Stress Flashcards
Define stress.
The nonspecific response of the body to any demand.
Describe General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).
Consists of three stages: alert, resistance and exhaustion.
At the alert stage, cortisol and adrenaline are released. The body responds with fight or flight.
At the resistance stage, if the stressor has passed, the body returns to normal and repairs itself. If the stressor has not passed, the body adapts to live with this higher stress level. Cortisol will continue to be released. There may be outward signs such as irritability and poor concentration.
At the exhaustion stage, the body is no longer able to fight the stress effectively. Signs of exhaustion include depression and anxiety.
Describe the causes of stress.
Life events.
Work stress.
Personality type.
Describe the study by Chandola et al. (2008).
It is a longitudinal study investigating the link between workplace stress and coronary heart disease (CHD).
Sample consisted of 10,000 civil servants in London from both genders and a variety of age groups.
Findings show that work stress is a significant indicator of CHD in those under the age of 50.
Describe the study by Rahe (1970).
Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) given to 2500 male American sailors to assess the life events they had experienced in the previous six months. During the following six months, while the sailors were on a a tour of duty, their health status was recorded. Results showed that as life change score increased, so did frequency of illness.
Describe someone with type A personality.
Somebody who is prone to competitiveness, time urgency and hostility.
Describe someone with type B personality.
Somebody who is more relaxed, patient and easy-going.
Describe the study by Friedman and Rosenman.
They conducted a longitudinal study on 3,000 men. Half were assessed as type A and the other half were type B. They were followed for 8.5 years. Results showed those with type A were twice as likely to develop CHD than those with type B, even after smoking and lifestyle factors were taken into account.
State the biological measures of stress.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Pulse oximeter
Sample tests for salivary cortisol
Describe fMRI as a measure of stress.
It measures activity in the brain by tracking the changes in flow of oxygenated blood.
When a part of the brain is active it requires more oxygen so there will be increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) to that area.
Brain areas most active in response to stress include amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus.
Describe pulse oximeter as a measure of stress.
A small clip placed on finger and passes beams of light through finger.
It measures oxygen saturation and heart rate.
Increased heart rate indicates stress, although this is not always accurate.
Describe sample tests for salivary cortisol as a measure of stress.
It measures the level of cortisol in saliva. High level of cortisol indicates stress.
Describe the aim of Wang et al. (2005).
To use fMRI to measure CBF changes in response to mild and moderate stress as a result of a maths task.
Describe the sample of Wang et al. (2005).
30 Americans.
23 in experimental group, 7 in control group.
Describe the procedure of Wang et al. (2005).
Participants were given four MRI scans. The first and last were baselines, second was during a low-stress task and the third was during a high-stress task.
The low-stress task involved counting backwards from 1,000. The high-stress task involved substracting 13 from a four-digit number, answering aloud, receiving prompts to speed up and having to start again if an error is made.
Other measures of stress such as self report, salivary test for cortisol, pulse oximeter were used to increase concurrent validity.
