Stressors in the Environment Flashcards
1
Q
What is Stress ?
A
- State of physiological or psychological strain caused by unpleasant stimuli.
- Mismatch between the perceived demands of a situation and the individual’s ability to cope.
2
Q
What did Seleye state about Stress ?
A
- The non-specific response of the body to any demand”
- The response of the body is a stress response, any stimulus producing the stress response is a stressor.
3
Q
What is arousal and fight or flight ?
A
- Arousal is central to stress and refers to heightened state of physical and mental alertness.
- High levels of arousal usually accompany high emotional states and involve physiological changes such as a rise in the heart rate.
- Causes FIGHT OR FLIGHT.
4
Q
How did flight or fight help people in the olden days?
A
- Came in handy
- Learnt from experience to avoid danger
- Generalising tenancy- avoid similar situations
- Wouldn’t help today- stress is long lasting
5
Q
What is a Stressor ?
A
- Any stimulus that produces a stress response in a person.
- Stressors don’t produce the same response in ALL people!
6
Q
What is Eustress ?
A
- Positive stress
- Enhances performance, feel energised and focus
- Eustress for you could be distress for someone else
7
Q
What is Distress ?
A
- Negative stress
- Stress from external environment
- Overwhelms us
- Causes fatigue, burnout, anxious
8
Q
What happens when you feel stressed?
A
- ANS activates the adrenal glands.
- They contain two parts
- Adrenal cortex producing cortisol and aldosterone for metabolism and blood pressure
- Adrenal medulla, producing adrenalin.
- Adrenal medulla floods your system with adrenalin.
- If the threat continues, a second response triggers the adrenal cortex to release cortisol
- This helps convert fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy for fight or flight.
9
Q
What is General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) ?
A
- Selye proposed a three stage response to stress:
- Stage 1- Alarm- release of adrenaline
- Stage 2-Resistance- If situation continues release of cortisol
- Stage 3- Exhaustion- bodily resources become depleted- inc high blood pressure, heart disease and stomach ulcers
10
Q
What are Environment Stressors ?
A
- Noise
- Crowding
- Traffic Congestion
11
Q
How are Light and Temperature Stressors ?
A
- Changes in light during the winter months may cause seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in some people.
- It affects the production of melatonin, which is thought to influence mood and energy.
12
Q
What did Kenrick and MacFarlane find about negative moods and temperature ?
A
- Negative moods and aggression increase with the temperature.
- Used a green light and a motionless motorist.
- Drivers stuck behind the car honked more the warmer the weather was.
- The light was green for 12 seconds
- In the hottest weather drivers leaned on their horn for nearly 50% of this time,
- In cooler condition no driver did so.
13
Q
Why are most studies of overcrowding done on animals ?
A
- Feeling crowded is a subjective psychological experience
- Varies between individuals.
- Most studies on overcrowding have been done on animals as there are other factors
- Such as who the people are and the light and temperature in the rooms – that can influence human studies.
14
Q
What did a study of deer show about overcrowding ?
A
- A study of deer in USA
- Found 60% of the population suddenly died when the population reached one per acre.
- The weight of their adrenal glands had increased.
- Proposed that prolonged hyper-stimulation had caused fatal levels of arousal in the animals.
15
Q
How is Noise a Stressor ?
A
- Unwanted sound
- Normal conversation is 40dB, a busy street 70dB and a rock concert 120dB. Long exposure over 90dB can damage the eardrums.
- Sudden unexpected noise increases blood pressure and heart rate – this wears off as people become accustomed to the noise.
16
Q
What did Glass and Singer discover about Noise and stress ?
A
- Glass and Singer looked at whether volume, unpredictability or perceived control was most stressful when it came to noise.
- Asked participants to complete simple cognitive tasks whilst exposed to these variables.
- They then completed two further tasks in silence.
- Volume had an effect – but the greatest impact was caused by the noise being predictable and out of the participants’ control.
17
Q
How are Environmental catastrophes stressors
A
- Single powerful events affecting a lot of people – they can be natural disasters or technological catastrophes, like plane crashes or fires.
- Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire, USA, which killed 492 people.
- Study of survivors a year later more than half were experiencing nightmares, anxiety and guilt over their survival
- Especially those who had remained conscious. Today this would be termed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
18
Q
What was Black and Black’s study ?
A
- Looked at community health of those who lived near Sydney airport- exposed to aircraft noise and those who lived in the suburbs- exposed to no noise
- Both sent surveys
- Noise stations set up outside houses in both places
- Ran from 7am-6pm (OCT-NOV)
- Curfew of flights 11pm-6am
- Measured health outcomes of both conditions (subjective) -HBP is symptomless
- Noisy group were less healthy esp in mental health
- Long term noise exposure= +BP and more stress
19
Q
What are situational strategies to combat stress ?
A
- Change the situation
- Make aeroplane engines quieter
- Limit opening times
- Insulate houses to regulate noise
- Relocation
- Changing flight paths
20
Q
What are Individual strategies combat stress ?
A
- Managing individuals response
- Drugs to tackle high blood pressure
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Mindfulness (meditation)
