Lecture 1 - Stress and Coping

Question 1

What are the dimensions of stress?

Answer 1

1. Input
2. Processes
3. Outputs

Question 2

What is a stress input?

Answer 2

It’s an environmental stressor that starts or triggers stress, like an event or thought.
E.g. job interview

Question 3

What are stress processes?

Answer 3

How stress is managed differently by different people. Some people are resilient to stress, while some are not.
E.g. different personalities, coping styles

Question 4

What are stress outputs?

Answer 4

They are observable objective biological responses.

E.g. physiological changes such as increased heart rate or shallow breathing, or behavioral changes

Question 5

What is the difference between acute and chronic stress?

Answer 5

Acute stress: immediate, can be adaptive
E.g. crouching tiger in front of you, fight or flight response

Chronic stress: long term, usually more harmful, can be maladaptive.

Question 6

What is the difference between absolute and relative stress?

Answer 6

Absolute stress: universally stressful to everybody.
e.g. car crash, natural disaster

Relative stress: subjective stressors - can be stressful to some people, but not others.

Question 7

What constitutes a stressful situation?

Answer 7

N ovelty
U npredictability
T hreat to ego
S ense of control

Question 8

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 8

Belief that you have the ability or skill to produce a successful outcome in a stressful situation. It’s related to your sense of control.

Question 9

What is the difference between self-efficacy and threat to ego?

Answer 9

Self-efficacy is the belief that you HAVE the ability or skill for a successful outcome.

Threat to ego QUESTIONS your ability or skill for a successful outcome.

Question 10

What are the three main types of stress theories?

Answer 10

1. Biological theories
2. Life events theory
3. Resource theories

Question 11

Name three different biological theories

Answer 11

1. Fight-or-flight (Cannon)
2. General adaptation syndrome (Selye)
3. Allostatic load (McEwen)

Question 12

Name two different resource theories

Answer 12

1. Transactional model (Lazarus)

2. Salutogenic model (Antonovsky)

Question 13

Name the Life Events Theory

Answer 13

Critical Life Events (Holmes & Rahe)

Question 14

Describe the Fight or Flight Theory

Answer 14

The Fight or Flight Theory is a biological theory (Cannon)
that states stress is a fight or flight response. The body works to return to homeostasis after a stress response.
e.g. increases in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration; decreases in saliva flow; muscle tension, pupil dilation, chills/sweating, blood vessel constriction

Question 15

Describe the GAS theory

Answer 15

The General Adaptation Syndrome theory is a biological (Selye) that has three different stages.

1) Alarm: The first phase triggers a stress cascade and the body mobilizes resources to fight the threat. There is an increase in adrenaline, and a temporary decrease in immune system function.
2) Resistance: In the second phase, the body fights the detrimental effects of stress. The body resists the threat and there is a temporary increase in immune system function.
3) Extinction: In the last phase, the body gives out because the long-term stress response causes damage and sickness to the body itself.

Important concepts: eustress vs distress, Yerkes-Dodson Curve

Question 16

Differentiate between eustress, distress and stress. What theory do these terms relate to?

Answer 16

Eustress is a reaction to positive stimuli. It’s a healthy and fulfilled state that explores potential gains.

Distress is a reaction to negative stimuli. It’s an aversive state with maladaptive behaviours.

Stress is a non-specific bodily response to any demands on the body.

These terms relate to the GAS theory.

Question 17

What is the Yerkes-Dodson Curve and what theory is it related to?

Answer 17

It is an inverted U-curve comparing performance and stress. For each individual, there is an intermediate level of stress that is neither too much nor too little, that produces optimal performance. This curve is related to the GAS theory.

Question 18

Describe the Allostatic Load theory

Answer 18

• Biological (McEwan)
• Chronic stressors cause an accumulation of wear and tear on the body, which is termed allostatic load. Our bodies adapt to environmental and situational changes through allostasis, which is the process of adapting a different phsiological set point depending on environmental and situational changes.

Question 19

Describe the Critical Life Events Theory

Answer 19

• Life Events Theory (Holmes and Rahe)
• It is the CHANGE caused by stressors that affect our health, not the stressors themselves.
• Life events can be both positive and negative, but major changes are related to stress, regardless of whether or not they’re positive or negative.

Question 20

Describe the Transactional Model

Answer 20

• Resource theory (Lazarus)
• Stress results from our appraisals, not the events themselves.
  1) Primary appraisal: Is the stimulus harmful? -> irrelevant, benign-positive, stressful -> harm/loss, threat, challenge
  2) Secondary appraisal: Coping options -> coping resources inadequate OR coping resources are greater than demand -> emotion focused coping or problem focused coping
  3) Reappraisal: reassess situation

Question 21

Describe the Salutogenic Model

Answer 21

• Resource theory (Antonovsky)
• Stress management constantly fluctuates between entropic and salutary ends even though stress isn’t inherently pathogenic.

Stress management is done through Generalized Resistance Resources -> i) personal ii) social iii) physical iv) forms: sense of coherence.

-sense of coherence: comprehensibility, mangeability, and meaningfulness

Question 22

What are the Generalized Resistance Resources and what theory are they a part of?

Answer 22

They are a part of Antonovsky’s Salutogenic Model.

i) Personal - personality style
ii) Social - solid friend groups
iii) Physical - money -> increases means
iv) Forms: sense of coherence - comprehensibilty, manageability, meaningfulness

Question 23

What is Sense of Coherence comprised of and what theory is it a part of?

Answer 23

• Antonovsky’s Salutogenic Model
  1) Comprehensibility: Things happen in an orderly and predictable way that allows for understanding of events and prediction of future events -> cognitive interpretation, consistency vs confusion

2) Manageability: A belief that you have the skills and resources to take care of things -> internal and external coping resources
3) Meaningfulness: Things in life are interesting and a source of satisfaction -> emotional interpretation

Question 24

Affect vs Mood

Answer 24

Affect: emotions (daily weather)
Mood: stable emotional state (climate)

Question 25

Negative vs Positive Affect

Answer 25

Negative affect: withdrawal-oriented (move away from negative)
Positive affect: approach-oriented (move toward positive e.g. approach ice cream)