Unit 3 AOS 1 SAC 2 - Stress Flashcards
Sources of Stress
Daily Pressures
Life Events Acculturative stress
Major Catastrophe
Eustress
A positive psychological response to a stressor, characterised by positive psychological states, that helps the body perform at an optimal level
Distress
A negative psychological response to a stressor, characterised by negative psychological states, that impedes optimal performance
Daily Pressures
Frequently experienced stressors consisting of relatively minor events that require adjustments in behaviour.
E.g. traffic, losing your phone/keys, running late
Life events
Stressors that consist of significant but relatively rare events that require substantial adjustments in behaviour within a relatively short time
E.g. marriage, having children, graduating, death of a loved one, job loss
Acculturative Stress
Stress caused by attempting to psychologically and socially adapt to the demands and values of a foreign culture.
E.g. language barriers, loss of social status, immigrant
Major catastrophe
A catastrophe is a sudden, unpredictable, uncontrollable, intense event that is out of the control of an individual and causes intense and prolonged suffering.
E.g. natural disasters, war
Chronic vs Acute stress
Chronic - the body’s response to prolonged stress; leads to exhaustion and health problems
Acute - body’s immediate and short-term response to stress
Stress
A state of mental or physical tension that occurs when an individual must adjust or adapt to their environment but they do not feel they have the capacity to do so.
Stress Reaction
The physiological or psychological result of stress
What causes stress?
Depends on an individual’s perception, experiences, desire and interpretation of what’s going on
Any stressful situation can bring about a number of different responses
Stress reactions/symptoms - Physiological
skin rashes, headaches, colds/flu, heart palpitations, heart attack, stomach ulcers, fatigue, sleep problems, hypervigilance
Symptoms of stress - cognitive
intrusive thoughts, reoccurring memories, flashbacks, nightmares, poor concentrations/memory, confusion
Symptoms of stress - behavioural
avoiding places that remind them of previous stressors, social isolation, loss of interest in activities, changes to eating habits, changes to sleep
Symptoms of stress - emotional
fear, numbness, detachment, depression, guilt, anger, anxiety, irritability, aggression
During the final stage of Selye’s GAS model, the organism…
has depleted resources
You are most likely to experience eustress when you are experiencing a stressful situation that is…
Challenging
Fight-flight-freeze response
- Very quick and initial response to a stressor
- Occurs due to the arousal of the sympathetic NS and is activated when the body is confronted with a stressor and choose to either confront (fight), run (flight) or remain motionless (freeze).
Stress hormone and function
C
Cortisol is vital for many reasons including maintaining non-vital functions such as digestion, mood and growth.
The activation of cortisol increases the body’s ability to fight the stressor however it also decreases the body’s immunity
If a stressor is persistent, cortisol is activated over a prolonged period of time and it becomes depleted
What effect does very high arousal have on performance?
Low performance
Which hormone is first released in times of stress?
A
Adrenaline
What is the name of the hormone released to maintain the functioning of the body in times of stress?
Cortisol
Name a negative effect of an increase in the release of cortisol.
Decreased immunity
The fight-flight-freeze response is typically an example of
A short-term physiological response to stress.
GAS model
Explains the experience of stress from a physiological/biological perspective
Alarm Reaction (shock) When resistance to stress is...
Below normal
➢ When we first perceive a threat, we go into a state of shock
➢ Our resistance levels fall below normal
➢ Our body acts as though it is injured
➢ Physical effects = blood pressure
drops
Alarm reaction (countershock) When resistance to stress is...
Above normal
➢ Our body rebounds after shock
➢ Our sympathetic NS is activated - FFF response
➢ We have higher than normal resistance to stress
➢ Adrenaline and cortisol are released
➢ Speeds up some body processes, slows down others = ensures energy is where it is needed most
Resistance stage
When resistance to stress is…
Above normal
● If the stressor still remains after alarm reaction stage, we go into the stage of resistance
● This is when the body attempts to stabilise our internal systems and fight the stressor
Cortisol is released and all unnecessary functions are shut down. Individual appears as though all is normal.
Exhaustion stage
When resistance to stress is…
Below normal
- Resources are depleted.
- Immune system is left weakened and prolonged release of adrenalin has negative effects on the body.
- Individual is susceptible to illness or disease.
GAS model
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- It measures a predictable pattern that can be measured in individuals
- If stress is not prolonged stages are still experienced, therefore tracks biological patterns in different types of stress.
Limitations:
- Research wasn’t conducted on humans
- Does not account for individual differences and psychological factors
Lazarus and Folkman
Primary Appraisal
Secondary Appraisal
Reappraisal
Primary Appraisal: assess the situation. Is it irrelevant, benign-positive, or stressful. Does this matter to me?
What kind of stress?
- Harm/loss (damage already done)
- Threat (how much damage can be done)
- Challenge. (potential for growth/positive)
Secondary Appraisal: - Assesses the available resources to deal with demands.
- Internal resources, such as character and personality and
- External resources: such as support networks and money.
- No adequate resources to cope = STRESS
Coping mechanisms involve problem-focused coping and emotional based coping
Reappraisal is an important component for stress appraisal.
Lazarus and Folkman
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Accounts for individual differences in responses (subjective)
- Responds to changes in individuals response though reappraisal
Limitations:
- Lack of empirical evidence
- An overlap between primary and secondary appraisal stages
What does the second stage of the Lazarus and Folkman evaluate?
Ability to cope
Coping flexibility
- The ability of an individual to replace an ineffective coping strategy with a different strategy
- Positive outcomes for the individuals with high coping flexibility
- High levels are linked to low incidence of mental illness, but measurement tools can be inconsistent
Effects of excess cortisol on the body
- Weakened immunity
- Decreased metabolism
- Decrease in muscle tissue
- Increase in weight
- Anxiety
- Hypertension
- Suppressed thyroid function
- Sleep disturbances
- High blood sugar
- Decreased bone density
- Impaired cognition
- Chronic fatigue
Transactional model of stress and coping
A model that proposes that stressful experiences are a transaction between a person and their environment; if demands exceed resources, stress is the likely result
Context-specific effectiveness
There is a good match between the stressful situation and the coping strategy used
e.g. Worried about exams - study, plan time
Waiting for VCE results - distract, wishful thinking
The coping strategy takes into account individual needs
e.g. exercise is not suitable for everyone
Coping
Efforts to manage internal and external stressors that we perceive as challenging
Coping strategy
A specific behavioural or psychological method of managing a stressor
- Can be adaptive, effective, maladaptive or ineffective
Approach strategies
- Involve behaviours that attempt to decrease the stress by alleviating the problem
e.g. start applying for jobs, commence homework
Approach strategies are typically a healthy response to stress and confront the stressor and deal with it directly
e.g. lose job - try to find a new one
Avoidance strategies
- Involve avoiding dealing with the stress by protecting oneself from psychological distress e.g. ignore the facts, denial.
- Avoidance strategies are typically maladaptive, unhealthy for the individual and unhelpful for relieving the source of the stress.
Evades the stressor and deal with it and its effects indirectly
e.g. worried about a spot on your skin - don’t think about it
Examples of Approach Strategies
- Find out more information
- Consider alternatives
- Think about it more positively
- Ask a professional for advice
- Take steps to eliminate the cause of the problem
- Make a plan of action and follow it
Examples of Avoidant Strategies
- Stop trying
- Pretending it doesn’t exist/change the subject
- Distract yourself
- Try not to think about it
Problem-focused strategies
Aim to reduce the stressor
Emotion-focused strategies
Aim to change the unpleasant emotions associated with the stressor
Substituting a new strategy when you are engaging in an ineffective one is known as what?
Coping flexibility
Identify two effects of exercise on the autonomic nervous system and state how each may reduce the experience of stress.
- Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which reduces the experience of stress
- Exercise helps to reduce muscle tension associated with elevated sympathetic NS reactivity
- Exercise increases the efficiency of the cardiovascular system/flexibility and stamina for encountering future stressors
- Exercise results in the release of beat-endorphins, reducing pain and stress levels
- Exercise leads to focus on breathing and perfecting a repetitive motion, leading to calm feelings like meditation
Benefits of Exercise
Physiological and Psychological
Physiological:
- uses excess stress hormones like adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol
- cardiovascular efficiency
- releases beta-endorphins
- reduces the risk of illness and disease
- can reduce muscle tension
Psychological:
- focuses thoughts away from stressors
- reduces anxiety
- distraction
- mood enhanced from release of beta-endorphins
How does exercise reduce stress?
- When we are stressed, stress hormones are released into the bloodstream. Exercise uses them up
- Increases cardiovascular efficiency, strength, stamina for dealing with future stressors
- Promotes relaxation - relief from stress
- Mood-enhancing beta-endorphins are released. They also relieve pain and improve the sense of wellbeing
- Time out/distraction from a stressor
- Exercising with others improves social connections and support
Role of cortisol in a stress response
● A hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands
● Essential for maintaining homeostasis
● Referred to as the ‘stress hormone’ because greater levels are produced when we are stressed
● Eustress, distress and the fight/flight response trigger the release of cortisol
● The short term increase of cortisol is beneficial as it energises and prepares the body for fight/flight
