Greenburg Chapter 4 Flashcards
Task-oriented coping
performing a task to address the stressful threat (e.g., studying an additional way in order to do well on exam)
Emotion-focused coping
managing emotions to address the stressful threat (e.g., managing feelings that you may not do well on the exam and/or accepting that a class is not a class where you will receive a great grade)
Coping with stress & appraisal
•According to Lazarus, coping requires an appraisal process.
–Primary appraisal: judging how much of a threat is involved and how important is the outcome
–Secondary appraisal: determining whether resources needed to meet the demand are available
–Reappraisal: evaluation of whether response made to a demand/threat was effective and whether any further coping is necessary
Self-efficacy
A type of appraisal is self-efficacy
•According to Bandura, self-efficacy is the ability to manage a demand/threat
–Outcome efficacy: people in general can use strategies to achieve an outcome (e.g., to stop smoking)
–Personal efficacy: you can achieve an outcome
Definitions
- Stress interventions: Activities to prevent a stressor from resulting in negative consequences
- Coping: engaging in a behavior or thought to respond to a demand
•Lazarus theory of stress:
–Result of a demand that exceeds resources available to meet that demand
–The demand is perceived as a threat
Model of stress
- A life situation knocks you off balance
- Cognitive appraisal occurs, where an individual interprets the stressor (note: different people can interpret same stressor in different ways)
- If perceived as stressful, this starts the path towards experiencing stress
- Emotional arousal occurs (e.g., feelings of fear, anger, being overwhelmed)
- Physiological arousal occurs (e.g., increased heart rate, digestive problems)
- Consequences: including poor physical health, poor psychological health, and/or poor performance in other activities
Setting up roadblocks
Using the model of stress, you can block the process of stress occurring by setting up roadblocks at different points in the model
–Cognitive appraisal/perception: instead of viewing being fired from job as a catastrophe, you consider focusing on the good part of it (e.g., an opportunity to receive training full-time in a more interesting field)
Roadblocks (Continued)
use relaxation techniques to prevent emotional arousal from turning into physiological arousal
•Physiological arousal: perform vigorous physical activity to burn off the arousal
•In general, techniques performed by counseling/psychotherapy try to teach cognitive reappraisal as a roadblock
Eustress
- Distress is stress that results in negative consequences such as decreased performance and personal growth
- Eustress is stress that results in positive consequences such as increased performance and personal growth
- Yerkes-Dodson curve: moderate level of stress is useful for optimum performance
Making a commitment
- Start right now
- Complete a contract
- Plan rewards for reaching accomplishments
- Plan punishments for not fulfilling contract
- Keep goals realistic
Occupational stress
M. J. Smith model is that occupational stressors occur in 7 different contexts: sociocultural, organizational, work setting, interpersonal, psychological, biological, physical/environmental
M.J. Smith model
Sociocultural: –racism –sexism –economic downturns –political changes
•Organizational:
–hiring policies
–layoffs
–organizational priorities
•Work setting: –task to perform –supervision –co-workers –participation in decision making
•Interpersonal: –marital discord –conflict with family or friend –illness or death in family –legal or financial difficulties
•Psychological: –mental health issues –poor coping skills –low self-esteem –poor communication skills
•Biological:
–medical disease
–disability
–pregnancy
•Physical/environmental: –poor air or climate –poor lighting –bad architecture –toxic substance exposure
•Stress on the job costs businesses a lot of money.
–Salaries for sick days –Replacement costs to train workers –Costs for hospitalization and outpatient care –Health benefits price increases –Costs related to decreased productivity
High stress jobs: 2 different theories
•Demand-control
–Most stressful jobs are those that have high psychological demands (e.g., work quickly, huge workload) and low control (e.g., low decision making)
•Effort-reward imbalance
–Work stress occurs when there is too great a work effort to do the job while there is low reward for a well-done job
•Stressors that particularly affect women include:
–Career blocks –Sexual harassment –Male-dominated climate –Performance pressure –Gender stereotyping –Isolation –Lack of role models
•Disease states
–Heart disease –Obesity –Psychosomatic symptoms –Diabetes –Hypertension –Peptic ulcers •More heart attacks occur on Mondays than on any other days
Role problems
- Role overload: job demands are so great that worker is unable to cope and stress develops. “So much to do in so little time.”
- Role insufficiency: when workers lack the training, education, skills, or experiences to accomplish the job, which leads to stress.
•Lack of participation:
–Level of participation in decision-making process associated with job satisfaction.
–Non-participation associated with poor physical health, alcohol drinking, depression, dissatisfaction with life, low motivation to work, intention to leave job, absenteeism.
- Role ambiguity: aspects of the job and workplace are not clear leading to stress.
- Role conflict: workers are caught in a bind where two supervisors each expect something different. This can lead to stress.
Workaholic
Naughton
•Job-involved workaholics
–high work commitment and low obsession-compulsion
–perform well in demanding jobs, have high job satisfaction, and have little interest in non-job activities.
•Compulsive workaholics
–high work commitment and high obsession-compulsion
–Impatient, not creative, do not perform well on job
•Non-workaholics
–low work commitment and low obsession-compulsion
–Spend excessive amount of time on non-work activities and are unsuccessful on job
Scott, Moore, & Miceli
•Compulsive-dependent workaholic: so focused on work that high levels of anxiety, stress; negative physical and psychological consequences develop
•Perfectionist workaholic: can tolerate nothing less than perfection and has high stress, low job satisfaction; negative physical and psychological consequences develop
•Achievement-oriented workaholic does not obsess about work but focuses on achievement, has high job and life satisfaction, low stress, good health
Spence & Robbins
•Triad of work involvement, drivenness, and work enjoyment
–Workaholics: high work involvement, high drivenness, and low work enjoyment
–Work enthusiasts: high work involvement, low drivenness, and high work enjoyment
•Work enthusiasts have healthier and more satisfying work style
Burnout
Definition: prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on job and includes 3 dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment.
•Emotional exhaustion: feeling emotionally depleted and tired
•Depersonalization: feeling detached from the work and worksite
•Lack of personal accomplishment: feeling incompetent and lacking achievement at work
Symptoms –Diminished sense of humor –Skipping rest and meals –Increased overtime/no vacation –Increased physical complaints –Social withdrawal –Changed job performance –Self-medication –Internal changes
