Week 6-

Question 1

Define stress

Answer 1

A cognitive perception of uncontrollability and/or unpredictability that is expressed in a physiological and behavioural response

Question 2

Define a stressor

Answer 2

An unpredictable and/or uncontrollable stimulus.

Question 3

Define a stress response

Answer 3

The array of physiological responses activated to help the body return to its normal state.

Question 4

Define acute-stress

Answer 4

The body’s immediate response to a stressor, this is experienced short-term.

Question 5

Define chronic-stress

Answer 5

the body’s response to an ongoing stressor, this is experienced
long-term.

Question 6

Give examples of acute-stressors

Answer 6

-Stuck in traffic
-Argument with partner
-Receiving a passive-aggressive email
-Noisy environment

Question 7

Give examples of chronic-stressors

Answer 7

-Chronic health condition
-Living in relative poverty
-Family responsibilities
-Unsatisfied career

Question 8

What did Lazarus (1966) say about stress?

Answer 8

Stress is the relationship between the person and the environment
that is appraised as personally significant and as taxing or exceeding resources for coping.

Question 9

What are the main 3 categories of stress?

Answer 9

1.Catasrophe
2.Significant life events
3.Daily hassles

Question 10

Define catastrophe

Answer 10

Unexpected. Unlike any earlier experience. Dangerous
or threatening to yourself or others. Emotionally impactful.

Question 11

Define Acute physical crises

Answer 11

Demand immediate physiological
adaptations if you are going to live.

Question 12

What’s hierarchal rank and what psychological stressors can other animals experience?

Answer 12

-For a subordinate animal, life is filled with a disproportionate share not only of physical stressors but of psychological stressors as well
-lack of control, of predictability, of outlets for frustration.
-It’s not just your rank – it’s what your rank means in your society.

Question 13

How can a hierarchy be seen in baboons biologically? (Robert Sapolsky)

Answer 13

Basal cortisol concentrations of the 6 highest-ranking and 6 lowest-ranking males during 6 years of study.
 Glucocorticoid response is smaller and slower than in dominant individuals. When
it’s passed, their recovery is more delayed. INEFFICIENT STRESS-RESPONSE.
 Elevated resting BP; sluggish CV response and recovery to real stressors; suppressed
HDL cholesterol (good) levels; suppressed testosterone levels fewer circulating white blood cells.

Question 14

What is involved in human hierarchies?

Answer 14

 Humans belong to multiple hierarchies.
 We value the one in which we rank highest (e.g., low prestige employee who most values his role as captain of sports team).
 HOWEVER, the social gradient of health (Western society) a strong example of social inequalities predict disease

Question 15

What kind of stress raises cortisol levels? (Dickerson, et al., 2004)

Answer 15

Tasks with both social-evaluative threat and uncontrollability.

Question 16

What are the negative social effects of wide income inequality?

Answer 16

• More physical and mental illness among those at the lower ranks [& social gradient].
• Heightened levels of social distrust, social evaluation.
• Consequences of rank dependent on society. Small differences in material resources – hunter gatherer.
• 1950/60s - CEO 25-30 X the wages of worker.
• 2005 - WalMart CEO – 900 X the wages of worker.
• Worries about self worth and presentation - self doubt, social/status anxiety, stress.

Question 17

True or False: We are all compelled by social comparisons.

Answer 17

We can’t help but judge our position relative to others.
This is nothing new……
Class system – identity based on material possessions - consumer society catalyst.

Question 18

What’s homeostasis?

Answer 18

■ Staying in balance.
■ Maintaining optimum conditions
for function [enzyme and cell], in
response to internal and external
changes.
■ Body temperature, blood glucose concentration, water levels

Question 19

What’s the impact of stressors and a stress response on homeostasis?

Answer 19

■ Stressor – knocks you out of
homeostatic balance.
■ Stress-response – body’s
response to re-establish homeostasis.
■ Humans to expand the concept -
Stressor can be the anticipation of event happening.

Question 20

What’s the simplified process of stress?

Answer 20

1.Sees thing coming=turn on stress response
2.Nothing physically damaging has occurred (yet)
Either you don’t get stressed about future events OR ypur stress-response is activated by expectation

Question 21

What is fight or flight according to Walter Cannon?

Answer 21

■ Unified mind-body system.
■ Extreme cold, lack of oxygen and
emotion-arousing incidents trigger outpouring of epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
■ Enter blood stream from adrenal glands.
■ Sympathetic nervous system > HR, diverts blood to muscles, releases stored fat.
■ Fight or flight.
■ However, Second system – cerebral cortex – hypothalamus and pituitary gland – stress hormone “cortisol”.

Question 22

How did Hans Selye (1907-82, Hungarian endocrinologist) offer an early scientific explanation for biological stress?

Answer 22

–Work on injecting rats, searching for new hormone
–Discovered common denominator in the organism’s reaction to various stimuli (injections) of pain in joints, rashes, changes in gastrointestinal function etc.

Question 23

What’s the bridge analogy? (Hans Seyle)

Answer 23

Strain/stress - you as individuals can tolerate but each person has a tipping point.

Question 24

What’s general adaption syndrome? (Hans Seyle)

Answer 24

1.Body reacts with a fight or flight response
2.Body resists and compensates –
tries to return to normal state
3.Resources exhausted - body
susceptible to disease/death

Question 25

What are physical examples of stress responses?

Answer 25

-Back pain
-Breathing problems
-Dizziness
-Fatigue
-Gastrointestinal problems
-Headaches
-Palpitations

Question 26

What are emotional and cognitive examples of stress responses?

Answer 26

Apathy
Anger and frustration
Forgetfulness
Depression
Lowered self-esteem
Concentration
Withdrawal

Question 27

What are behavioural examples of stress responses?

Answer 27

Chain smoking
Excessive drinking
Restlessness
Teeth-grinding
Rapid speaking
Nail biting
Over-eating

Question 28

What is happening physiologically
- Brain and nervous system

Answer 28

■ Body’s reaction to stress regulated by:
- central nervous system
(CNS; brain, spinal cord).
- peripheral nervous system
(PNS; autonomic and
somatic nervous system)

Question 29

What is the 1st phase of the stress response? (Sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system)

Answer 29

1.Distress signal to the hypothalamus.
2.Sympathetic nervous system
triggers fight-flight-freeze
response.
3.Adrenal glands pump epinephrine & norepinephrine.
4.Heart beats faster to pump blood to vital organs. Epinephrine causes the release of glucose and fates to supply to muscles. (If stressor passes, then cortisol levels fall so the parasympathetic
nervous system can re-regulate the body.)

Rapid metabolism = gets energy from food to muscle
Heart rate increase = to get oxygen to organs and muscle. Digestion, growth, tissue repair and immunity paused.

Question 30

What is the second response of the stress response? (Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system)

Answer 30

1.Hypothalamic Pituitary-Adrenal
(HPA) axis activated.
2.Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) travels to the pituitary gland, triggering the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
3.ACTH reaches the adrenal glands and prompts the continued release of cortisol.
4.The body stays on high alert until the threat passes. Cortisol levels fall so the parasympathetic
nervous system can re-regulate the body.

Continued pause of immune system = get sick.
Reduced sex drive and likelihood of ovulation, Pain blunted as cognition is sharpened.

Question 31

What’s involved in SYSTEM 1
Sympathetic-adrenal-medullary
(SAM) system?

Answer 31

-Adrenal medulla (Adrenaline and noradrenaline)
-Adrenaline (The “fight-or-flight hormone”)
-Acute stress response
-Short-term capacity
-Affects cardiovascular system
-Mobilises the body for action

Question 32

What’s involved in SYSTEM 2
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
(HPA) system?

Answer 32

-Adrenal cortex (Cortisol)
-Cortisol (The “stress hormone”)
-Chronic stress response
-Long-term capacity
-Affects immune system
-Keeps the body in a state of alert

Question 33

Psychosocial modifiers of stress: What might affect how much we’re affected by stress?

Answer 33

– Demographic e.g. gender; age; social class
– Choice of coping method/ appraisal processes
– Sense of personal control
– Personality (Type A: competitive, impatient, anger prone)
– Resilience/ psychological hardiness
– Previous learning experiences
– Social support

Question 34

Why do some people feel stressed
after a major life change but others do not?

Answer 34

Our appraisal matters more than
the situation itself!

Question 35

What’s Cognitive appraisal and stress (transactional)? (Lazarus & Folkman (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York: Springer.)

Answer 35

1.Potential stressor - Sound of a car horn.
2.Primary appraisal – Am I in danger? Why are they honking at me?
3.Irrelevant – They’re honking at someone else.
Benign-positive – It’s my mate, saying hiya.
Challenging – They’re warning me my car is drifting.
4.Secondary appraisal – What can I do? Am I going to be able to avoid accident?
5.Behavioural and cognitive coping responses – (Adjust steering to re-centre car).
6.Reappraisal – How am I doing? Is it under control? (goes back to irrelevant, benign-positive or challenging)

Question 36

What aspects are in Type A personalities?

Answer 36

The type A personality generally lives at a higher stress level. This is driven by:
* They enjoy the achievement of goals, with greater enjoyment in achieving of more difficult goals.
* They are thus constantly working hard to achieve these.
* They find it difficult to stop, even
when they have achieved goals.
* They are highly competitive. They
hate failure and work hard to avoid it.
* They are often pretty fit and well
educated (result of anxiety).

Question 37

What aspects are in Type B personalities?

Answer 37

The type B personality generally lives at a lower stress level. This is driven by:
* They work steadily, enjoying
achievements but not becoming
stressed when unachieved.
* When faced with competition, don’t mind defeat, enjoy the game or back down.
* They may be creative and enjoy
exploring ideas.
* They are often reflective.

Question 38

What are coping methods?

Answer 38

■ A multifaceted response
– Behaviour a person uses to respond to demands
– Influence of social, environmental, personal, habitual and learned responses
– Various coping style inventories (e.g. Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)

Question 39

What are problem-based coping methods?

Answer 39

– Directly confront the demands
– Problem diagnosis/solution generation
■ e.g. Changing goals, planning, seeking advice, more effective time
management, changing the situation
– Manage/ regulate the emotional response

Question 40

What are emotions-based coping methods?

Answer 40

– Behavioural strategies
■ e.g. Venting anger, drinking, seeking emotional support, accepting responsibility,
– Cognitive strategies
■ e.g. Re-appraisal, acceptance denial, distancing, reality distortion

Question 41

What are the building blocks to stress?

Answer 41

■ Outlets for frustration.
■ Social support.
■ Predictability.
■ Control.
■ A perception of things worsening.