Psychology chapter 10: stress and health Flashcards
stress
Process of appraising and responding to a stressor
(a threatening or challenging event)
Stressors fall into three main categories
- Catastrophes
- Significant life events
- Daily hassles
extra Social/Cultural stressors
microaggression
when people make comments that are clear or unclear about a person’s identity
Body’s response to stress– Two pathways
1.Sympathetic nervous system
* Adrenal glands secrete epinephrine & norepinephrine stress
hormones
* Fight-or-Flight response
2. Cerebral cortex (higher-order part of brain)
* Adrenal glands secrete glucocorticoid stress hormones (e.g.,
cortisol)
General Adaptation Syndrome
Phase 1: Alarm Reaction
* Phase 2: Resistance
* Phase 3: Exhaustion
Immune system
Isolates and destroys bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens to keep us healthy.
Chronic exposure to stress is associated with a decreased functioning of the immune system.
examples:
- Wounds
- Colds
- HIV/AIDS * Cancer
Coronary heart disease is #1
cause of death for men and women
Are people with certain personality features are more likely to develop heart disease.
t or f
true
Type A:
components of this personality type associated with higher risk of heart disease
Type B:
personality type associated with lower risk of
heart disease
Type D:
among people with heart disease, this type of personality associated with negative events (like a heart attack or death).
Types of Social Support
- Emotional Support
- Sharing Points of View
- Practical (Instrumental) Support * Sharing Information
- Distraction
Coping with Stress
two ways
- Problem-focused coping
- Emotion-focused coping
Research has found the following factors are associated with less stress:
- Aerobic exercise
- Religious involvement * Relaxation
- Meditation
Happiness is generally not related to…
- Age
- Gender
- Education-level
- Whether or not someone has children
- Physical attractivenes
approach and avoidance motives
the drive to move toward (approach) or away from (avoid) a stimulus
Hans Selye (1936, 1976) extended Cannon’s findings and named it
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
phase 1-3
psychoneuroimmunology
the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes combine to affect our immune system and health.
problem-focused coping
attempting to reduce stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
emotion-focused coping
attempting to reduce stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.
external locus of control
the perception that outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate.
