Stress as a psychobiological process

Question 1

Define Stress

Answer 1

refers to a psychological and physiological experience that occurs when an individual encounters something of significance that demands their attention and/or efforts to cope.

Question 2

Define an internal stressor

Answer 2

refers to a stimulus from within a person’s body that prompts the stress response. Things like Attitude, Rumination, Low self esteem and Nervous system dysfunction.

Question 3

Define an external stressor

Answer 3

refers to a stimulus from outside of a person’s body that prompts the stress response. Can include: test or an exam, meeting new people, working long hours and financial difficulties.

Question 4

Define distress

Answer 4

refers to a form of stress characterised by a negative psychological state. Usually occurs when the stressor is a negative circumstance.

Question 5

Define eustress

Answer 5

refers to a form of stress characterised by a positive psychological state. Involves emotions such as being happy and excited.

Question 6

Define acute response

Answer 6

refers to a form of stress characterised by intense psychological and physiological symptoms that are brief in duration.

Question 7

Define the fight,flight,freeze response

Answer 7

refers to an involuntary and automatic response to a threat that takes the form of either escaping it, confronting it, or freezing in the face of it.

Question 8

Define chronic stress

Answer 8

refers to a form of stress that endures for several months or longer. A long term biological response that will energise the body over a period of weeks or months.

Question 9

Define cortisol

Answer 9

refers to a hormone that is released in times of stress to aid the body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal. Serves the functions of: increasing blood sugar levels, improving metabolism, energising the body and reducing inflammation.

Question 10

Define the GAS model

Answer 10

refers to the biological model involving three stages of physiological reactions that a person experiences in response to a persistent stressor.

Question 11

Identify the three stages in GAS model

Answer 11

the three stages are Alarm reaction, Resistance and Exhaustion.

Question 12

Define Alarm Reaction

Answer 12

refers to the first stage in the GAS model involving the initial decrease and subsequent increase in bodily arousal in response to an immediate stressor.

Question 13

Define shock and counter shock

Answer 13

shock refers to the first substage of the alarm reaction stage involving decreased bodily arousal for a brief period of time following the initial exposure to a stressor. Counter shock refers to the second substage of the alarm reaction stage in which sympathetic nervous system responses occur that mobilise the body to respond to the stressor.

Question 14

Define Resistance

Answer 14

refers to the second stage of the GAS model involving maintaining high levels of body arousal in response to a persistent stressor.

Question 15

Define Exhaustion

Answer 15

refers to the third stage of the GAS model involving the depletion of energy levels and bodily resources, resulting in an inability to cope with the stressor.

Question 16

Identify strengths of GAS model

Answer 16

some include: recognises the relationship between chronic stress and illness and also recognises a predictable pattern of physiological responses associated with stages and substages.

Question 17

Identify weaknesses of GAS model

Answer 17

some include: it’s based on research that was conducted on rats, reducing generalisability on model with the human population and also that it only focuses on the biological aspects of stress when there are other factors involved.

Question 18

Define the enteric nervous system

Answer 18

refers to the network of nerves in the gut and is a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system.

Question 19

Define Vagus nerve

Answer 19

refers to the longest cranial nerve that connects the gut and the brain, enabling them to communicate.

Question 20

Define contect-specific effectiveness

Answer 20

refers to when the coping strategy or mechanism used is appropriate for the unique demands of the stressor..

Question 21

Define coping flexibility

Answer 21

refers to an individual’s ability to adjust or change their coping strategies depending on the unique and changing demands of a stressor.

Question 22

Define approach strategies

Answer 22

refers to coping strategies that directly confront the stressor.

Question 23

Define avoidance strategies

Answer 23

refers to coping strategies that evade the stressor, seeking to indirectly reduce stress.