Stress

Question 1

Who created the General Adaptation Syndrome?

Answer 1

Selye 1936,1983

Question 2

What does the GAS model understand stress to be?

Answer 2

A non-specific response to a demand

Question 3

Name the three stages of the GAS model.

Answer 3

Alarm Reaction
Resistance
Exhaustion

Question 4

Describe the Alarm Reaction Stage of the GAS model.

Answer 4

Sympathetic NS
1. Shock - similar to injury, decreased body temp, muscle tone and blood pressure
2. Countershock - amygdala detects threat, signal to hypothalamus, signal to adrenal cortex, hormones released: cortisol/adrenaline/noradrenaline, increased heart/breathing rate

Question 5

Describe the Exhaustion Stage of the GAS model.

Answer 5

Physical and mental exhaustion. Reserves of stress hormones, BGL and adrenal glands are depleted.
Leads to fatigue, low mental health and vulnerability to illness/disease.

Question 5

Describe the Resistance Stage of the GAS model.

Answer 5

Parasympathetic NS restores homeostasis

Question 6

What theory did Lazarus and Folkman propose in 1984?

Answer 6

Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping

Question 7

How is stress defined in the Transactional Theory?

Answer 7

Stress is a transaction between a person and the environment.

Question 8

Define primary appraisal.

Answer 8

Threat/harm/relevance assessment

Question 9

Define secondary appraisal.

Answer 9

Coping resource assessment

Question 10

What factors influence our appraisal of a stressor?

Answer 10

Personal
Resources
Situation

Question 11

What are the two types of coping?

Answer 11

Emotional coping
Problem coping

Question 12

Who proposed the Social Readjustment Scale?

Answer 12

Holmes and Rehe (1967)

Question 13

How many common stressful events were found between Holmes and Rehe’s sample?

Answer 13

43

Question 13

How did Holmes and Rehe measure stress?

Answer 13

LCU - Life Change Units

Question 14

What correlation did Holmes and Rehe observe?

Answer 14

Noticed correlation between life changes and illness (weak positive r)

Question 15

What is the general definition of stress?

Answer 15

A non-specific response of the body to any demand, both physiological or psychological.

Question 16

Define Distress.

Answer 16

Negative physiological response/emotions

Question 17

Define Eustress.

Answer 17

Positive response, feel stressed but capable, motivating.

Question 18

What is a stressor?

Answer 18

Any source of stress, both internal and external.

Question 19

What are the four natures of stressors?

Answer 19

Environmental
Social
Psychological
Cultural

Question 20

What do we call short term stressors that don’t do physiological or psychological damage?

Answer 20

Acute stressors

Question 21

What are long term stressors called?

Answer 21

Chronic stressors

Question 22

Define an adaptive coping strategy.

Answer 22

Confronting and dealing with stressors in beneficial and productive way.

Question 23

Define a maladaptive coping strategy.

Answer 23

Avoid confronting or dealing with stressors in an unhelpful or unhealthy way.