CHP3: Stress as a psychological process (A-B) AOS 1 Flashcards
Stressor
A stimulus (internal or external) that prompts the stress response and challenges our ability to cope.
Stress
A state of physiological (biological) and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope.
Stress reaction
The physiological and psychological result of stress.
Eustress
A form of stress that is considered to be beneficial or desirable that is characterized by a positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of positive psychological states such as feeling enthusiastic, motivated, excited, and alert.
Distress
A form of stress that is considered to be objectionable or undesirable that is characterized by a negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of negative psychological states such as anger, anxiety, nervousness, irritability, or tension.
Acute stress
Stress that produces a very high arousal level for a relatively short period of time.
Episodic acute stress
Reoccurring stress that produces a very high arousal level for a relatively short period of time, is often attributed to a series of life changes.
Chronic stress
Ongoing demands, pressures, and worries that are long-lasting which produce an increased arousal level that persists over a relatively long time and is likely to be harmful in some ways to our health and wellbeing.
Daily pressures
Small inconveniences and problems that are experienced as a part of day-to-day life semi-regularly at some point in everyone’s life (e.g. small conflicts with friends and family, concerns about academic performance).
Life events
Stressors that have immediate consequences that force a person to change something about their lifestyle in order to cope with the new circumstances that arise which are primarily characterised by forced long-term adaption or adjustments. These may be pleasant or unpleasant (e.g. having a baby, or marriage).
Acculturative stress
Stress that results from challenges presented by adapting to new and foreign culture (i.e. cultural shock) is greatest when the culture a person has to adjust to is different from the culture they came from (e.g. missing elements of one’s own culture that a person can no longer engage with or adapting to new country’s beliefs systems and philosophies).
Major stress
Stressors that present significant negative threats to a person’s psychological and or physiological wellbeing by trauma and distress. Major stressors are objective and cause stress for anyone who is confronted by them (e.g. experiencing physical and or sexual violence having a life-threatening or terminal illness).
Catastrophes that distrupt whole communities
Stressors that are cataclysmic events that are large scale events that are unpredictable events that affect an entire community, cause widespread damage or suffering, and the majority of people involved would interpret as being stressful (e.g. hurricane, earthquake, terrorist etc).
List 4 physiological stress responses humans can have
Skin rashes, headaches, more prone to sickness, and heart palpitations;
List the behaviour, emotional, and cognitive (BEC) stress responses humans can have
Behavioural (i.e. changes to eating habits, changes to sleep routine);
Emotional (i.e. irritability, aggression);
Cognitive (i.e. decreased concentration, memory impairment);
List 1 of each of the physical, behavioural, emotional, cognitive traumas that can be experienced due to major stressors
Physical: easily fatigued, disturbed sleep;
Cognitive: intrusive thoughts, reoccurring memories of the event;
Behavioural: social withdrawal, loss of interest in normal activities;
Emotional: fear, anxiety, and panic;
List the side effects of the psychological trauma due to catastrophes that disrupt whole communities
Sensitivity to environmental factors: sirens, loud noises, triggers (e.g. fire);
Changes to thoughts and behaviour patterns: vivid and repeated memories of the event, concentration, sleep patterns;
Non-specific response
Responses or reactions that occur regardless of the type of stressor that presents itself to us.
Specific responses
Responses which are appropriate to particular stressors can occur (e.g. running away from a vicious dog, activation of the immune system to destroy a virus).
Fight
When an organism confronts their threat characterized by the activation of the sympathetic response which energizes the body and makes the body better able to deal with danger.
Flight
When an organism flees from the source of danger which can be attributed to the organism’s belief that escaping the situation perceived by the organism to be the safest option. This response is dependent on activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which allows the body to quickly flee from the threat.
Freeze
When an organism freezes in response to a threat characterized by the body’s immobility and shock in response to a threat and occurs when the stressor is perceived as being too threatening that the body cannot respond right away.
Why does the freeze response occur? and what does the freeze response allow for?
The freeze response can occur when the body perceives that it lacks adequate energy or time to fight against, or flee from the stressors. The action of ‘freezing’ allows for the body to process the stressor to then react in the best possible way to increase survival.
Outline the 3 steps in the fight-flight-freeze response
- A threat is perceived so a signal is sent to the hypothalamus (via the amygdala)
- The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system
- The sympathetic nervous system then stimulates the adrenal medulla which secretes hormones (adrenaline or epinephrine and noradrenaline) into the bloodstream
Fight-flight-freeze
An involuntary and automatic response to a threat that takes the form of either confronting it escaping it or freezing in the face of it.
Adrenal gland
Produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions.
Adrenal medulla
The inner part of the adrenal gland that controls hormones, particularly adrenaline or epinephrine and noradrenaline.
Hypothalamus
Links the nervous system to the endocrine (hormonal) system and plays a vital role in monitoring and adjusting bodily processes (homeostasis).
Cortisol
Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released by the adrenal cortex in response to a stressor.
How is cortisol released into the body?
Cortisol is released into the body through the HPA axis. This is a chain of reactions in the physiological response to stress, involving the hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and adrenal glands.
List the effects of cortisol on the body
Increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate, increased metabolism and glucose concentration in the blood to fuel muscles;
Explain the process of secreting cortisol into the body through the HPA axis
- Prolonged stress is perceived and the hypothalamus is activated
- The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland
- The pituitary glands secrete the hormone adrenocorticotropic (ACTH)
- ACTH travels through the bloodstream to the adrenal glands
- ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol
- Secretion of cortisol boosts the activity of the sympathetic nervous system
- Once the amount of cortisol reaches a certain level the hypothalamus is signalled to turn off the stress response
List all the stages in Selye’s General Adaption Syndrome
Alarm reaction (shock + counter-shock), resistance, and exhaustion;
Alarm reaction (includes fight-flight-freeze response)
The first stage and the immediate reaction that occurs when a person encounters a stressor is comprised of two subsections.
Shock (below normal level)
The first substage is when the body’s biological reactions fall below normal functioning. The body acts as though it is injured (e.g. blood pressure, body temperature drop) and the ability to deal with the stressor is momentarily reduced or falls below the normal level.
Counter shock (above normal level)
The second substage in which the sympathetic response occurs includes the release of stress hormones (i.e. adrenaline and noradrenaline) as a sympathetic response by the adrenal glands.
Resistance (above normal level)
Prolonged stress means that an individual’s resistance to stress is sustained above the normal level, leading to the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and therefore the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol fights the stress response (helps the individual to cope with the stress) but begins to suppress the functioning of the immune system, weakening the immune system because it is an immunosuppressant making an individual more susceptible to ‘wear and tear’ (i.e. getting sick).
Exhaustion (below normal level)
The body’s resources are depleted (exhausted) and the immune system is left weakened due to the prolonged release of stress hormones, especially cortisol as it is an immunosuppressant. People who enter this stage often experience extreme fatigue, sickness, and increased susceptibility to mental health disorders (e.g. anxiety, depression) as well as physical illness.
What is the role of cortisol in the alarm reaction stage?
Cortisol levels rise to mobilise the body to respond to the stressor;
What is the role of cortisol in the resistance stage?
Cortisol levels are sustained at a heightened level to maintain an increased ability to respond to the stressor;
What is the role of cortisol in the exhaustion stage?
Cortisol levels are depleted and the body’s ability to respond to the stressor is reduced;
