Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > Stress > Flashcards

Stress Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® Psychology flashcards Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Stressors

A

Specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a person or threaten the person’s well being

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Stress

A

Physical and psychological response to internal or external stressors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Sources of stress

A
  • Can include both positive AND negative life events

- Events are most stressful when there is nothing that can be done - i.e., reduced perceived control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Chronic stressors

A

Sources of stress that occur continuously or repeatedly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Fight or flight response

A

An emotional and physiological reaction to an emergency that increases readiness for action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What does the fight or flight response activate?

A

Cascading response of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical) axis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

HPA axis response

A
  • Threat triggers brain activation in hypothalamus
  • Stimulates adrenal glands to release hormones like catecholamines (EP and NEP) and cortisol (increases level of glucose in blood to acquire more energy)
  • Activation of sympathetic nervous system and deactivation of parasympathetic nervous system
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A

Non-specific stress response. Has three stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Alarm (GAS)

A

Body mobilizes resources to respond to the threat; fight–or-flight response; pulls resource from stored fat/muscle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Resistance

A

Body adapts to high arousal state and tries to cope with the stressor. Continues to draw on body’s resources; stops other processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Exhaustion

A
  • Damage occurs; body becomes susceptible to infection, organ damage, premature aging, death, etc.
  • Reserves depleted
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Cell division’s role in aging

A

When a cell divides the telomeres (caps at end of each chromosome to prevent them from sticking) become shorter. If they’re too short, cells can’t divide -> tumours and diseases.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Chronic stress effects on cell division

A

Chronic stress leads to shorter telomere length and lower telomerase (telomere repairing enzyme) activity. Cortison can reduce activity of telomerase.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What can prevent the shortening of telomere length?

A

Exercise/meditation prevent chronic stress from shortening telomere length

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Psychoneuroimmunology

A

Study of how the immune system responds to psychological variables (i.e. stressors). Stressors cause hormones (glucocorticoids aka cortisol) to flood the brain, exhausting the immune system and suppressing it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Immune system

A

Complex response system that protects the body from bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

White blood cells

A

Produce antibodies that fight infection

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Experiment with cold virus

A

Healthy volunteers exposed to common cold

  • Some got the cold, others did not
  • Stress made the difference; chronic stress exposure = cold, brief stressful events = no cold
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What’s the relationship between low social status, stress and health?

A

More difficulty to provide for yourself/family, exposed to more environmental toxins, can’t afford to/don’t have access to doctors, etc.

20
Q

Stress and cardiovascular health

A
  • Activation of sympathetic NS causes increased BP; prolonged increased BP damages blood vessels
  • Damaged blood vessels accumulate plaque
  • Plaques detach and block narrow blood vessels, block blood supply = heart attack
21
Q

Type A behaviour pattern

A

Tendency towards easily aroused hostility, impatience, time urgency, and competitive achievement strivings; opposite is type B

22
Q

What’s the correlation between Type A behaviour and cardiovascular health?

A

Students who respond to stress with anger/hostility are 3x more likely to develop premature heart disease; 6x more likely to have an early heart attack

23
Q

Primary appraisal

A

Interpretation of a stimulus as stressful

24
Q

Secondary appraisal

A

Determining whether the stressor is something you can handle or not; aka your level of control; determine if stressor is threat or challenge

25
Q

Burnout

A

Physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion created by long term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lower performance and motivation

26
Q

Which professions are at a greater risk for burnout?

A

Helping professions

27
Q

Symptoms of burnout

A
  • Overwhelming exhaustion
  • Deep cynicism
  • Detachment from the job
  • Sense of ineffectiveness
  • Lack of accomplishment
28
Q

What’s the cause of burnout?

A

Defining yourself only by your career; gauging your self-worth only by success at work - nothing left when work fails

29
Q

Repressive coping

A

Avoiding feelings, thoughts, or situations that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint

30
Q

What are the issues with repressive coping?

A
  • Some things are hard to avoid your entire life
  • ## Very difficult to avoid feelings and thoughts
31
Q

Rational coping

A

Facing the stressor and working to overcome it; approaching rather than avoiding

32
Q

Three-step process of rational coping

A

Acceptance: Realize that stressor exists and won’t go away
Exposure: Attending to the stressor; thinking about it, seeking it out
Understanding: Find the meaning of the stressor in life

33
Q

Reframing

A

Finding a new or creative way to think about a stressor that reduces its threat

34
Q

Stress inoculation training (SIT)

A

Technique that helps people cope with stressful situations by developing positive ways to think about the situation

35
Q

Stress management from mind perspective

A

Rational coping, repressive coping and reframing/SIT

36
Q

Meditation

A

Intentional contemplation - e.g. clear the mind of thought, focus on a single thought, concentrate on breathing or mantra (om)
- Teach abilities of thought/emotional regulation

37
Q

Relaxation therapy

A

Reducing tension by consciously relaxing muscles of the body

38
Q

Relaxation response

A

Reduced muscle tension, cortical activity, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure

39
Q

Stress management from body perspective

A

Meditation, relaxation therapy, biofeedback and aerobic exercise

40
Q

Biofeedback

A

Use of external monitoring device to obtain information about a bodily function and gain control over that function

41
Q

Aerobic exercise

A

Exercise that increases heart rate/oxygen intake for a sustained period of time
- Serotonin and endorphins can have a positive effect on mood

42
Q

Situation management of stress

A

Social support, religious experience, humour

43
Q

Social support

A

Aid gained through interacting with others; most effective for women (tend and befriend)

44
Q

Religious experience

A

Religiosity (affiliation/engagement with a religion) vs. spirituality (affiliation/engagement with a higher power, not necessarily religion)

45
Q

Humour

A

Can reduce sensitivity to pain/distress; can reduce time it takes to calm down after stress

46
Q

Stress and procrastination

A
  • 70% of undergraduates procrastinate
  • Higher levels of procrastination are associated with poorer academic performance and higher psychological distress
  • Habitual procrastinators show higher levels of self-reported hypertension and cardiovascular disease

Psychology (28 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions