Stress, Coping, and Positive Psychology – Lecture Review

These flashcards review core concepts on stressors, mediators, physiological and psychological responses, coping strategies, and positive psychology draws from the lecture notes, helping you prepare for exams or class discussions.

What is a stressor in psychology?

Any internal or external event, demand, or situation that prompts individuals to try to adjust, triggering a stress response.

How do acute stressors differ from chronic stressors?

Acute stressors are short-lived with a clear endpoint, whereas chronic stressors last a long time with no explicit end in sight.

What are catastrophic events as stressors?

Sudden, unexpected, potentially life-threatening mass events such as earthquakes, bushfires, or war.

Give two examples of ‘life changes and strains’ stressors.

Starting a new job, being diagnosed with a medical condition, taking on a mortgage, etc.

What are daily hassles?

Routine irritations, pressures, and minor annoyances encountered in everyday life.

Define job strain.

Work characterized by excessive demands combined with little control or decision latitude, linked to depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease.

What three dimensions make up job burnout?

Exhaustion, cynicism & depersonalization, and feelings of inefficacy.

Which occupations are especially prone to burnout?

Human service jobs such as social workers, teachers, therapists, nurses, medical staff, firefighters, and police officers.

Name two potential negative outcomes of burnout in human-service roles.

Violence in police work, callous or abusive behavior toward patients, inappropriate outbursts, cutting corners, contempt, or patient-blaming.

According to the lecture, list four major mediators (moderators) of stress.

Cognitive appraisals, predictability, perceived control, coping resources/strategies, and social support.

How does predictability influence stress levels?

Being able to anticipate events generally lowers stress, while unpredictability heightens it.

What is the buffering hypothesis of social support?

Social support acts as a protective buffer that reduces the negative impact of stressful events on health.

Give two ways social support benefits physical health.

It lowers susceptibility to hypertension, cancer, and heart disease and is linked to better immune functioning and reduced overall mortality.

What personality trait was highlighted as promoting positive outcomes under stress?

Optimism – a tendency to expect favorable outcomes.

How do males and females typically differ in coping with stress?

Males are more likely to become angry or avoid stressors; females more often seek social support and help others (tend-and-befriend).

Which two hormones are released during Cannon’s fight-or-flight response?

Epinephrine (adrenaline) first, followed by cortisol.

List the three stages of Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

What characterizes the exhaustion phase of GAS?

Physiological defenses break down; vulnerable organs are first affected, increasing risk of illness.

Give two reasons chronic stress weakens the immune system.

Reduction in certain white blood cells (leukocytes) and decreased commitment to healthy habits (e.g., sleep, nutrition, exercise).

Name four health problems modestly correlated with chronic stress.

Common colds, ulcers, back pain, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

What did Cohen et al. (1993, 1998) discover about stress and colds?

Participants with high life stress were significantly more likely to develop a cold after nasal exposure to a cold virus than low-stress participants.

How is chronic stress linked to coronary heart disease?

Stressors like job strain, marital conflict, and traffic noise elevate physiological reactivity, accelerating cardiovascular damage—especially in Type A or hostile individuals.

List three psychological consequences of stress.

Anxiety, depression, impaired concentration, ruminative thinking, catastrophizing, narrowed attention, functional fixedness, or poor decision-making.

What is problem-focused coping?

Active steps to identify and tackle the cause of stress; most effective when the stressor is viewed as controllable.

When is emotion-focused coping typically used?

When the stressor is perceived as uncontrollable; efforts aim to reduce negative emotions rather than solve the problem.

What does research say about catharsis (venting anger) as a coping strategy?

Empirical studies generally do not support catharsis; venting anger often maintains or increases arousal rather than relieving it.

Give two examples of maladaptive ‘indulgent’ coping behaviors.

Excessive eating, drinking, smoking, or drug use undertaken to escape stress.

What is cognitive reappraisal?

Deliberately changing one’s interpretation of a stressful situation to make it seem less threatening or more positive.

Name three elements of Benson’s ‘relaxation response.’

Quiet environment & comfortable position, a mental device (e.g., repeated word/breath focus), and a passive/accepting attitude toward distractions.

How can regular exercise help manage stress?

Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise reduce physiological arousal, improve mood, and bolster overall resilience to stress.

Define biofeedback in stress management.

Use of electronic equipment to monitor and provide feedback on physiological processes (e.g., muscle tension, heart rate) so individuals can learn voluntary control.

According to positive psychology, list four factors that reliably support happiness.

Supportive family and social relationships, adequate income (~US$75,000 for comfort), meaningful/engaging work, and age-related perspective changes.

What is ‘positive affect’?

A state of pleasurable engagement with the environment, including feelings like happiness, joy, enthusiasm, alertness, and excitement.

How is optimism associated with health and social outcomes?

Linked to better social connections, adaptive coping, lower depression, greater longevity, and favorable physiological functioning.

Define ‘flow.’

A highly absorbing, intrinsically rewarding state in which a person is fully engaged in a moderately demanding activity for its own sake.

List four key characteristics of the flow experience.

High concentration/absorption, enjoyment of the task, intrinsic motivation, loss of temporal awareness, and a good match between challenge and skills with minimal job strain.

Why are humans poor at affective forecasting?

We overestimate the long-term emotional impact of events; after an initial spike, emotions typically return to baseline levels.

What approximate annual income level is linked to maximal day-to-day happiness in research cited?

Around US$75,000—enough to be comfortable without financial strain.