Stress as a psychobiological process Chapter 3 Flashcards
stress
a psychological and physiological state of tension in response to a stimulus
stressor
a stimulus (internal or extrenal) that prompts the stress response
internal stressor
-a stimulus from within a persons body that prompts the stress response
-attitude
-rumination
-low self esteem
-nervous system dysfunction
attitude
more likely that they consider a situation to be outside of their capacity to cope,
rumination
Repeatedly thinking about the negative components of an event makes it more difficult to overcome
low self-esteem
negative opinion of themselves makes it more likely
that they do not believe in their capacity to overcome a stressful situation
nervous system dysfunction
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
external stressor
a stimulus from outside a person’s body that prompts the stress response
a test
meeting new people
working
Eustress
a positive psychological stress response
emotions: happy excited
when stressor provides a positive opportunity
Distress
a negative psychological stress response
emotions: worried upset
when stressor provides a negative circumstance
acute stress
a form of stress characterised by intense psychological and physiological symptoms that are brief in duration
fight-flight-freeze
an involuntary and automatic response to a threat that takes the form of either escaping it, confronting it or freezing
flight and fight
activation of sympathetic ns
prompts the release of adrenaline and allows the body to quickly flee form the threat or fight
freeze
stressor seems so threatening that the body cannot respond straight away
drop in blood pressure
chronic stress
a form of stress that endures for several months or longer
cortisol
a hormone that is released in times of stress to aid the body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal
response to acute stress
cortisol helps to energise the body by inducing the release of glucose and rise in blood sugar levels
fight-flight-freeze
response to chronic stress
-enduring release of cortisol
-increased blood sugar levels
-improving metabolism
-energising the body
-reducing inflammation
General Adaptation Syndrome
a biological model involving three stages of physiological reactions that a person experiences in response to a persistent stressor
SCARE
Shock
Counter shock
Alarm reaction
Resistance
Exhaustion
Shock stage
-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
Counter shock
-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
Resistance
-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
Exhaustion
-resources depleted
-immune system is left weakened and prolonged release of adrenaline has negative affects on the body such as stomach ulcers
Strengths of GAS
-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
Limitations of GAS
-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
primary appraisal
an individuals assessment of the situation
-benign-positive
-irrelevant
-stressful
–harm/loss
–threat
–challenge
secondary appraisal
an individuals assessment of the available resources
emotion focused coping
-wishful thinking
-denial
-reforming
-optimism
-venting emotions
-meditation
Problem focused coping
-seeking information
-taking action
-time management
STRENGTHS of Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping
-accounts for individual differences in response to similar situations
-explains why differences can occur within an individuals responses
LIMITATIONS of Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping
-lack of empirical evidence
-often overlap between primary and secondary appraisal stage
gut microbiota
all the living organisms that live in the gut
gut microbiome
all the genes of the microorganisms that live in the gut
biome
an area for a community of living things
Mayer et al (2015) study
-microorganisms from gut microbiota removed form animals
-these animals were found to secrete more stress hormones
The gut-brain-axis
the bi-directional relationship between the gut and the brain through the enteric NS and CNS
enteric NS
the network of nerves in the gut and is a subdivision of the autonomic ns
vagus nerve
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
Germ-free animal studies
-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
Germ free animals
microorganisms removed from their gut
composition of gut microbiota can influence
-autism spectrum disorder
-mental disorders, depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders
-cognitive decline
gut related diseases
irritable bowel disease and inflammatory bowel syndrome have links with anxiety and depression symptoms
coping with stress strategies
-physical exercise: adrenaline released when stressed so by exercising u are using up the adrenaline
-meditation relaxation
-social support
-alcohol/ drugs (dopamine)
approach strategies
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
avoidance strategies
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
self-efficacy
the belief in our own ability and that our actions can influence outcomes
resilience
our ability to bounce back following adversity
context-specific effectiveness
coping strategies are a good fit for the situation
coping flexibility
-the ability to replace and effective coping strategy with a different strategy that is more suited or effective in dealing with the stressor
