stressors in the environment

Question 1

what is one of the largest problem in the western world?

Answer 1

stress

Question 2

what is stress?

Answer 2

a state of physiological or psychological strain caused by unpleasant stimuli

Question 3

during stress, what is there a mismatch between?

Answer 3

the perceived demands of a situation and the individual’s ability to cope

Question 4

selye and stress

Answer 4

selye borrowed the term ‘stress’ from engineering- the response of the body of a stress response, any stimulus producing the stress response is a stressor

Question 5

what does the idea of arousal refer to?

Answer 5

a heightened state of physical and mental alertness

Question 6

what do high levels of arousal usually accompany?

Answer 6

high emotional states and involve physiological changes such as a rise in the heart rate

Question 7

what is a stressor?

Answer 7

any stimulus that produces a stress response in a person. stressors are not objective, as they don’t produce the same response in all people.

Question 8

types of stress

Answer 8

eustress vs distress

Question 9

what happens when you feel stress?

Answer 9

the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activates the adrenal glands -> the adrena medulla floods your system with adrenalin -> if the threat continues the adrenal cortex releases cortisol

Question 10

what does the adrenal cortex produce?

Answer 10

cortisol and aldosterone for metabolism and blood pressure

Question 11

what does the adrenal medulla produce?

Answer 11

adrenaline

Question 12

what does cortisol do?

Answer 12

converts fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy for fight or flight

Question 13

effects of adrenaline

Answer 13

• senses and perception sharpen- time slows down
• sweat profusely
• blood flow to muscles increases- become tense/ready for action
• hormones make blood stickier- loose less blood if injured
• heart beats faster- preparing for exertion
• want to urinate- become lighter to run faster

Question 14

what is the general adaptation syndrome (GAP)?

Answer 14

selye proposed a three stage response to stress

Question 15

GAP stage 1: alarm

Answer 15

a threat or stressor means that the body prepares for fight or flight with the release of adrenaline

Question 16

GAP stage 2: resistance

Answer 16

if the situation continues, the body tries to adapt to it cope with the long- term demands of the stressful situation through cortisol

Question 17

GAP stage 3: exhaustion

Answer 17

ultimately, the body’s resources will be depleted; damage to the body starts to occur includes high blood pressure, heart disease and stomach ulcers

Question 18

what types of environmental stressors are there?

Answer 18

noise, crowding, traffic congestion

Question 19

light and temperature

Answer 19

changes in light during the winter may cause seasonal affective disorder. it affects the production of melatonin, which is thought to influence mood and energy.

Question 20

what do negative mood and aggression increase with?

Answer 20

temperature- kenrick and macfarlane investigated using a green light and a motionless motorist. drivers honked more the warner the weather was. in the hottest weather drivers leaned on their horn for nearly 50% of the 12 seconds.

Question 21

overcrowding

Answer 21

feeling crowded is a subjective psychological experience which varies between individuals

Question 22

overcrowding study

Answer 22

a study on deer in chesapeake bay found 60% died when the population reached one per acre. post mortem showed increased weight of their adrenal glands.

Question 23

why did the deer die?

Answer 23

prolonged hyper-stimulation cause fatal levels of arousal

Question 24

noise

Answer 24

unwanted sound- long exposure over90dB can damage the eardrums (normal conversation is 40dB)

Question 25

what does sudden unexpected noise do?

Answer 25

increases blood pressure and heart rate- but this wears off as people become accustomed to it

Question 26

noise study

Answer 26

glass and singer looked at whether volume, unpredictability, or perceived control was the most stressful when it came to noise. the greatest impact was caused by predictable noise out of the participant’s control

Question 27

environmental catastrophes

Answer 27

single powerful events that affect a lot of people- natural disasters/technological catastrophes. PTSD found in over half of the survivors at the cocoanut grove nightclub fire in 1942.

Question 28

what was black and black’s study?

Answer 28

a cross-sectional study of environmental noise and community health in a residential neighbourhood near sydney airport

Question 29

what did black and black’s study include?

Answer 29

50 events of aircraft noise, louder than 70dB per day. 750 surveys to both neighbourhoods. questionnaire measures subjective health outcomes.

Question 30

what were black and black’s results?

Answer 30

• people in the noise exposure group were more sharply annoyed by aircraft noise than controls
• those in the noise group showed a less positive health status compared to controls, notably with mental health
• more likely to report stress and hypertension

Question 31

black and black

Answer 31

looked at the impact of aeroplane noise on health comparing a cross-section of two sydney suburbs. one was affected by noise, the other was not. residents were sent a questionnaire about noise and health and noise stations were set up too. those in the noise-exposure group were more sharply affected by noise and were less healthy- particularly with regard to their mental health. long-term exposure to aircraft noise leads to increased reports of stress and hypertension.

Question 32

reducing stress

Answer 32

situational strategies- problem-focused strategies that look at changing the situation causing the issue
individual strategies- emotion-focused strategies directed at managing an individual’s distress, rather than changing the situation

Question 33

situational strategies

Answer 33

• make aeroplane engines quieter
• limit times planes can use airports
• insulate houses to reduce noise
• relocating airports
• changing flight paths

Question 34

individual strategies

Answer 34

• anti-hypertensive drugs
• cognitive behavioural therapy
• mindfulness practice
• imaginal exposure therapy to desensitise the particiapnt to the sound