Week 126 - Psychological aspects of stress Flashcards
What is stress?
Your mind and body’s perception of and reaction to a real or imagined stimulus and its ability to cope with this stimulus
What are the 3 main models of stress?
Stimulus
Response
Transactional
Describe the Stimulus model of stress
Stress is something that occurs in the environment
A stressor i.e. a stimulus that causes stress
Treatment = remove/avoid the source of stress
Describe the Response model of stress
Stress is something that occurs within the organism itself
Stressor is unimportant, the degree of readjustment is what is important
Treatment = control symptoms of stress (yoga, relaxation)
Describe the Transactional model of stress
Stress is a transaction between the organism & its environment
Stress occurs when the organism is unable to cope with the environment
Treatment focuses on methods of coping with stress
Describe the stress response
Alarm phase
- experience of a stressful event or perceiving something as stressful
Resistance
- attempting to cope with or adapt to the stressful stimulus
- involves physical or mental exertion
Exhaustion
- stress not being managed effectively
- body and mind are not able to repair damage
- leads to chronic stress
Describe the initial detection of stress
Stress stimuli initially detected by the cerebral cortex =>
activation of the sympathetic system =>
prepare the body for physical activity
How does the sympathetic system deal with stress?
Short term response
- activation of sympathoadrenomedullary axis
=> leads to release of nor/adrenaline
Long term response
- activation of the hyp-pituitary-adre axis
=> CRH release -> ACTH release -> corticosteroids release
How is the amygdala involved in stress?
Modulates stress response mechanisms
- esp. when fear and anxiety are involved
How is the hippocampus involved in stress?
Plays important role in memory formation
Memory can enhance, suppress or generate a stress response
Cortisol release can damage hippocampal cells during chronic stress
What are the different types of stress?
Eustress = good stress - to improve performance
Distress = bad stress - stress response too high
What is cognitive appraisal?
Allows the stress to be taken into context
- i.e. tiger in zoo behind bars not as stressful as out in wild
What is learned helplessness?
When control is taken away from us => feel helpless at avoiding stressful stimuli
Don’t escape from the stress once control given back
- i.e. just put up with it, even though it can be dealth with
What are the three main types of stress decision making?
Approach-approach
- decision between two positive options
Avoidance-avoidance
- decision between two negative options
Approach-avoidance
- options have both positive and negative options
Two types of personalities when dealing with stress
Type A = ambitious, highly status conscious, “workaholics”
- most vulnerable to stress
Type B = opposite to type A
