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Psychology > Stress > Flashcards

Stress Flashcards

1
Q

What is stress?

A

A state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by stressors perceived as a challenge or something that exceeds our ability to cope

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2
Q

What is a stressor?

A

a stimulus that causes or produces stress and challenges our ability to cope

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3
Q

What is eustress?

A

a positive psychological response to a stressor

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4
Q

When is eustress experienced?

A

When stress is beneficial and desireable and not harmful to the body

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5
Q

What is distress?

A

A negative psychological response to a stressor

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6
Q

When is distress experienced?

A

When stress is objectionable or undeseriable and can have serious consequences for health

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7
Q

What is the difference in the body’s reaction to eustress and distress?

A
  • the body cannot differentiate

- the sympathetic nervous system is activated in both reacitons (FFF)

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8
Q

What are daily pressures?

A
  • little problems of everyday living that annoy or bother us

- are not necessarily significant in themselves, but when piled ontop of one another can become a major source of stress

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9
Q

What are life events?

A
  • changes that force us to adapt to new circumstances

- have immediate consequences and require longer adjustments

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10
Q

What is acculturative stress?

A
  • the experiene of people trying to adapt to a new culture

- the adopting of values, customs and languages

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11
Q

What are major stressors?

A
  • events that are extremely stressful for almost anyone who experiences them
  • often described as psychologically traumatising events and typically involve life-threatening experiences
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12
Q

What are catastrophes?

A
  • sudden, unpredictable, uncontrollable events that cause widespread damage or suffering
  • usually affect many people simaultaneously
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13
Q

What do the models of FFF and GAS describe?

A

patterns of involuntary biological processes that occur in response to a stressor

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14
Q

What is the specific process of FFF?

A
  • exposure to a stressor
  • threat is percieved by the amygdala
  • message is sent to the hypothalamus
  • the sympathetic nervous system is activated
  • adrenal glands secrete adrenaline
  • hypothalamus activates the HPA axis which releases cortisol
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15
Q

What is the HPA axis?

A

the interaction of the hypothalamus and pituitary and adrenal glands in response to a stressor

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16
Q

What is the purpose of cortisol?

A

energises the body by releasing glucose into the body, enhances metabolism and acts as an anti-inflammatory

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17
Q

What happens if the stressor is long-term?

A

The HPA axis continues to release cortisol which impairs immune system functioning

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18
Q

What are some of the physical problems associated with a prolonged release of cortisol?

A

colds, flus, hypertension, blood-sugar imbalance, hardening of the arteries

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19
Q

What is the process of GAS?

A

a three stage physiological response that occurs regardless of the stressor

20
Q

What is the first stage of GAS?

A

Alarm reaction

-immediate response

21
Q

What is the shock stage?

A
  • occurs when the person first becomes aware of the stressor

- body acts as if it is injured and goes into a temporary state of shock

22
Q

What is the counter-shock stage?

A
  • quick rebound
  • sympathetic nervous system is activated (FFF)
  • body becomes ready to deal with the stressor
23
Q

What is the second stage of GAS?

A

Resistance

  • maximises resources to cope and adapt
  • all unecessary processes shut down
  • cortisol is released into the bloodstream
24
Q

What is the final stage of GAS?

A

Exhaustion

  • occurs when the stressor is unable to be dealt with
  • resources for coping are very weak/nonexistant
  • increased vulnerability to physical and mental disorders
25
Q

What are some of the strengths of the GAS model?

A
  • further understanding of the links between stress and disease
  • identifies biological processes associated with stress
  • explains potentially detrimental effects of the adaptation process
26
Q

What are some of the weaknesses of the GAS model?

A
  • ‘one size fits all model’ that assumes each person’s response is the same
  • does not take cognitive aspects of stress into account
  • results were primarily based on animals
27
Q

What is the Lazarus and Folkman model?

A

The main model for explaining stress as a psychological process

28
Q

What is transactional stress and coping?

A

an encounter between an individual and their internal environment

29
Q

What is the primary appraisal?

A

the assesment of the relevance of a stressor to a particular person

30
Q

What are the possible outcomes of a primary appraisal?

A

Benign-positive, Irrelevant and stressful

31
Q

What are the possible outcomes of a stressful event?

A

Harm/loss, threat, challenge

32
Q

What is harm/loss?

A

an assesment of damage that has already occured

33
Q

What is a threat?

A

assesment of damage that could occur in the future

34
Q

What is a challenge?

A

an assement of potential for growth or gain

35
Q

What is a secondary appraisal?

A

the evaluation of our coping strengths and resources

36
Q

What are examples of internal resources?

A

strength and determination

37
Q

What are examples of external resources?

A

money, time or support

38
Q

When is stress felt after the secondary appraisal?

A

If coping resources are not adequete

39
Q

What are the strengths of the Lazarus and Folkman model?

A
  • focus on psychological influences
  • emphasises individuality of human responses
  • model was developed in reference to the human exprience
  • individual has an active role
40
Q

What are the weaknesses of the Lazarus and Folkman model?

A
  • difficult to test through experimental research
  • appraisals often happen simaultaneously
  • overlooks physiological responses to stress
41
Q

What are coping strategies?

A

cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage stressors

42
Q

What are approach strategies?

A
  • a direct attempt to focus on a stressor

- more adaptive and effective

43
Q

What are avoidant strategies?

A
  • an inderect attempt to deal with a stressor

- not always maladaptive, only short term

44
Q

What is context specific effectiveness?

A

when there is a good match between the coping strategy used and the stressful situation

45
Q

What is high coping flexibility?

A

a ready adjustment of coping strategies when found ineffective

46
Q

What is low coping flexibility?

A

consistently using the same strategies across situations even if they prove to be ineffective

47
Q

What are some of the benefits of exercise?

A
  • uses up stress hormones
  • releases endorphins
  • provides an opportunity for distraction

Psychology (13 decks)

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