exhaustion-adrenal gland drain
Resources dangerously depleted
Increased vulnerability to disease
Can manifest itself with cardiovascular problems; immune system difficulties
Han selye
Work inspired medical and psychological researchers
To explore the effects of stress on
Physical and Psychological well-being
Neuroticism as a trait can lead to higher stress bc…
they experience more negative emotions>maladaptive behaviors
cycle of things like feeling undervalued, lashing out at people, people liking them less
PTSD
Severe anxiety, physiological arousal (the stress response), and distress
Painful, uncontrollable reliving of the event(s) in flashbacks, dreams, and fantasies
Emotional numbing and avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma
intense “survivor guilt” in instances where others were killed but the individual survived
what increases vulnerability to stressors?
Lack of support network
Poor coping skills
Pessimism
Why do some people suffer psychological and/or physiological distress and others do not?
Hardiness
Commitment - What they do is important
Control - Control (perceived) over situation
Challenge - Situation is a challenge not a threat
Which is the strongest component? - Control!
optimists have…
Appraisal of being less helpless
Better adjustment to negative life events
Sense of less helplessness
Better health
type a personality
High levels of competitiveness and ambition
Can be aggressive and hostile
a karen
type b personality
More relaxed, agreeable
fuck it we ball stoner friend
what is the best strategy to cope with stress??
Problem focused & Seeking social support
What about emotion focused coping??
Negative outcomes with
Avoidance, denial, wishful thinking
Positive outcomes with
Identifying & changing irrational thought patterns; relaxation techniques
3 types of coping strategies
problem focused-plan and prioritize
emotion focused-reform and ground
seeking social support-ask for help
first 2 can be done alone
Health-related behaviours fall into two main categories
Health-enhancing behaviours
Serve to maintain or increase health
Exercise, healthy diets, safe sexual practices, regular medical checkups, and breast and testicular self-examination
Health-compromising behaviours
Promote the development of illness
Smoking, fatty diets, a sedentary lifestyle, and unprotected sexual activity
How People Change:
The Transtheoretical Model
6 stages
precontemplation-no desire to change, helplessness and denial
contemplation-perceive problem or desire for change, benefits outweigh costs
preparation-plan of action, identification of conditions affecting behavior
action-active modification, requires the greatest commitment
maintenance-avoid relapse
termination-change in behavior is ingrained
prevention programs
used in the AIDs crisis
4 Basic features
Education
Motivation
Specific guidelines
Support
Motivational Interviewing
Goal: Lead person to their own conclusion
Process: Question discrepancies between current state & self-image, behaviours
Counsellor: Provides guidelines, feedback
