Stress Flashcards
what is stress
the psychological and physiological state of tension in response to a stimulus
what is arousal
the state if being physiologically alert, awake and attentive
what is a stressor
a stimulus that causes stress
what is acute stress
stress that provides high levels of arousal for a short amount of time
what is chronic stress
stress that involves high levels of arousal and persists for long periods of time. it is harmful to one’s wellbeing
what is the fight-flight-freeze response
an involuntary, physical response to a sudden and immediate threat in readiness to either fight, flight or freeze
what are the fight and flight reactions activated by
sympathetic nervous system
what happens when we are confronted by a threat
heart rate and breathing rate increases, pupils dilate (to let as much light in as possible), more blood is directed to muscles to prepare the body to either fight or flight
what happens to the body is the threat is extremely overwhelming
the freeze reaction kicks in. the heart rate and blood pressure drops, and muscles lose their tension.
what is cortisol
the primary stress hormone
what does cortisol do
energises the body, allowing it to better deal with the stressor
what happens is there is high levels of cortisol over a prolonged period of time
reduces the efficiency of the immune system
what is the gut-brain axis (GBA)
a biochemical network of nerves that send signals between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system
relationship between gut and brain**
the relationship is BIODIRECTIONAL meaning that the gut microbiota can affect the brain, but the brain can also affect the gut microbiota
what are microbiota
a large population of bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal tract
healthy vs unhealthy microbiota
healthy microbiota produces important hormones and neurotransmitters while unhealthy microbiota can cause inflammation and the release of anxiety-producing hormones
gut microbiota to brain
- alters levels of neurotransmitters
- neural plasticity
brain to gut microbiota
- serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline all affect the gut
- abnormalities in brain function can lead to GIT issues
- stress hormones shift gut microbiota
what is does GAS stand for
general adaptation syndrome
what is selye’s general adaptation syndrome
a three stage psychological response to stress that occurs no matter what the stressor is that is encountered
what are the 3 stages of the GAS model
- alarm reaction
- resistance
- exhaustion
what is alarm reactions subdivisions
shock and countershock
what happens in alarm reaction
the individual first becomes aware of the stressor. first the body goes into a temporary state of shock, and its ability to deal with the stressor decreases.
the body then goes into countershock, during which the sympathetic nervous system is activated and the body’s resistance to the stressor increases. adrenaline is released and heart and breathing rate increases.
what happens in resistance
if the stressor isn’t dealt with, the resistance stage is reached.
during resistance stage the body’s ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal, cortisol is released into the blood stream. minor sicknesses such as colds, occur at the resistance stage due to increased cortisol levels.
what happens in exhaustion
if the stressor isn’t removed, the body enters exhaustion stage, during which its ability to deal with the stressor decreases. this is characterised by extreme fatigue and high levels of anxiety, and major illnesses such as heart disease.
GAS model strengths
- one of the first to link stress to disease
- involved in a clear 3 phases common to all stressors
- incorporated an exhaustion phase
GAS model limitations
- assumes everyone has exactly the same responses, which may not be true. “one size fits all” model.
- dosen’t take into account a cognitive view point. eg. two people may judge the same situation differently - stressful or not stressful.
- was tested on rats - may not be fully applicable to humans
what does the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping state?
that stress involves an encounter between an individual and their environment, and that a stress response depends upon the individuals appraisal of the stressor and their ability to cope
what is appraisal
the immediate process of interpreting the meaning of an event or situation
what are the 3 subheadings under stressful in the Lazarus and Folkman Transactional Model
- harm/loss
- threat
- challenge
what is primary appraisal
stressful or not stressful
what is secondary appraisal
coping resources are adequate and coping resources are inadequate
steps for Lazarus + Folkman’s Transactional Model
- primary appraisal (evaluate significance of event to stressful or not stressful)
- of the situation is stressful, then more appraisal occurs to decide if the situation is harm/loss (eg. i have lost my wallet), a threat (eg. i may not be able to pay the bills), or challenge (eg. ill learn to budget)
- in secondary appraisal we evaluate coping options and resources, and our ability to deal with the stressor.
- if we have enough coping skills or resources then stress may not occur. if we perceive the situation as too much for our coping skills and resources, then stress will occur.
what happens in primary appraisal
evaluate significance of event
what happens in secondary appraisal
evaluate coping options and resources, and our ability to deal with the stressor.
strengths of the Lazarus + Folkman Transactional Model
- understands that each individual will react differently to a situation
-the individual has an active, rather than a passive role. - includes personal appraisals of a situation, which explains why people react in different ways to the same stressor
Lazarus + Folkman’s Transactional models limitations
- difficult to test through experimental research
- primary snd secondary aporaisals are often undertaken simultaneously and can interact with eachother. therefore difficult to isolate for study.
- doubt whether we actually need to appraise something as stressful to have a stress response.
what is a coping strategy
a specific method that individuals use to manage stress produced by a stressor.
what is context specific effectiveness
refers to the coping strategy ‘matching’ the stressor
what is coping flexibility
an individuals ability to affectively change or modify their coping technique when necessary.
low coping flexibility
tend to stick to the same strategy’s across a number of situations
high coping flexibility
change their coping strategies if their current strategy isn’t working
approach coping strategies
involve direct efforts to confront a stressor and deal directly with it
avoidance coping strategies
involve efforts that invade a stressor and deal indirectly with it
