Chapter 5 Flashcards
Stress
a state of unbalance within a person elicited by an actual or perceived disparity between environmental demands and the persons capacity to cope with these demands
Physical effects of stress
increased heart rate
dilated pupils
prevention of bowel movements
increased adrenaline
Walter Cannon fight or flight reaction
when circumstances offered the opportunity for success (or theres no other choice) humans will fight. in face of overwhelming odds, humans are getting the fuck out of there.
Physiological changes that occur during fight or flight reaction
sugar enters bloodstream to provide quick energy, heavy breathing to provide more oxygen, accelerated heart rate to provide more fuel and oxygen
Social model of stress process
discrete life events/life changes and chronic strains lead to our perception (appraisal) of stress which leads to coping techniques which leads to stress outcomes. Social resources affect our perception, coping, and outcomes.
Areas of importance to the stress model
nature and dynamics of how social forces and stressors create stressful situations
how the perception of stressors affect manner theyre handled
how appraisal of stressors affect the enactment of social roles and strain
how social resources influence the likelihood of stressful circumstances occurring, the appraisal of circumstances, extent of role enactment is problematic, and coping mechanisms
Types of stressors
Life events: important specific events that interrupt an individual’s usual activities and require adjustment.
ex. marriage, divorce, death, children
Chronic strains: the relatively enduring problems, conflicts, and threats that many people face in their daily lives. more powerful
ex. family problems, problems in job or school, any site of competition
Chronic strains: role strain
Role overload: demands exceed ability
Interpersonal conflicts within role set: conflict within roles (husband/wife)
Inter role conflict: demands of two or more roles are incompatible ( mother and wife)
Role Captivity: unwanted role
Role restructuring: undergoing change
Symbolic interactionism
micro-level persepctive that focuses on small-scale, everyday patterns of social interaction. believe that social life is comprised of a myriad number of episodes of daily social interactions
Social construction of reality
world is not so much imposed upon the individual, dictating or strongly influencing behavior as it is created by the individual through the exchange of these verbal and nonverbal symbols
The Thomas Theorem
‘if situations are defined as real, they are real in their consequences’ definition of situation
- perceptions of norms and expectations
- past experience and feelings of control
Charles Horton Cooley
theory of the looking glass self. people develop a self image, we come to see ourselves as we believe other people see us
- failure to reflect desired self-image
Goffman
Impression Management:
- pressure of face-work
- failure to maintain “face”
- threats to integrity of self
Coping
refers to personal response people make to prevent, avoid or control emotional distress. includes efforts to
- eliminate or modify the stressful problem
- control the meaning of the problem
- control the stress created by the situation
Specific coping techniques
psychological resources, cognitive techniques and behavioral techniques
psychological resources for coping
personality characteristics that people draw upon to help them withstand threats posed by event and objects in their environment. three such characteristics
- positive self-esteem
- internal locus of control
- hardiness
Cognitive techniques for coping
assignment of specific interpretations to a stressful event in order to control its meaning. denial, not as bad as it seems, etc
Behavioral techniques for coping
focusing on developing and implementing a plan to reduce or eliminate to stressor. ex. yoga, meditation, music, drinking - didnt say they were all healthy
Social support
refers to resources people receive from their social relationships and social networks and their membership in groups
Types of social support
emotional (caring and concern)
cognitive (information and advice)
material (child care and transportation)
Main effects model
social support contributes directly to well-being and positive health and that these beneficial effects occur even in the absence of stress. overall sense of well-being that social support provides (acceptance, comfort) may contribute to inner feelings of contentment and outer expressions of good health
Buffering effects model
asserts that the beneficial effects of social support occur only in the presence of stress. Social support acts as a buffer and social support may decrease the likeliehood of negative stress outcomes
Exposure hypothesis
states that lower-class people are exposed to more stressful life experiences than those in the middle or upper classes, that higher rates of distress are a logical result of this exposure, accumulates over time
vulnerability hypothesis
states that stressful life experiences have greater impact on those in the lower class and a greater capacity to lead to negative stress outcomes (three factors: inadequate financial resources, greater use of ineffective coping strategies and less access to social support networks)
SES and stress
people in lower social classes have higher levels of psychological distress and mental health problems. may be due especially to educational differences. also greater sense of external control and less cognitive flexibility
Race and stress
research on racial differences supports that the higher rates of distress in blacks are due almost entirely to economic differences and SES.
Racial discrimination is stressful, blacks respond differently than whites to stress (more hypertension)
Strong sense of racial identity acts as a buffer (more stress but not higher levels of mental illness)
Gender and stress
Women have higher rates of stress; greater likelihood of having financial problems, emotional so we feel stress when those around us are stressed, more passive and introjective, and power differences in society
