STRESS & HEALTH Flashcards
What is the difference between stress and stressors?
Stress - physical psychological response in internal or external sources
Stressors - specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a person or threaten the person’s well being
What are the main components of Selye’s General Adaptation Response model?
Alarm reaction - fight or flight; mobilize resources
Resistance - cope w/ stressor
Exhaustion - reserves depleted
What role does the amygdala play in the regulation of the fear response?
Detection of threat & activation of appropriate fear related behaviors in response to threatening or dangerous stimuli
How do the SAM (sympathetic adrenal medullary) system and the HPA (hypothalamic pituitary adrenal) axis respond differently to stress?
SAM - activation occurs within seconds & permits adaptive responding to a stressor
HPA axis - slower response system involving release of hormones & cortisol, resulting in immune suppression
What did the Abbott et al. (2003) study find about the relationship between social status and cortisol in primates?
Results across highly variable
Predictors of higher cortisol in subordinates - higher rates of stressors & less opportunities for social support
Is ‘Type A’ behavior a risk for heart disease?
Intensity, drive, anger, & hostility linked to increased rate of heart disease
Type A - tendency toward easily aroused hostility, impatience, a sense of time urgency, & competitive achievement striving
What are some ways in which people interpret stress?
Primary appraisal - the interpretation of a stimulus as stressful or not
Secondary appraisal - determining whether the stressor is something you can handle/have control over or not
Negative appraisal - the response to a stressor as a threat
Positive appraisal - the response to a stressor as a challenge
Repressive coping
avoiding situations or thoughts that are reminders of a stressor; artificially positive viewpoint
Rational coping
facing stressor & working to overcome it
Problem - focused coping
address specific problems by finding solutions
Emotion-focused coping
target negative emotions
Relationship-focused coping
maintain & protect social relationships
Reframing
finding a new or creative way to think about a stressor that reduces it’s threat
What is the importance of perceived control to coping effectiveness?
Related to more effective coping
Perceived lack of control can add to stress
What is positive psychology? What are some examples of positive psychology exercises?
Approach that emphasizes normal behavior & human strengths
Obituary/biography - imagine what you would want your obituary to say at the end of a long & positive life
Active/constructive responding - react in a visibly positive & enthusiastic way to good news from someone else
Savoring - once a day, take the time to enjoy something you usually hurry through
3 good things
Gratitude visit - think of someone to whom you are grateful but have never properly thanks, write them a thank you note
