Stress Flashcards
What is stress
Psychological arousal produced by challenges which are perceived as exceeding coping resources
What is eustress
A positive response to a stressor e.g. excitement
What is distress
A negative response to a stressor e.g. anxiety
What is the difference between chronic stress and acute stress?
Chronic stress = prolonged arousal due to a persistent stressor
Acute stress = brief arousal due to immediate stressor
What are the 5 types of stressors?
Daily pressures Life events Acculturative stress Major stressors Catastrophes
What is a daily stressor?
An irritating demands that often occur in a daily environment
What is a life event?
Changes and/or strain which causes an individual to have to adjust
What is acculturative stress?
Stress experienced due to adaptation to a new culture
What is major stress?
An extraordinarily stressful or disturbing event for everyone involved
What is a catastrophe?
A sudden unpredictable large scale event that is perceived as threatening
What is an example of a daily pressure?
Peak hour traffic
Long queues
Packed transport
Too many things to do
What is an example of a life event?
Retirement
Moving house
Marriage
Moving school
What is an example of acculturative stress?
Adjusting to a foreign language
Adjusting to ethnicity
Adjusting to a new climate
Adjusting to new social norms
What is an example of a major stressor?
Death of a loved one
What is an example of a catastrophe?
Global pandemic
Natural disasters
What is cortisol produced by?
Adrenal glands
What is the role of cortisol
To energise the body by increasing energy supplies
What is a flaw to cortisol?
Suppresses the immune system
What are the three stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model?
Alarm reaction stage
Resistance stage
Exhaustion stage
What are the two sub categories of the alarm reaction stage?
Shock and counter shock
What occurs during the alarm reaction?
- Shock: first become aware of a stressor and body goes into temporary distress
- Countershock: sympathetic NS activates the fight-flight-freeze response, the body moves above a normal level of stress due to adrenaline and noradrenaline
What occurs during the resistance stage?
The bodies ability to tackle a stressor rises above normal and cortisol is released
What occurs during the exhaustion stage?
Body can no longer deal with a stressor, brings out physical wear and tear.
What is a strength of the GAS model?
- info about the physiological processes involved in stress
- establishes a connection between prolonged stress and disease
What is a limitation of the GAS model?
- rats response to stress are less complex than humans
- no consideration for psychological or environmental factors
- generalisation of findings are limited due to the research being done on rats
What is the purpose of primary appraisal?
To evaluate the significance of a stressor
What is the purpose of secondary appraisal?
To address what can be done about a situation
What are the two types of coping strategies?
Problem focused coping
Emotion focused coping
What is an example of problem focused coping?
Evaluating pros and cons Learning new skills to deal more effectively with a stressor Focusing on what can be changed Reappraisal Information seeking
What is an example of emotion focused coping?
Denial Avoiding Wishful thinking Venting emotions Relaxing
What is meant by an approach strategy?
Involve attending to, encountering and/or acknowledging the stressor
What is meant by an avoidance strategy?
Involved focusing away from the stressor e.g. procrastination, ignorance, denial, rejection, repression
What is an example of an approach strategy?
- looking for a new job if fired
- spending extra time studying if you failed a test/SAC
What is an example of an avoidance strategy?
- avoiding looking for a new job after being fired
- not doing extra study after failing
What is context specific effectiveness?
When there is a good match/fit between the coping strategy and the stressful situation
What is coping flexibility?
An individuals ability to modify coping behaviour according to the nature of each stressor
What is the name of the neurotransmitter released during physical activity?
Endorphins
What is the fight-flight-freeze response?
An involuntary reaction resulting in a state of physiological readiness to deal with an acute stressor or immediate stress
