Stress & Health Flashcards
What is stress?
The process of appraising and responding to a threatening or challenging event
What is a stress reaction?
The physical and emotional responses to the stressor
What is a stressor?
The object that is creating stress
What is stress appraisal?
Perceive there is a stressful event - decide whether the stressor is a threat or challenge
How is a threat appraisal different from a challenge appraisal?
Threat - you do not perceive having sufficient resources to deal with the stressor
Challenge - you perceive you have sufficient resources to handle the stressor; motivating
How can experiencing stress in life be beneficial?
Builds resilience - confidence in overcoming obstacles
What are the three main types of stressors?
Catastrophes
Significant life changes
Daily hassles and social stress
What is acculturative stress?
Culture shock associated with stress and inflammation, but dissipates over time
How are significant life changes and stress related?
Higher risk of disease
Why is young adulthood stressful?
Life period with many life changes
What are daily hassles and how do they affect stress and health?
Regularly occurring nuisances
Can lead to burnout, addictive impacts on your health
What are approach and avoidance motives?
Approach-approach: two attractive but incompatible goals
Avoidance-avoidance: conflict between two undesirable motives
Approach-avoidance: feeling simultaneously attracted and repelled
Who defined the General Adaptation Model?
Hans Selye
What are the phases of the General Adaptation Model and how do they affect the body?
Phase 1 - Alarm Reaction:
Sympathetic nervous system is suddenly activated and your body is ready for flight or fight
Phase 2 - Resistance:
Sympathetic nervous system stays activated, adrenals pump epinephrine and norepinephrine through your bloodstream
Phase 3 - Exhaustion:
Body has run out of resources and is susceptible to illness, collapse, and death
Are our bodies better at dealing with long term or short term stressors?
Short term stressors
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
Branch of Health Psychology that focuses on mind-body interaction
Define biopsychosocial
Physical, psychological, and social health
How does stress impact health and the immune system?
Surgical wounds heal slower
More vulnerable to colds
Expedites course of disease
Which diseases is stress a risk factor for?
Cancer, coronary heart disease
Does stress directly make us sick?
No, but it does weaken our immune system
What is problem-focused coping and how does it differ from emotion-focused coping?
Problem: addressing the stressor directly to reduce stress
Emotion: reducing stress by changing our perspective on the stressor
What is learned helplessness?
When animals or people experience no control over repeated bad events
What are the two types of locus of control?
Internal: belief that you are in control of your own destiny
External: belief that external forces determine your fate
