Midterm Review Flashcards
Technostress
our reaction to technology and how our lives are changing as a result (many emails, phone calls, txt messages)
How does virtual reality exposure therapy help?
immersive technology that can recreate a multisensory experience (sight, sound, smell, and touch) in the comfort of a therapist’s office. This can help PTSD treatment-seeking patients.
Social support
emotional support to help you feel better about yourself or cope during an event that is causing stress
What kind of social support is there?
-tangible support (money or car usage)
-emotional support (love or caring concern)
-informational support (facts or advice)
Fight-or-Flight Response
the body’s stress reaction that includes an increase in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol (Walter Cannon)
Kinds of stressors:
-Environmental (toxins, heat, cold)
-Psychological (threats to self-esteem)
-Sociological (unemployment)
-Philosophical (use of time, purpose in life)
Cerebral cortex
The upper part of the brain that is responsible for thinking, language, and judgement
Subcortex
the lower part of the brain that is responsible for various physiological processes necessary to be alive
Cerebellum
Part of the subcortex;
coordinates body movement
Medula oblongata
Part of the subcortex;regulates heartbeat, respiration, and other basic physiological processes
Pons
Part of the subcortex;
Sleep cycle regulation
Limbic system
-Diencephalon
-Thalamus
-Hypothalamus
Diencephalon
emotional regulation
Thalamus
Part of the diencephalon;
relays impulses from the nervous system
Hypothalamus
Part of the diencephalon;
activator of the autonomic nervous system
General adaptation syndrome
describes the process your body goes through when you are exposed to any kind of stress, positive or negative (3-phase process)
- Alarm Reaction
the body shows the changes characteristic of the first exposure. Resistance is diminished and if the stressor is strong (burns, extreme temp.), death may result
Example of the alarm reaction
Someone being at a party, but having social anxiety
- Stage of Assistance
resistance results if continued exposure to the stressor is compatible with adaptation. The bodily signs characteristic of the alarm reaction have virtually disappeared, and resistance rises above normal.
Example of the assistance reaction
when others try to involve the socially anxious guest, he experiences stress (muscle tension, heart rate increase…)