chapter 3 definitions

Question 1

stress

Answer 1

Psychological and physiological experience that occurs when an individual encounters something of significance demanding their attention and/or efforts to cope

Question 2

stressor

Answer 2

stimulus (internal or external) prompting the stress response

Question 3

internal stressor

Answer 3

stimulus from within the body that prompts the stress response

Question 4

external stressor

Answer 4

stimulus from outside the body that prompts the stress response

Question 5

distress

Answer 5

form of stress characterised by negative psychological state

Question 6

eustress

Answer 6

form of stress characterised by positive psychological state

Question 7

acute stress

Answer 7

form of stress characterised by psychological and physiological symptoms that are brief in duration

Question 8

fight-flight-freeze response

Answer 8

involuntary and automatic response to threat that takes form of either escaping it, freezing in the face of it, or confronting it

Question 9

chronic stress

Answer 9

form of stress that endures for several months or longer

Question 10

cortisol

Answer 10

hormone that is released in times of stress to aid body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal

Question 11

General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)

Answer 11

biological model involving three stages of physiological reactions that a person experiences in response to persistent stressor

Question 12

alarm reaction

Answer 12

first stage of GAS involving initial decreases and subsequent increase in bodily arousal in response to an immediate stressor

Question 13

shock

Answer 13

first substage of alarm reaction involving decreased bodily arousal for a brief period of time following initial exposure to stressor

Question 14

counter shock

Answer 14

second substage of alarm reaction stage in which sympathetic nervous system responses occur that mobilise the body to respond to stressor

Question 15

resistance

Answer 15

second stage of GAS involving maintaining high levels of bodily arousal in response to persistent stressor

Question 16

exhuastion

Answer 16

third stage of GAS involving depletion of energy levels and bodily resources, resulting in an inability to cope with stressor

Question 17

subjective

Answer 17

something based on or influenced by personal feelings or preferences

Question 18

appraisal

Answer 18

assessment or evaluation of stimuli

Question 19

primary appraisal

Answer 19

initial process of evaluating nature of incoming stressor, specifically the kind of stress it might cause

Question 20

benign-positive appraisal

Answer 20

initial appraisal of stimulus as neutral or good that doesn’t cause stress for individual

Question 21

irrelevent appraisal

Answer 21

initial appraisal of stimulus as non-issue for individual

Question 22

stressful appraisal

Answer 22

initial appraisal of stimulus as source of worry or emotional significance for the individual

Question 23

harm/loss appraisal

Answer 23

further appraisal of stressor as having caused some damage to individual

Question 24

threat appraisal

Answer 24

further appraisal of stressor as potentially causing damage to individual in future

Question 25

challenge appraisal

Answer 25

further appraisal of stressor as potentially providing positive opportunity for growth or change for the individual

Question 26

secondary appraisal

Answer 26

process of evaluating resources required and available in order to cope with a stressor

Question 27

coping

Answer 27

process of dealing with a stressor

Question 28

emotion-focused coping

Answer 28

use of coping strategies that target the emotional components of a stressor, dealing with it indirectly rather than confronting its soruce

Question 29

problem-focused coping

Answer 29

use of coping strategies that directly target source of stressor, aiming to reduce it in a practical way

Question 30

gut (also known as gastrointestinal tract)

Answer 30

long flexible tube from mouth to anus that is passageway involved in digestion

Question 31

gut microbiota

Answer 31

all of the microorganisms that live in the gut

Question 32

gut microbiome

Answer 32

all of the genes that of the microorganisms that live in the gut

Question 33

gut-brain axis

Answer 33

bidirectional connection between gut and brain through enteric and central nervous system

Question 34

enteric nervous system

Answer 34

network of nerves in gut and is subdivision of autonomic nervous system

Question 35

vagus nerve

Answer 35

longest cranial nerve connecting gut and brain, enabling them to communicate

Question 36

mental wellbeing

Answer 36

individuals current state of mind, including their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions

Question 37

context-specific effectiveness

Answer 37

when coping strategy or mechanism used is appropriate for unique demands of stressor

Question 38

coping flexibility

Answer 38

individual’s ability to adjust or change their coping strategies depending on unique and changing demands of stressor

Question 39

approach strategies

Answer 39

coping strategies that directly confront source of stress

Question 40

avoidance strategies

Answer 40

coping strategies that evade stressor, seeking to indirectly reduce stressor