Stress, coping & health (Chapter 14) Flashcards
Biopsychosocial model
Physical illness is caused by a complex interaction of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors
Primary appraisal
An initial evaluation of whether an event is:
- Irrelevant to you
- Relevant but not threatening
- Stressfull
Secondary appraisal
An evaluation of your coping resources and options for dealing with the stress
Acute stressors
Are threatening events that have a relatively short duration and clear endpoint
Chronic stressors
Are threatening events that have a relatively long duration and no readily apparent time limit
Significant life changes
Personal events isolated to you
Catastrophes
Unpleasant large scale events
4 principles of stress
- Frustration
- Conflict
- Change
- Pressure
- Frustration: blocked goal
- Conflict: 2 or more incompatible motivations
- Change: having to adapt
- Pressure: expectations to behave in a certain way
Approach-approach conflict
A choice must be made between 2 attractive goals
- Tends to be the least stressful
Avoidance-avoidance conflict
A choice between 2 unattractive goals
- Most unpleasant
Approach-avoidance conflict
A choice made about whether to pursue a single goal that has both attractive and unattractive aspects
What are the 3 levels of responding to stress
Emotional response
Physiological response
Behavioural response
Emotional responses
Can continue for a long time Annoyance, anger, rage Dejection, sadness, grief Gratitude, joy Positive emotional style is associated with enhanced immune response
Inverted U hypothesis
Predicts that task performance should improve with increased emotion arousal up to a certain point, after which further increases in arousal become disruptive and performance deteriorates
Physiological response
Autonomic arousal, hormonal fluctuations, neurochemical changes
Flight or fight response
Reaction to threat in which the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the organism for attacking (fight) or fleeing (flight) an enemy
Selye’s general adaptation syndrome
- 3 stages
A model of the body’s stress response
Alarm (fight or flight response)
- Physiological arousal occurs as the body musters its resources to combat the challenge
Resistance phase
- Body attempts to resist or cope with stressors that cannot be avoided
Exhaustion phase
- Persistent stress depletes the body of energy
- Increased vulnerability to physical problems and illness
Behavioural responses
Most involve coping
Type A personalilty
Involves self-imposed stress and intense reactions to stress
- Strong competitive orientation
- Impatience and time urgency
- Anger and hostility
Type B personality
Marked by relatively relaxed, patient, easygoing, amicable behaviour
- Less hurried, less competitive and easy going
Social support
- Explicit
- Implicit
Positive correlations between high social support and greater immune functioning
- Explicit: physically there
- Implicit: feeling of support; independent relationships
Stress-debilitating mindet
Assume stress is harmful
Stress-enhancing mindset
View stress as an invigorating challenge and opportunity for growth
