chapter 6 (stress)

Question 1

stress

Answer 1

negative emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological, cognitive, and behavioural changes that are directed either toward altering the stressful event or accommodating to its effects.

Question 2

stressors

Answer 2

events perceived to be stressful.

Question 3

person-environment fit

Answer 3

the degree to which the needs and resources of a person and the needs and resources of an environment complement each other.

Question 4

fight-or-flight response

Answer 4

a response to threat in which the body is rapidly aroused and motivated via the sympathetic nervous system and endocrine system to attack or flee a threatening stimulus; the response was first described by walter cannon in 1932.

Question 5

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Answer 5

hans selye. profile of how organisms respond to stress. characterized by three phases:
1. nonspecific mobilization phase. promotes nervous system activity.
2. resistance phase. organism makes efforts to cope with threat.
3. exhaustion phase. occurs if organism fails to overcome threat and depletes physiological resources.

Question 6

tend-and-befriend

Answer 6

a theory of responses to stress that maintains that, in addition to fight-or-flight, humans respond to stress with social and nurturant behaviour; these responses may be especially true of women.

Question 7

primary appraisal

Answer 7

the perception of a new or changing environment as beneficial, neutral, or negative in its consequences. believed to be a first step in stress and coping.

Question 8

secondary appraisal

Answer 8

assessment of one’s coping abilities and resources and judgment as to whether they will be sufficient to meet the harm, threat, or challenge of a new or changing event.

Question 9

reactivity

Answer 9

the predisposition to react physiologically to stress, believed to be genetically based in part. high reactivity is believed to be a risk factor for a range of stress-related diseases.

Question 10

allostatic load

Answer 10

the accumulating adverse effects of stress, in conjunction with pre-existing risks, on biological stress regulatory systems.

Question 11

chronic strain

Answer 11

a stressful experience that is a usual but continually stressful aspect of life.

Question 12

after-effects of stress

Answer 12

performance and attentional decrements that occur after a stressful event has subsided; believed to be produced by the residual physiological, emotional, and cognitive draining in response to stressful events.

Question 13

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Answer 13

a syndrome that results after exposure to a stressor of extreme magnitude, marked by emotional numbing, the reliving of aspects of the trauma, intense responses to other stressful events, and other symptoms, such as excessive vigilance, sleep disturbance, guilt, or impaired memory/concentration.

Question 14

acute stress paradigm

Answer 14

laboratory procedure whereby an individual goes through moderately stressful procedures (such as counting backwards rapidly by 7s), so that stress-related changes in emotions and physiological and/or neuroendocrine processes may be assessed.

Question 15

social buffering

Answer 15

a phenomenon where the presence of a partner reduces one’s stress responses.

Question 16

stressful life events

Answer 16

events that force an individual to make changes in their life; these range from cataclysmic events such as the death of one’s spouse or being fired from a job, to more mundane but still problematic events such as moving to a new home.

Question 17

perceived stress

Answer 17

the perception that an event is stressful independent of its objective characteristics.

Question 18

daily hassles

Answer 18

minor daily stressful events; believed to have a cumulative effect in increasing the likelihood of illness.

Question 19

bullying

Answer 19

acts intended to harm, which are repeated over time and often occur in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power.

Question 20

cyberbullying

Answer 20

bullying that uses cyberspace (computers, blogs, text messages) to harass the victim, causing social and emotional harm over time.

Question 21

role conflict

Answer 21

conflict that occurs when two or more social or occupational roles that a individual occupies produce conflicting standards for behaviour.

Question 22

work-life balance

Answer 22

the concept of making multiple roles simultaneously in one;s life; most adults are workers, partners, and parents, and each of these roles entails heavy, and potentially stressful obligations.