Stress Flashcards
define stress.
subjective experience when the perceived demands of situtaion are greater than the person’s percieved ability to cope
What is a stressor?
something in environment that produces a stress response
What is the function of the sympathomedullary pathway?
influence of SNS & adrenal medulla -> prepares the body for fight or flight, when faced with acute stressor
What is the function of the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal system?
stress response system involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland & adrenal cortex, helping the body deal with chronic stressors
What are the 2 different types of stress? What is the time period for each one?
- acute stress - short term
- chronic stress - long term
What is acute stress?
cause: specific events that feel unpredictable & leave us with a poor sense of control
- felt intensely
- harmful in the short term
What is chronic stress?
cause: repeated exposure to situations that leads to release of stress hormones
- less intensely
- harmful in the long term
What is the main stress hormone?
cortisol
What is General Adaptation Syndrome?
the idea stressors cause 3 stages of stress:
1. alarm
2. resistance
3. exhaustion
What can the exhaustion stage of GAS result in?
healthy adaptation to stress or illness
What happens in the alarm stage of GAS?
- fight or flight reaction mobilises the body to combat threat by activating sympathetic nervous system
What happens in the resistance stage of GAS?
enhanced ability to fight stressor via the body’s physiological adaptations
- but ability to withstrand additional stressor is reduced
What happens in the exhaustion stage of GAS?
lack of resources to deal with stress brings on diseases & disorder
Who came up with the General Adaptation Syndrome?
Selye
What was Selye’s research into GAS?
procedure: subjected rats to various physical stressors eg. excessive muscular exercise & extreme cold
findings: same responses (GAS) occured regardless of stressor after 6-48 hours
What was Mason’s research against GAS as how we respond to stress?
procedure: replicated Selye’s study using monkeys & measured response to 7 diff stressors by measuring levels urinary cortisol
findings: found that outcomes depended on the stressor (eg. extreme cold increased cortisol levels but extreme heat reduced them)
Why does research into stress use non-human mammals?
ethical reasons? & physiological systems in the stress response are almost identical in all mammals
What was the procedure of Kiecolt-Glaser’s experiment using med students into the role of stress on the immune system?
took 2 blood samples from 75 med students - one month before exams & one day of first exam
- used questionnaire to self report psychological symptoms
