Stress Management 2 Flashcards
What did Selye discover in his rat experiments?
Rats exposed to prolonged stressors (e.g., extreme cold, shock) showed:
Adrenal enlargement.
Thymus/shrinkage.
Stomach ulceration.
This led to the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) theory.
How does stress impact childhood development?
Childhood exposure to violence (e.g., bullying, abuse) accelerates telomere erosion (Shalev et al., 2013).
Prenatal stress (mother’s severe stress during pregnancy) shortens telomeres in offspring (Entringer et al., 2011).
What are occupation-specific stressors? Provide examples.
Police officer: Physical dangers, bureaucratic paperwork.
Teacher: Lack of supplies, threat of violence.
Nurse: Work overload, dealing with patient death.
What is the role of cortisol in stress?
Stress hormone cortisol weakens the immune system by inhibiting lymphocytes.
Chronic elevation leads to end-organ damage (e.g., hypertension → heart attack).
What is reappraisal in emotion-focused coping?
Construing a stressor differently to reduce threat (e.g., “Prison will help me network”).
Self-deceptive but reduces negative emotions.
What are the four components of Benson’s relaxation response?
Sit comfortably, feet grounded.
Quiet environment, eyes closed.
Repeat a mantra (e.g., “Alert mind, calm body”).
Focus passively on pleasant thoughts.
How does stress affect memory?
Moderate stress (eustress) enhances immediate and delayed recall (e.g., memorizing text post-mild stressor).
What attribution patterns lead to learned helplessness?
Internal (“I’m not smart”), stable (“I can’t change”), and global (“I fail at everything”) attributions → depression.
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
The study of how psychological stress affects the immune system via brain-endocrine-immune interactions (e.g., stress → slower wound healing).
How do acute vs. chronic stressors differ physiologically?
Acute: Short-term fight-or-flight (adaptive).
Chronic: Prolonged HPA axis activation → exhaustion, illness (e.g., caregiver stress).
What did the Alameda County study reveal about social ties?
People with fewer social contacts were 2.3–2.8x more likely to die over 9 years vs. those with strong networks.
Why is exercise effective for stress management?
Buffers physiological stress effects (e.g., prevents telomere shortening).
Linked to youthful appearance and faster recovery.
