Stress, Coping, Health

Question 1

stress

Answer 1

a phenomenon in which some factor(s) in the environment causes a person to feel threatened or challenged in some way OR some kind of stressor which involves internal and external adoption by an individual, is known as a stress response.

Question 2

General Adaption Syndrome

Answer 2

3 stages: Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion, appears regardless of stressor, hypothalamus initiates response, HPA(order of organs triggered) equivalent to flight to flight response

Question 3

Stress response

Answer 3

the reaction to some kind of stressor which involves internal and external adaption by individual
ex) people living near 9/11 had less gray matter; children watch tv coverage of 9/11 had PTSD symptoms

Question 4

Alarm

Answer 4

1st rxn to stressor, resistance diminished, release of stress hormones

Question 5

resistance

Answer 5

adapts to stressor, increased resistance, alarm diminished, tries to shut down unnecessary processes such as digestion, growth, sex drive

Question 6

exhaustion

Answer 6

long continued exposure, wearing down the bodies resistance..alarm rxn reappears..death/illness

Question 7

illness and the immune system

Answer 7

Bathrop: grief can decrease immune function
Stone: college students kept a diary, decrease immune function (anti body levels)
Visintainer: stress increase spread of cancer. 75% of rats with cancer in stress group died vs. 50%
Keicolt-Glaser: stress of caring for someone w/ a chronic disease..delays wound repair of that person (10dys)

Question 8

learned helplessness

Answer 8

belief that one does not have control over one’s situation based on past experiences

Question 9

How does stress exert its effect?

Answer 9

people who are stressed do things that compromise one’s immune function; release of stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline which suppress immune function

Question 10

Personality factors in stress

Answer 10

Type A, B, phony B’s

Question 11

Type A

Answer 11

greater risk for heart attack; demonstrates a competitive orientation towards achievement, always has a sense of urgency, tendency to anger & hostility

Question 12

Type B

Answer 12

lower levels of competitiveness, urgency, anger & hostility

Question 13

Phony Type B’s

Answer 13

appear to be Type B’s on surface but inside they are tense, feel urgency and hostility

Question 14

Environmental factors in stress

Answer 14

rating scale, hardiness, control

Question 15

Holmes and Rahe social readjustment scale

Answer 15

losing a relationship is stressful, good things can be stressful too.. like getting married

Question 16

hardiness

Answer 16

some people are just immune to the effects of stress, this can be learned

Question 17

control

Answer 17

Brady: wrong, in control more means more stress, not right having less power is more stressful
Weiss: the right answer, same study as Brady
Langer and Rodin: nursing home residents; 1 group could choose vs no choice (died early)

Question 18

social support

Answer 18

Aid gained through interacting with others; heart attack patients have slower recoveries if spouse was not supportive; internet usage negatively correlated with family members, size of social circle; college students do not sleep well when lonely

Question 19

coping

Answer 19

interpretation of stimulus as stressor or not

Question 20

Primary Appraisal

Answer 20

is this important to me.. yes/no

ex) dark spot on shirt.. spider or not

Question 21

secondary appraisal

Answer 21

what strategy can I use to maximize positive outcomes and minimize negative outcomes, determining if its something you can handle or not, control vs no control

Question 22

problem focused coping

Answer 22

support group, better if you have control over the problem

Question 23

emotional focused coping

Answer 23

better for problems where you do not have control

Question 24

coping techniques

Answer 24

thought suppression doesn’t work.. increases HR bc it takes effort to suppress things
relaxation..leads ro better recovery, helps depression, anxiety and immune function
aerobic exercise..3-4 times a week for 20-30mins is optimal
thinking positively.. more likely to overcome addiction

Question 25

rational coping

Answer 25

facing stressor and work to overcome it

Question 26

reframing

Answer 26

finding a new or creative way to think about stressor that reduces its threat