Chapter 4: Stress Across Cultures

Question 1

acute stress

Answer 1

describes stressors that are physical and or short term

Question 2

allostasis

Answer 2

the process by which the body responds to stressors in order to regain homeostasis

Question 3

appraisals

Answer 3

the way a potential stressful event is interpreted. A significant component of Lazarus’ psychological explanation of why we get stressed

Question 4

chronic stress

Answer 4

long-term stress

Question 5

cognitive appraisal model

Answer 5

Richard Lazarus’ theory of why we get stressed and defined as the imbalance between the demands placed on the individual and that individual’s resources to cope

Question 6

control and stress

Answer 6

when we believe we have control over a situation, the situation is less likely to appraised as stressful

Question 7

crossover

Answer 7

the transmission of stress between individuals

Question 8

definition and stress

Answer 8

ambiguous events/roles are more stressful than one’s that are clear cut

Question 9

ecological theory

Answer 9

a way of examining behavior developed by Bronfrenbrenner, and which identifies different levels or systems in which the individual acts rather than just focusing on the individual

Question 10

fight-or-flight theory

Answer 10

Walter Cannon’s theory of stress hypothesizing that organism’s respond to stressful events with a nervous system activation that prepares them to actively engage the stressor. The body essentially is energized to either fight the stressor or flee.

Question 11

general adaptation syndrome

Answer 11

Hans Selye’s theory of stress suggesting that organisms have a general way of responding to all stressors. When faced with a stressor, the body first goes into a state of alarm, then attempts to cope during a period of resistance, and finally breaks down in a state of exhaustion

Question 12

homeostasis

Answer 12

an optimal level of ideal level of bodily functions. This varies for each individual and relates to blood glucose level, body temperature, rate of circulation, and breathing.

Question 13

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) Axis

Answer 13

a neurological system responsible for the stress response in human. Here, the hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland that then activates the adrenal gland

Question 14

natural disaster stressors

Answer 14

environmental stressor such as hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding produce acute stress and long term psychological trauma

Question 15

predictability and stress

Answer 15

being able to predict how long a stressor is going to last reduces the level of stressed experienced

Question 16

primary appraisals

Answer 16

the first stage of Lazarus’ cognitive appraisal model of stress where we determine the nature of an event, whether harmful, damaging, or challenging

Question 17

role ambiguity

Answer 17

degree to which required information regarding role expectations are available, clear and communicated to the individual playing the role (e.g. an employee)

Question 18

role conflict

Answer 18

incompatibility of expectations for a given role and between different roles

Question 19

role theory

Answer 19

a role is the set of behaviors to be performed and is determined by one’s own perceptions and the expectations of others. As an individual accumulates roles, the quantity and incompatibility of role demands increase. An individual experiences role strain that results in increased role conflict and ambiguity

Question 20

secondary appraisal

Answer 20

second stage in Lazarus’ cognitive appraisal model of stress where we determine whether we have the resources to manage an event. Relates to primary appraisal.

Question 21

spillover

Answer 21

transmission of stress from one domain of an individual’s life into other domains of life

Question 22

stress

Answer 22

defined in a variety of ways but most simply as an upsetting of homeostasis. A state caused when the perceived demands on an organism exceed the resources to meet those demands.

Question 23

stress contaigon effect

Answer 23

when two or more domains or areas of a person’s life are connect, stress from one area can spillover into the other area. If work and home are interconnected, stress from one area can influence the other

Question 24

techno-political stressors

Answer 24

an environmental stressor directly linked to technological and political issues such as infrastructure collapse and acts of terrorism

Question 25

tend-and-befriend

Answer 25

Shelley Taylor’s and colleagues’ theory of how women when faced with a stressor may either tend to infants or others and befriend other females and cultivate female bonds as opposed to fighting or fleeing

Question 26

valence

Answer 26

the positive or negative feature of a stressor (speeches vs. weddings)

Question 27

cognitive restructuring

Answer 27

psychological mechanism of coping where stress provoking thoughts are replaced with more realistic, unthreatening thoughts

Question 28

emotional expression

Answer 28

psychological mechanism of coping where individuals open expression emotions, often through writing

Question 29

background stressor

Answer 29

environmental stressors that accompany living in crowded regions such as crowding, noise, air pollution & chemical pollution

Question 30

microaggressions

Answer 30

everyday insults, indignities, and demeaning messages to intentionally sent to marginalized people by members of a privileged group

Question 31

role ambiguity

Answer 31

the degree to which required information regarding role expectations are available, clear, and communicated to the focal person

Question 32

role conflict

Answer 32

the incompatibility of expectation for a given role and between different roles

Question 33

role theory

Answer 33

the idea that stress contagion from work to home arises as a person’s roles increase and if those roles lack definition

Question 34

allostatic load

Answer 34

effects of chronic stress on the body

Question 35

diathesis-stress model

Answer 35

model illustrating that the combination of a diathesis (genetic predisposition) and stressor can induce the onset of a psychological disorder