Stress

Question 1

Factors affecting how people cope with stress

Answer 1

1. Social support
   - Direct effect theory + buttering
2. Cognitive
   - Locus of control: internal or external responsibility and control over life
   - Increased internal loc improves stress response, TOO high and unrealistic internal loc can be maladaptive
3. Personality
   - Neuroticism: anxious thoughts, feelings, behaviour (increases stress)
   - Hardiness: dispositions resilience and control (decreases stress)
   - Hostility: aggressiveness towards the world, less accepting of support, increased physiological responses (increased stress)

Question 2

Types of stress

Answer 2

1. Acute: routine, personal event-based stress
2. Cataclysmic: significant events that affect many people (9/11)
3. Chronic: ongoing and persistent stress, can lead to burnout

Question 3

Yerkes Dodson Law

Answer 3

Optimal task performance = MIDDLE arousal level

Low arousal: boredom/apathy
High arousal: stress & anxiety

Question 4

Lazarus’ Transactional Model of Stress

Answer 4

• B/w external event and individual reaction
• Issues arise when demands > resources

Question 4

Life Events Theory

Answer 4

• Points assigned to distressing life events
• > 150 in 12 months leads to increased illness risk