Stress & Coping

Question 1

Define Stress

Answer 1

Stress is a psychological response to experiencing environmental stimuli, which exert demands on an athlete

Question 2

Name the 4 stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye, 1979)

Answer 2

> Stressor
Alarm
- Initial ‘fight or flight response - neuroendocrine reaction
Resistance
- Body attempts to stabilize - successfully repairs damage or long-term illness
Exhaustion
- Body can no longer resist - death

Question 3

Define Stress as a Transaction

Answer 3

Stress exists as the relationship between person resources and environmental demands, and when there is a imbalance it causes the experience of stress

Question 4

Define Primary Appraisal

Answer 4

When faced with a stressor a person makes an evaluations of its significance

Question 5

Define Secondary Appraisal

Answer 5

After the primary appraisal, the individual will make an evaluation of the controllability of the stressor and his/her coping resources

Question 6

Define a Stressor

Answer 6

A stressor is an environmental demand(s) (i.e. stimuli) encountered by an individual
(Fletcher et al., 2006)

Question 7

Name 3 types of stressors

Answer 7

> Competitive
Organizational
Personal

Question 8

Define Competitive stressors

Answer 8

The environmental demands associated primarily and directly with competitive performance

Question 9

Define Organizational stressors

Answer 9

The environmental demands associated primarily and directly with the organization within which an individual is operating

Question 10

Define Personal stressors

Answer 10

The environmental demands associated primarily and directly with personal “non-sporting” life events

Question 11

Define Appraisal

Answer 11

Refers to how a person evaluates his or her transactions with the environment

Question 12

What influences appraisals?

Answer 12

Timing of events Predictability 
Ambiguity
Imminence
Novelty
Temporal uncertainty 
Event uncertainty
Duration

Question 13

Define responses in the stress process

Answer 13

Responses to appraisals can either be physiological, psychological, or behavioural
in nature

Question 14

Define Individual Differences in the stress process

Answer 14

Personal and situational characteristics that

moderate the stress process

Question 15

Define Coping in the stress process

Answer 15

The cognitions and behaviours, adopted by
the individual following the recognition of a stressful encounter, that are in some way designed to deal with that encounter or its
consequences.

Question 16

Define Outcomes in the stress response

Answer 16

Effective stress management can have important implications for performance and well‐being
outcomes