Stress Flashcards
What is stress as a response?
Stress as a response:
Strain: e.g. being over-tired, lacking energy, having sleeping
problems, or feeling depressed.
What is stress as a stimulus?
Stress as a stimulus:
e.g. work-overload, failing an exam, moving house.
This type of event is often referred to as a stressor.
What is stress according to the Transactional Model of Stress?
according to the Transactional Model of Stress, stress
occurs when there is a mismatch between the threat and the perceived
ability to cope.
The transactional model helps to explain why two people
undergoing the same event may have very different responses.
So key terms to remember in terms of the Transactional Model of
Stress would be cognitive appraisals (primary and secondary),
demands and resources.
What happens when the body detects an emergency?
When the body detects an emergency the sympathetic branch of the
autonomic nervous system is activated.
he activation of the sympathetic branch involves the stimulation of
the adrenal glands
* These produce neuro-hormonal changes including the production of
adrenaline and noradrenaline and a class of hormones termed
‘corticosteroids’ e.g. cortisol.
* These hormones then prepare the body for action by releasing
energy sources (e.g. glucose) from stores in the body.
Responses to threat prepare the organism to either attack the threat (fight
response) or to flee it (flight response). AKA Acute Stress Response
What is the general adaptation syndrome?
1) Stage of Alarm (initial response to stress)
2) Stage of Resistance
3) Stage of Exhaustion
What is the critique of General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?
Critique
Subsequent research has shown that the basic structure of the GAS
seems to hold:
People experiencing high levels of stress do show increased
reactivity to new stressors they encounter (↑ blood pressure and
↓ immune function)
Repeated exposure to intense stress over time is associated
with poorer health.
But the model’s proposal that all stressors produce the same
physiological stress arousal is incorrect. The nature of the physiological
response differs depending on the nature of the stressor.
Also, the GAS model does not take into account the role of psychosocial
factors in stress, which means that not everyone reacts to the same
stressor in the same way.
What is the social readjustment rating scale?
The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), by Holmes and Rahe is the original and most commonly used scale, and
gives a ‘stress rating’ to many of the sorts of stressful life events we are
likely to experience
Rank Life event Stress rating
1 Death of a spouse 100
2 Divorce 73
3 Marital Separation 65
4 Jail Term 63
5 Death of close family member 63
6 Personal illness or injury 53
7 Marriage 50
8 Dismissal at work 47
9 Marital reconciliation 45
10 Retirement 45
What are the advantages of the social readjustment scale?
- Ease and simplicity of administration.
- Yield quantitative data which can be statistically analysed and therefore are
useful in research. - Correlations have been shown between SRRS scores and heart attacks, broken
bones, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, complications of pregnancy
and birth, decline in academic performance, employee absenteeism, and other
difficulties. - Although the scale was originally developed and validated using only male
subjects it provides useful results with both male and female subjects. - It has been validated in Japanese, Latin American, European, and Malaysian
populations.
What are the disadvantages of the social readjustment scale?
Disadvantages
* No evidence that 2 people will respond to the same stressor in the same way,
and therefore does not allow for individual variations.
* Ratings based on male response to stress. Gender differences?
* Researchers have constructed other life event scales to develop more precise
measurements of stress in both adults and children
How do you manage stress?
Time management
* Proper nutrition
* Exercise
* Finding alternatives to frustrated goals
* Stopping smoking, excessive alcohol drinking etc. (which maybe
stress related)
* Increasing one’s social support network: e.g. joining social, religious
and special interest groups
What are the biological approaches to managing stress?
Biological Approaches:
* Relaxation exercises
* Progressive muscle relaxation
* Meditation
* Breathing exercises
* Music therapy
* Dancing
* Laughing, and the experience of humour.
* Pharmacological: using prescribed drugs like beta-blockers, Mg
supplements, Omega-3 fatty acids
* Massages
