Stress and Health Flashcards
Biopsychosocial model
Predicts that the causes and effects of physical well-being are a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors that can amplify/diminish condition
Stress according to biopsychosocial model
A physiological response to an (environmental) event that is appraised as taxing or exceeding one’s ability to adapt that often fails to be dealt with in a social context or with the help of others
Stress appraisal theory
What counts as a stressor is up to our own interpretation of an event
Primary and secondary appraisal
Primary- first evaluation of the demands of the situation; Secondary- second evaluation of our ability to deal with the demands of the situation
Three categories of stressors
Catastrophic events, major life events (can be positive), and daily life hassles
Three types of “high stressors”
Psychological uncertainty, frustration/pressure, goal conflict
Types of goal conflict
Approach-approach, approach-avoidance, avoidance-avoidance
General adaption syndrome (GAS)
3 stage response to short and long-term stressors: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion
SAM pathway of stress response - immediate
Sympathetic-adreno-medullary axis: activated by hypothalamus, sympathetic system activates, adrenal medulla secretes catecholamines (epinephrine-physical and norepinephrine-psychological)
HPA pathway of stress response - prolonged
Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis: activated by hypothalamus, which secretes CRH, pituitary gland secretes ACTH, adrenal cortex secretes glucocorticoids like cortisol
Cardiovascular patterns
Challenge reactivity- secondary > primary, experience sympathetic arousal; Threat reactivity- sympathetic arousal out of fear
Diathesis-stress approach
Genes we are born with give us an inherent susceptibility or diathesis for a given health outcome
Differential sensitivities hypothesis
some people might simply have a genetic predisposition to being more strongly affected by their environment
Epigenetics
study of how events in people’s lives can change how their genes are expressed
Yerkes-Dodson law
Some amount of stressful arousal allows us to (temporarily) do better on a task
Allostatic load
Chronic stressors or daily hassles can cause sustained elevation of neuroendrocrine response without the ability to return to homeostasis creates wear and tear on bodily tissues and internal organs
Defensive/avoidance coping
seeking to minimize stress by distancing ourselves from stress triggers in hopes that the stressor disappears or we will better cope at a later time
Learned helplessness
person becomes convinced that they have no control over the situation (even if it is escapable) when they are forced to bear aversive stimuli
Neurogenesis
stress slows down the production of new brain cells/growth of new neurons
Burnout
long-term exhaustion and loss of motivation caused by chronic stress: exhaustion, cynicism, inadequacy
PTSD
clinically diagnosable disorder involving haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, anxiety, and insomnia for weeks after a traumatic event
Cycle of stress and sleep
stress reduces duration and depth of sleep, sleep deprivation increases stress and health problems
Telomerase and telomeres
Chronic stress slow down the creation of telomerase, an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres and slows down the process of aging, while telomeres, chemical caps at the end of each chromosome, wear away
Natural aging
Leads to dramatic physical changes in motor and sensory systems: vision (acuity and light sensitivity), audition (perception of speech), taste and smell, motor control
Presbyopia
less able to focus on nearby objects due to lens hardening over time
Senile miosis
age-related reduction in amount of light that reaches retina = difficulty with seeing in low-light/luminance conditions
Atypical aging
neurodegenerative diseases; situations where there are such profound cognitive changes that we don’t attribute them to natural processes, rather pathological
Dementia
broad category of diseases that reduce ability to think, remember, speak, and control emotions
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
first stage of dementia where patients start experiencing problems with attention and memory (exceeds natural aging)
Alzheimer’s
most common, significant loss of working and episodic memory
Base-rate fallacy
tendency for humans to ignore general prevalence information in favor of specific prevalence
Meta-analysis
data across many data sets
Problem-focused coping
changing secondary appraisal (available resources) by finding a solution
Appraisal-focused
changing primary appraisal (interpretation) by perceiving the stressful event as not challenging or threatening
Type A personality
highly competitive and driven, hot tempered and hostile, focused on time management; increased risk of cardiovascular problems from hostility
Type B personality
more reflective and creative and less competitive
Hedonic well-being
positive emotions and avoiding suffering
Eudamonic well-being
sense of purpose and meaning in life e.g. self-actualization
PERMA model of subjective well-being
positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishments
Defensive coping through the body
aerobic exercise, guided relaxation therapy, mindfulness meditation
Flow
psychological state where one’s attention is so focused on the task that any sense of self-awareness disappears
Stages of changing your behavior
Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance
Implementation intentions
conscious and specific if-then thoughts designed to cognitively connect a desired action to some triggering event or stimulus, or behavior change
