How Does The Way We Think & Feel Influence Our Health?

Question 1

What is stress?

Answer 1

Any circumstance in one’s life that may be real or perceived and threatens one’s wellbeing

Question 2

What are the health-related consequences resulting from stress?

Answer 2

• Persistent stressors & neg. emotions cause release of stress hormones which can lead to heart disease, immune suppression & ANS effects (headaches,hypertension)
• these persistent stressors can also lead to unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, drinking, poor nutrition & sleep

Question 2

What determines stress load?

Answer 2

• stressors (catastrophes, life changes, hassles)
• intervening factors (appraisal, perceived control, personality, social support, coping behaviours)
• stress reactions (physiological, emotional, behavioural)

Question 2

Explain the transactional model of stress

Answer 2

Consists of primary appraisal & secondary appraisal regarding stressor

• primary appraisal: is this relevant to me? Threatening? potentially harmful?
• secondary appraisal: what can I do to minimise the threat/harm?

Question 3

Explain the importance of appraisals

Answer 3

• if the appraisal is seen as a threat regarding the stressor, the response will be to panic & freeze up
• If the appraisal is seen as a challenge regarding the stressor, the response is arousal & focus

Question 4

How do optimists explain things?

Answer 4

• they use external, unstable, specific explanations for negative events
• predict better health outcomes

Question 5

How do pessimists explain things?

Answer 5

• they use internal, stable & global explanations for negative events
• they predict worse health outcomes

Question 6

Define the term coping

Answer 6

Constantly changing thoughts & behaviour to manage specific internal & or external demands that are appraised to be exceeding the person’s resources

Question 7

What are the three components of coping?

Answer 7

Process-oriented: focus on what person thinks & does in stressful situation
Contextual: specific to specific person in a particular situation
Not judged on outcome: coping not defined by whether it leads to ‘successful’ outcome

Question 8

What are the two functions of coping?

Answer 8

• changing the source of stress/ modifying the environment which uses problem-focused coping
• regulating distressing emotional reactions which uses emotion-focused coping

Question 9

What are the four steps involved with problem focused coping?

Answer 9

1. Identify the problem
2. Generate possible solutions
3. Select the appropriate solution
4. Apply the solution

Question 10

What are the four functions of social support?

Answer 10

1. Emotional support
2. Appraisal support
3. Information support
4. Instrumental support

Question 11

How does social support reduce stress?

Answer 11

• person can be more objective of the severity of their stressor
• helps to decrease intensity of physical reactions to stress
• makes the person less likely to experience negative emotions