Chapter 3: Stress as an example of a psychobiological process Flashcards
What is stress?
The physiological and psychological responses a person experiences when faced with a threatening situation (a stressor).
When is stress experienced?
When a person perceives
the demands of a stressor exceed their ability to cope.
An object or event that happens which is a threat or challenge to the individual.
A stressor
What is an internal stressor?
Factors that originate within a person, can be psychological or biological
What type of stressor is feelings of anxiety?
Internal, Psychological
Psychological internal stressors are:
inducing thoughts or behaviours that come from our own psychological mindset and expectations. Including feelings of worry and anxiety, low self esteem and feelings of anger
What type of stressor is illness
Internal, biological
What is a internal, biological stressor?
Things relating to your physical health and wellbeing, like illness, pain, nutrition and sleep.
What is an external stressor?
Any stressful factors which occur outside the body, can be social cultural, or physical environmental conditions, often that cannot be controlled.
3 examples of an external stressor:
- Life events e.g. divorce, death or pregnancy
- Adjusting to new environments e.g. new school or workplace
- Witnessing or experiencing a trauma
What occurs once a stressor has ocured?
The sympathetic nervous system is activated and the same physiological changes occur regardless the type of stressor.
What can influence perception of a stressor?
Perceiving a stressor is an individual experience which can be influenced by past experiences, personality, beliefs, culture, educational background and genetic factors.
Define distress
The negative psychological response to a stressor, indicated by feeling overwhelmed and experiencing anxiety, fear and helplessness
Define eustress
A positive psychological response to a stressor, things like skydiving, planning an event or meeting a role model are all examples of eustress, they usually present excitement and optimism.
What is the term for short term stress?
Acute stress
Define acute stress
Acute stress is typically caused by daily demands and pressures experienced by an individual, it can be intense but will only last for a short amount of time.
What does a persistent long term stressor cause?
Chronic stress
What is chronic stress?
The bodys response to a long term stressor, involving ongoing demands we dont feel like we have under control. Chronic stress exhausts an individual and can lead to a range of mental and physical problems.
What is the flight-or-fight-or-freeze response?
The automatic physiological reaction to a stressor that involves the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system.
What is it called when am individual avoids a stressor?
Flight
What does the fight component of the FFF model mean
confronting the stressor
What happens when someone ‘freezes’?
A person is immobilised to evade detection and prepare to face the stressor
What is the role of cortisol?
A hormone released to give the body extra energy needed to adapt and deal with a stressor
What can happen if there is too much cortisol?
Because the immune system is suppressed it can increase the likelihood of developing a sickness.
What are the stages of the GAS model?
Phase I: Alarm reaction stage, shock and counter shock
Phase II: The resistance stage
Phase III: Exhaustion
What happens in shock part of the alarm reaction stage?
Shock is experienced when we first perceive a threat, our resistance levels fall below normal and body temp and blood pressure drops.
what comes after shock?
Countershock
What happens in countershock?
The sympathetic nervous system is activated, adrenaline and noradrenaline are released to prepare the body to respond to the stressor.
What happens when the body reaches the resistance stage?
Symptoms of the alarm reaction stage subside and the body is better able to deal with the stressor.
What stage is entered if the stressor is not defeated in the resistance stage?
The exhaustion stage
What happens in the Exhaustion stage?
Our cortisol levels are depleted and we feel drained, its characterised by mental illness like depression and anxiety, as well as significant sickness.
Strengths of the GAS model include:
Identifies the biological impact of stress, and whether the stress is chronic or acute
Highlights the impact stress has on the immune system
What weaknesses does the GAS model have?
Doesn’t take into account psychological factors explaining the subjective stress individuals experience
Predominantly animal based research and therefore cannot be generalised to to human populations
What is Lazarus and Folkmans Transactional model?
The transactional model considers the unique psychological characteristics of an individual that make up their subjective evaluation of a stressor, the model has two major stages: Primary appraisal and Secondary appraisal.
What occurs during the first stage of the transactional model: Primary appraisal?
During primary appraisal a person evaluates whether a stimulus is stressful and whether the stressor is harmful, a threat or a challenge.
What occurs during the second stage of the transactional model: Secondary appraisal?
During secondary appraisal the individual evaluates the internal and external resources available to cope with the stressor.
What are strengths of Lazarus and Folkmans transactional model of stress?
Focuses on the subjective experiences of the individual and acknowledges that people have different responses to the same stressors.
Focuses on the cognitive, affective and behavioural (psychological) responses to stress
considers a range of different psychological factors in the stress response.
What are the limitations of Lazarus and Folkmans transactional model?
does not refer to or consider the biological responses to stress
primary and secondary appraisal may not occur as two separate processes
model may be too simplistic as most people are not aware of the appraisal process as it occurs
What is the Gut Brain Axis?
The gut–brain axis is the network of bidirectional communication pathways that enable communication between the microbiota and the central nervous system (brain).
What are microbiota?
A mix of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria seen as a strong indicator of good physical and mental health.
What factors can influence Gut microbiota?
genetics
diet
metabolism
age
illness
geography
antibiotics
stress
Does the Enteric nervous system need the CNS to function?
No, the enteric nervous system functions independently of the CNS to manage functions of the digestive system.
What are functions of the ENS?
Detecting nutrients for the body to use
Maintaining the chemistry in the gut (including hormones, digestive acids, and neurotransmitters)
Immune and defence responses (against toxic foods and bacteria)
How does the Gut and the Brain communicate?
The vagus nerve
What is coping?
a process involving constantly changing thoughts and behaviours so we can manage the demands (internal and/or external) of stressors we appraise as taxing or exceeding our resources.
What is a context specific coping strategy?
A coping strategy being more effective when the strategy is well matched to the stressful situation.
What is coping flexibility?
refers to an individual’s ability to stop an ineffective coping strategy and implement an alternative effective coping strategy (or adapt their coping process).
What are the two types of strategies to deal with a stressor?
Approach and avoidance
