stress illness (just lecture) Flashcards
what is a stressor?
any event, experienced first-hand or witnessed, that increases physical or psychological demands on an individual. the event is perceived as a threat (real or imagined)
what are the two stress types?
short term stress (acute stress) : everyday events aka exam stress
long term stress (chronic stress) : ex unhappy marriage, there are serious health consequences
what are the THREE components of stress?
- stimulus or external event (stressor)
- psychological transaction between the stressor and individual
- physical/biological reaction
what model did Richard Lazarus create?
cognitive transactional model of stress
what is the cognitive transactional model of stress?
experiments exposing university students to stressful films while monitoring subjective and objective responses to stress
what model did canon create?
fight or flight model
what is the fight or flight model?
external threats kickstart the need to respond with either a fight against the threat or running away
what did Hans seyle do?
nicknamed the father of stress, he defined two types. eustress (positive) and distress (negative)
what biological systems does stress activate?
HPA axis and gut brain axis
cortisol levels are usually what to the severity of a stressor
proportional
what is inflammation?
boys natural response to an infection or an injury
how can we measure stress?
in laboratory settings, naturalistic settings with wearables, self reported measures, and observation
what are some criticisms of biological models of stress?
- over focus on the stimulus response path
- individual responds “automatically” - no individual differences
- body response to stress is consistent
what are examples of different coping mechanisms?
- adjustment of the attitude towards the problem and changing the perception of the problem itself
- changing our relationship toward our surroundings
- use physical preparedness in problem solving
- changing surroundings and creating personal space
