Chp 15.3 Coping with Stress

Question 1

Multimodal treatments often include ______ measures, together with ______ measures

Answer 1

Sociological; psychological

Question 2

Coping

Answer 2

• Processes used to manage demands, stress and conflict

- Intentionally managing appraised discrepancy between demands and resources

Question 3

Vulnerability factors to susceptibility to stress

Answer 3

• Poor coping skills
• Lack of social support
• Pessimism/ anxiety

Question 4

Protective factors to ability to cope with stress

Answer 4

• Hardiness
• Social support
• Coping self-efficacy
• Finding meaning

Question 5

Social support (protective factors)

Answer 5

• Affects immune system
• Perception of support -> particularly important
• More support you think you have, less stress, and cope better

Question 6

Hardiness (protective factors)

Answer 6

• Commitment, control and challenge (Kobasa)

Question 7

Coping self-efficacy (protective factors)

Answer 7

• Belief in one’s ability to cope successfully

Question 8

Finding meaning (protective factors)

Answer 8

• Deriving meaning out of stressful negative experiences

- Lessons/silver linings

Question 9

Different types of coping (3)

Answer 9

• Problem-focused coping
• Emotion-focused coping
• Seeking social support

Question 10

Problem-focused coping (type of coping)

Answer 10

Goal- address root problems of stressor

• Confront demands of a stressful situation
• Change situation so no longer stressful
• Eg. Studying for a test

Question 11

Perceived control

Answer 11

The perception of the amount we are in control

- Significant affects on our ability to cope

Question 12

Compensatory Control

Answer 12

Psychological strategies to perceive order in low control situation
(Eg. Yell at the tv for the sports team you root for)

Question 13

Emotion-focused coping (type of coping)

Answer 13

Goal- manage emotional response resulting from stressful situation

• Strategies to reduce negative effect of emotions on self and others
• Adaptive methods: identify and change irrational negative thinking, healthy activities (effective)
• Not adaptive: denial, repression, avoid feelings (by engaging in unhealthy behaviours)

Question 14

Seeking Social Support (type of coping)

Answer 14

• Seeking assistance

- Seeking emotional support

Question 15

Which coping style is best?

Answer 15

Problem-focused coping and seeking social support
- Good adjustments to stressors
Emotion-focused coping involving avoiding or displacing emotions
- More depression, poorer adjustment to stressors (if not adaptive)

Question 16

What affects the successfulness of coping?

Answer 16

• Fit to situation
• Ability to carry it out
• Best to master variety of techniques and know how and when to use them most effectively

Question 17

Techniques for reducing stress

Answer 17

• Relaxation techniques
• Exercise
• And more
• Can be seen as successful emotion-focused coping strategies

Question 18

Relaxation techniques

Answer 18

• Cannot both be relaxed and show stress response
• Ie, parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of automatic nervous system cannot be activated at the same time
• Relaxation tech and Meditation: trains one to calm emotional and physiological response to stress

Question 19

Why is meditation effective?

Answer 19

• ## Brings into present; away from negative thoughts of past/futureBenefits:
• Reduced stress response
• Reduced blood pressure
• Increased control over parasympathetic nervous system functioning -> vagus nerve (easier to calm down)
• Increased attention

Question 20

Exercise benefits

Answer 20

• Release of endorphins -> reduce pain and increase positive feelings
• Associated with physical health and longevity
• Releases excess stress hormones in body: improves our immunocompetence
  Cognitive benefits:
• Increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDN)
• Maintenance and growth of new synapses
• Increased in cognitive processing speed and memory

Question 21

Why do people tend to discontinue/ avoid exercise?

Answer 21

• Low self-efficacy ‘I can’t do this’
• -inflated views of current fitness ‘I’m already in great shape’
• Inactive leisure pursuits ‘interferes with tv schedule’
• Type A personality ‘I’m too busy’
• Lack of support (from friends and family)

Question 22

health-enhancing behaviours

Answer 22

behaviours, such as exercise and good dietary habits, that support and increase health and longevity

Question 23

health-compromising behaviours

Answer 23

behaviours, such as poor dietary habits and unprotected sexual activity, that impair health and reduce longevity