Unit 3: Stress as a psychobiological process Flashcards
Stressors
Stimuli that cause or produce stress and challenge our ability to cope.
Stress
A state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope.
Eustress
A positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of positive psychological states such as feeling enthusiastic, motivated, excited, activated and alert.
Distress
A negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of negative psychological states such as anger, anxiety, nervousness, irritability or tension.
Daily pressures
Little problems of everyday living that are irritants and annoy/bother us which can make us upset or angry.
Life events
Involves change that forces us to adapt to new circumstances which have immediate consequences and require longer term adjustments.
Acculturative stress
Refers to the stress people experience in trying to adapt to a new culture when living in it for a considerable period of time.
Major stressor
An event that is extraordinarily stressful or disturbing for almost everyone who experiences it.
Catastrophe
An unpredictable event that causes widespread damage or suffering.
Fight-flight-freeze response
An involuntary physical response to a sudden and immediate stressor.
What activates the fight-flight-freeze response?
The sympathetic nervous system.
What hormones are secreted during the fight-flight response?
Adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Cortisol
A hormone secreted to energize the body by increasing energy supplies such as blood sugar and enhancing metabolism
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
A three-stage physiological response to stress that occurs regardless of the stressor that is encountered.
Alarm Reaction Stage (Shock and Countershock)
Occurs when the person (or animal) firm becomes aware of the stressor.
Resistance Stage
The body’s resistance to the particular stressor rises above normal where physiological arousal remains at a level above normal.
Exhaustion Stage
Body cannot sustain its resistance and the effects of the stressor can no longer be dealt with.
Strength of GAS
Identifies the biological processes associated with the body’s stress response.
Limitation of GAS
Assumes that everyone has the same general, predictable and automatic physiological response to any kind of stressor.
Primary appraisal
The evaluation/judgement of the significance of the event
Harm/loss
An assessment of how much damage has occurred.
Threat
An assessment of the harm/loss that may not have occurred yet but could occur in the future.
Challenge
An assessment of the potential for personal gain or growth from the situation.
Secondary appraisal
Evaluation of coping options and resources and opinions for dealing with the event.
Strength of Lazarus and Folkman model
Focuses on psychological influences on how we react to a stressor.
Limitation of Lazarus and Folkman model
Difficult to test through experimental research.
Coping
A process involving cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific internal or external stressors.
Coping strategy
A specific method, behavioral or psychological, that people use to manage or reduce the stress produced by the stressor
Context-specific effectiveness
When there is a match between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation.
Coping flexibility
Refers to the ability to effectively modify or adjust one’s coping strategies according to the demands of different stressful situations.
Exercise
A physical activity that is usually planned and performed to improve or maintain one’s physical condition.
Approach coping strategies
Refers to the efforts to confront a stressor and deal with it directly and its effects.
Avoidant coping strategies
Involve efforts that evade a stressor and deal indirectly with it and its effects.
