Chapter 4 (STRESS AS AN EXAMPLE OF A PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL PROCESS) Flashcards
Stressor
Any event that causes stress or
is perceived as a threat and a
challenge to our ability to cope
Stress
a state of mental, emotional and
physiological tension, resulting
from a stressor
Internal Stressor
a cause of stress that originates within an individual; can be both
psychological and biological/ physiological
External Stressor
a cause of stress that originates
from outside an individual, such as an event or environmental extreme
Acute Stress
stress that usually occurs because of a sudden threat
and only lasts for a short time
Chronic Stress
stress that lasts for a long time
Flight-or-fight-or-freeze response
an automatic biological response to a perceived stressor that increases our chances of survival in our environment
Flight Response
Run away or escape
Fight Response
Deal/confront the stressor
Freeze
Hide or remain still to avoid the stressor
Cortisol
a hormone produced by the
adrenal glands that regulates
a wide range of bodily processes, including metabolism, and is released
in response to stress
GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome)
a biological model of stress that proposes we have a non-specific biological response to stress that occurs in three stages
Alarm Reaction Stage
the first stage of the general
adaptation syndrome, in which we become aware of the stressor; it consists of two phases – shock and countershock
Shock
the first phase of the alarm reaction stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which the body’s ability to deal with the stressor falls below normal
Countershock
the second phase of the alarm
reaction stage of the general adaptation syndrome, in which the body’s ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal
Resistance Stage
the second stage of the general
adaptation syndrome, in which the stressor persists, and the body’s resources are maximised to cope and adapt over time
Exhaustion Stage
the third stage of the general
adaptation syndrome, in which the continued depletion of energy stores and high levels of hormones such as cortisol decrease resistance to the stressor and impair the immune system
Appraisal
the process of categorising an event on the basis of its perceived significance and how it may affect our wellbeing
Transactional model of stress and coping
a model that suggests a stress response is only elicited if an event is perceived to exceed our
ability to cope and is based on our appraisal of the situation
Primary Appraisal
when an individual determines
whether a situation or event is significant to them and stressful or not
Irrelevant
describes a situation or event that has no implications for an individual’s wellbeing because nothing will be gained or lost, or they are not invested in the situation
Benign/Positive
describes a situation or event that is perceived as having a positive outcome for an individual, i.e. it either maintains
(benign) or enhances their wellbeing (positive)
Threat
the anticipated harm/loss in the
future because of an event
Harm/Loss
the damage to the individual that has already occurred as
a result of a stressor
Challenge
the perceived potential for
personal gain or growth from
an event
Secondary Appraisal
when an individual
considers the available resources and their own coping strategies, to decide the best way of dealing with a stressor
Coping
all the things we do to manage and reduce the stress we experience
Coping Strategy
a method that we use to manage or reduce the stress produced by a stressor
Coping Flexibility
the ability to modify our coping
strategies to adapt and meet the demands of different stressful
situations
Context -Specific Effectiveness
when a coping strategy matches
or is appropriate to the stressful situation
Approach Strategy
an effort to confront a stressor and deal directly with it and its effects
Avoidance Strategy
an effort to avoid a stressor and
not deal directly with it and its
effects
Gut- Brain Axis (GBA)
the connection between the central nervous system and
the enteric nervous system,
that enables bidirectional communication between the
brain and the gastrointestinal
tract
Enteric Nervous System
Enteric Nervous System (ENS)
a subdivision of the autonomic
nervous system; it consists of
nerve cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and
controls the digestive system
Vagus Nerve
a nerve that connects the
brain (central nervous system)
to organs within the autonomic
nervous system, via nerve fibres
that directly link organs such as
the lungs, heart, oesophagus and intestinal tract
Gut
the gastrointestinal
tract or long tube that starts
at the mouth and ends at the
anus
