stress as an example of a psychobiological process

Question 1

stress

Answer 1

a psychobiological response produced by internal and external stressors

Question 2

stressor

Answer 2

any stimulus that produces stress

Question 3

physical stimulus examples

Answer 3

-extreme temperature
-intense light
-loud noises

Question 4

psychological stimulus examples

Answer 4

-arguments
-running late
-failing an exam

Question 5

internal stressors and examples

Answer 5

originates within the individual (personal problems that cause concern about potential consequences)

Question 6

external stressors and examples

Answer 6

originates outside the individual (having too much homework, being in a crowded space)

Question 7

acute stress

Answer 7

stress that lasts for a relatively short time

Question 8

effects of acute stress

Answer 8

negative effects
-elevated blood pressure
-reduced motivation

positive effects
-body releases adrenaline (helps accomplish tasks, enhances problem-solving ability or physical performance)

Question 9

chronic stress

Answer 9

stress that continues for a prolonged period of time

Question 10

fight-or-flight-or freeze response

Answer 10

-an involuntary response to a sudden and immediate threat (stressor)
-physiological changes produced by the sympathetic nervous system readies the body for confronting/fighting off the stressor (fight), escaping the stressor (flight), or staying still and silent to avoid detection (freeze)

Question 11

what bodily changes can occur from fight and flight reactions?

Answer 11

-increased heart rate and blood pressure
-redistribution of blood supply from the skin and intestines to skeletal muscles
-increased breathing rate
-increased glucose secretion by the liver (for energy)
-dilation of the pupils
-suppression of functions not -immediately essential to conserve energy

Question 12

freeze response

Answer 12

-one theory is that our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system are both highly active, but our parasympathetic nervous system is slightly more
-generally adaptive, but can be maladaptive

Question 13

cortisol

Answer 13

-a stress hormone secreted from the adrenal glands in response to a stressor
-its role is to increase the body’s level of arousal, which energises the body when we confront a stressor

Question 14

immediate effects of cortisol

Answer 14

-energises body by increasing energy supplies
-turns of all bodily systems not immediately required to deal with a stressor
-anti-inflammatory effect

Question 15

harmful effects of high levels of cortisol

Answer 15

-impaired immune system functioning
-high blood pressure
-high blood sugar level
-digestive problems
-vulnerability to colds and flu
-vulnerability to heart disease

Question 16

what are the stages of GAS?

Answer 16

-alarm (1)
–shock
–countershock
-resistance (2)
-exhaustion (3)
(SCARE)

Question 17

alarm reaction

Answer 17

-involves the initial decrease and subsequent increase in bodily arousal in response to an immediate stressor
-cortisol begins to be released in counter-shock

Question 18

shock

Answer 18

-decreased bodily arousal for a brief period of time following the initial exposure to a stressor
-physiological resistance to a stressor decreases below normal
-can’t adapt
-decrease in heart rate, body temp, muscle tone.

Question 19

countershock

Answer 19

-the sympathetic nervous system responses occur, which mobilises the body to respond to the stressor
-begin to adapt
-ncrease in heart rate, body temp, muscle tone

Question 20

resistance

Answer 20

-involves maintaining high levels of bodily arousal in response to a persistent stressor
-body is adapting but that ability begins to decline
-results in minor ailments (colds etc) due to cortisol suppressing the immune system
-cortisol enables us to maintain resistance above normal levels

Question 21

exhaustion

Answer 21

-involves the depletion of energy levels and bodily resources, resulting in an inability to cope with the stressor
-no longer can adapt
-results in serious illnesses (heart conditions etc)
-level of cortisol reduces (runs out)

Question 22

strengths of GAS

Answer 22

recognises:
-chronic stress
-the link between stress and disease
-the physiological processes that underlie stress
-how we have limited physiological resources to adapt to stress

Question 23

limitations of GAS

Answer 23

-assumes stress is a nonspecific response (occurs regardless of source/type of stressor, ignores personal differences)
-ignores stress as a psychological response to a stressor (selye proposed that stress is a physiological response)
-model is based on research of rats

Question 24

appraisal

Answer 24

our evaluation of or assessment of a stimulus

Question 25

primary appraisal

Answer 25

the initial process of evaluating the nature of an incoming stressor, specifically the kind of stress it might cause

Question 26

irrelevant

Answer 26

when an encounter carries no implication for a person’s wellbeing

Question 27

benign-positive

Answer 27

-occurs when an outcome of an encounter is construed as positive
-it enhances well being or promises to do so
-characterised by emotions such as joy, love, happiness, peacefulness etc

Question 28

harm/loss

Answer 28

assess damage already done

Question 29

threat

Answer 29

assess possible additional harm in the future

Question 30

challenge

Answer 30

assess opportunity for a positive outcome

Question 31

secondary appraisal

Answer 31

-the process of evaluating the resources required and available in order to cope with a stressor
-we evaluate whether we have the adequate coping resources to deal with the stimulus deemed stressful
-includes internal and external resources
-only takes place when a stimulus is deemed stressful

Question 32

strengths of the transactional model of stress and coping

Answer 32

-recognises stress as a psychological process
-human data was used to develop this model
-explains why the same stressors can have different effects on people

Question 33

limitations of the transactional model of stress and coping

Answer 33

-primary appraisal and secondary appraisal can occur simultaneously
-doesn’t recognise stress as a physiological process
-limited repeatability and reproducibility
-people are not necessarily aware of why they feel certain kinds of stress

Question 34

gut

Answer 34

the long, flexible tube that is the passageway involved in digestion (gastrointestinal tract), made up of multiple organs including the intestines and the stomach

Question 35

gut microbiota

Answer 35

-the microorganisms (eg bacteria virus, and fungi) present in our gut
-to ensure gut health, we generally want a diverse gut microbiota

Question 36

gut microbiome

Answer 36

all the genes of the microorganisms that live in the gut

Question 37

gut microbiota dysbiosis

Answer 37

imbalance of gut microbiota

Question 38

gut brain axis

Answer 38

the bidirectional connection between the gut and the brain through the enteric and central nervous system

Question 39

vagus nerve

Answer 39

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

Question 40

how are stress and gut microbiota linked?

Answer 40

-stress can disturb the balance of gut microbiota
-microbiota can influence:
–susceptibility to stress
–physiological stress responses
–stress-induced changes in psychological processes and behaviour
–stress resilience
–recovery from stress-induced changes

Question 41

approach strategy

Answer 41

involves efforts to confront a stressor and deal directly with it and its effects (generally more effective than avoidance)

Question 42

avoidance strategy

Answer 42

involves efforts that evade a stressor and deal indirectly with it and its effects (can be helpful in the short term)

Question 43

context-specific effectiveness

Answer 43

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

Question 44

coping flexibility

Answer 44

the ability to effectively modify or adjust one’s coping strategies according to the demands of different stressful situations (adaptability)