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Psychology Unit 3 & 4 > Stress as a psychobiological process Chapter 3 > Flashcards

Stress as a psychobiological process Chapter 3 Flashcards

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1
Q

stress

A

a psychological and physiological state of tension in response to a stimulus

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2
Q

stressor

A

a stimulus (internal or extrenal) that prompts the stress response

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3
Q

internal stressor

A

-a stimulus from within a persons body that prompts the stress response
-attitude
-rumination
-low self esteem
-nervous system dysfunction

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4
Q

attitude

A

more likely that they consider a situation to be outside of their capacity to cope,

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5
Q

rumination

A

Repeatedly thinking about the negative components of an event makes it more difficult to overcome

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6
Q

low self-esteem

A

negative opinion of themselves makes it more likely
that they do not believe in their capacity to overcome a stressful situation

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7
Q

nervous system dysfunction

A

The dysfunction of the production of certain neurotransmitters,
such as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), could make it more likely to experience a stress
response

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8
Q

external stressor

A

a stimulus from outside a person’s body that prompts the stress response
a test
meeting new people
working

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9
Q

Eustress

A

a positive psychological stress response
emotions: happy excited
when stressor provides a positive opportunity

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10
Q

Distress

A

a negative psychological stress response
emotions: worried upset
when stressor provides a negative circumstance

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11
Q

acute stress

A

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

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12
Q

fight-flight-freeze

A

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

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13
Q

flight and fight

A

activation of sympathetic ns
prompts the release of adrenaline and allows the body to quickly flee form the threat or fight

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14
Q

freeze

A

stressor seems so threatening that the body cannot respond straight away
drop in blood pressure

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15
Q

chronic stress

A

a form of stress that endures for several months or longer

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16
Q

cortisol

A

a hormone that is released in times of stress to aid the body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal

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17
Q

response to acute stress

A

cortisol helps to energise the body by inducing the release of glucose and rise in blood sugar levels
fight-flight-freeze

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18
Q

response to chronic stress

A

-enduring release of cortisol
-increased blood sugar levels
-improving metabolism
-energising the body
-reducing inflammation

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19
Q

General Adaptation Syndrome

A

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

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20
Q

SCARE

A

Shock
Counter shock
Alarm reaction
Resistance
Exhaustion

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21
Q

Shock stage

A

-1st stage in GAS
-you become aware of the enormous amount of stress caused by the stressor
-You experience a short period of shock
-your ability to deal with the stress falls below normal levels
-body temperature, blood pressures and muscle tone momentarily decrease

22
Q

Counter shock

A

-your body increases its resistance to the stressor with the release of adrenaline into the blood stream
-the sympathetic NS activates the fight or flight or freeze response

23
Q

Resistance

A

-The 2nd stage in GAS
-involves maintaining high levels of bodily arousal in response to a persistent stressor
-your ability to deal with the stressor rises above normal levels
-cortisol is released
-over a prolonged period of time stress hormones weaken the immune system resulting in a cold or infection

24
Q

Exhaustion

A

-resources depleted
-immune system is left weakened and prolonged release of adrenaline has negative affects on the body such as stomach ulcers

25
Q

Strengths of GAS

A

-recognises a predictable pattern of physiological responses associated with distinct stages
-recognises relationships between chronic stress and illness
-provides objective empirical information abt the biological process

26
Q

Limitations of GAS

A

-based on research done on rats, reduces the generalisation
-only focuses on the biological aspect of stress and ignores the important psychological factors
-prescribes a uniform

27
Q

primary appraisal

A

an individuals assessment of the situation
-benign-positive
-irrelevant
-stressful
–harm/loss
–threat
–challenge

27
Q

secondary appraisal

A

an individuals assessment of the available resources

28
Q

emotion focused coping

A

-wishful thinking
-denial
-reforming
-optimism
-venting emotions
-meditation

29
Q

Problem focused coping

A

-seeking information
-taking action
-time management

30
Q

STRENGTHS of Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

A

-accounts for individual differences in response to similar situations
-explains why differences can occur within an individuals responses

31
Q

LIMITATIONS of Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

A

-lack of empirical evidence
-often overlap between primary and secondary appraisal stage

32
Q

gut microbiota

A

all the living organisms that live in the gut

33
Q

gut microbiome

A

all the genes of the microorganisms that live in the gut

34
Q

biome

A

an area for a community of living things

35
Q

Mayer et al (2015) study

A

-microorganisms from gut microbiota removed form animals
-these animals were found to secrete more stress hormones

36
Q

The gut-brain-axis

A

the bi-directional relationship between the gut and the brain through the enteric NS and CNS

37
Q

enteric NS

A

the network of nerves in the gut and is a subdivision of the autonomic ns

38
Q

vagus nerve

A

the longest cranial nerve that connects the gut and the brain, enabling them to communicate
-10-20% nerve fibres brain ⋙ gut
-80-90% nerve fibres gut ⋙ brain

39
Q

Germ-free animal studies

A

-Microbiota from patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) was implanted into germ-free mice
-The mice began to exhibit depressive like behaviours
-poorer memory function
-secretion of stress hormones
-less social engagement

40
Q

Germ free animals

A

microorganisms removed from their gut

41
Q

composition of gut microbiota can influence

A

-autism spectrum disorder
-mental disorders, depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders
-cognitive decline

42
Q

gut related diseases

A

irritable bowel disease and inflammatory bowel syndrome have links with anxiety and depression symptoms

43
Q

coping with stress strategies

A

-physical exercise: adrenaline released when stressed so by exercising u are using up the adrenaline
-meditation relaxation
-social support
-alcohol/ drugs (dopamine)

44
Q

approach strategies

A

behaviours that attempt to decrease the stress by addressing or finding solutions to the problem
-eg. applying for jobs, commencing hw
-typically a healthy response to stress

45
Q

avoidance strategies

A

failing to engage or deal with the stress by protecting oneself from psychological distress
-eg. ignoring or denying the situation
-typically maladaptive unhealthy for the individual and unhelpful for relieving the source of stress

46
Q

self-efficacy

A

the belief in our own ability and that our actions can influence outcomes

47
Q

resilience

A

our ability to bounce back following adversity

48
Q

context-specific effectiveness

A

coping strategies are a good fit for the situation

49
Q

coping flexibility

A

-the ability to replace and effective coping strategy with a different strategy that is more suited or effective in dealing with the stressor

Psychology Unit 3 & 4 (11 decks)

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