Physiological and Psychological Response to Stress

Flashcards covering physiological and psychological responses to stress, including types of stress, models like GAS and fight-or-flight, mediators of stress, coping styles, and defense mechanisms.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A model describing the physiological stress response, including alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages.

Fight-or-Flight Model

A model describing the body's acute stress response, preparing an individual to confront or flee a threat, expanded to include Faint, Freeze, and Fawn.

Acute Stress

A sudden exposure to a stressor or adverse experience, aligning with the alarm stage of GAS, with a short duration.

Chronic Stress

Prolonged exposure to stressors, adverse experiences, and trauma, leading to persistent feelings of being overwhelmed and an overexposure to cortisol.

Toxic Stress

A prolonged or chronic stress response system where the body learns stress, fear, or trauma are normal, causing biological and neurological changes to the brain and body.

Stressors

Internal or external factors that cause a stress response.

Resilience

The ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.

Psychological Stress

A category of stress involving emotional and cognitive components.

Physiological Stress

A category of stress involving physical bodily responses.

Psychosocial Stress

A category of stress involving relational or social aspects.

Homeostasis

A state of equilibrium in the body, which is threatened by stress.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

A major part of the neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and regulates many body processes, implicated in the stress response pathway.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

A part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary physiological processes, involved in communicating the stress response.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The brain and spinal cord, involved in communicating the stress response.

Alarm Stage (GAS)

The acute stage of General Adaptation Syndrome characterized by increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, preparing for fight-or-flight.

Resistance Stage (GAS)

The adaptive stage of General Adaptation Syndrome where the body attempts to cope with the stressor.

Exhaustion Stage (GAS)

The final stage of General Adaptation Syndrome resulting from prolonged or repeated stress, leading to depletion of resources and potential health issues.

Eustress

Positive stressors that lead to adaptation, learning, and growth, such as the birth of a child or a promotion.

Distress

Negative stressors that lead to depletion of energy and exhaustion, such as death of a loved one or financial burdens.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic experiences in childhood, identified as making children excessively vulnerable to toxic stress and leading to long-term health complications.

Mediators of Stress Response

Factors that influence how an individual perceives and responds to stress, including risk factors, protective factors, and individual, environmental, and cultural factors.

Neuroticism

A personality trait characterized by anxiety, angry hostility, depression, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, and vulnerability.

Extroversion

A personality trait characterized by gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, excitement-seeking, positive emotions, and warmth.

Openness to Experience

A personality trait characterized by curiosity, imagination, artistic inclination, wide interests, excitability, and unconventional values.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait characterized by competence, order, dutifulness, achievement striving, self-discipline, and deliberation.

Agreeableness

A personality trait characterized by trust, straightforwardness, altruism, compliance, modesty, and tender-mindedness.

Coping

The process of managing or dealing with stress.

Problem-Focused Coping

A coping style that involves directly addressing the stressor or the situation causing stress.

Emotion-Focused Coping

A coping style that involves managing the emotional response to a stressor.

Avoidant Coping

A coping style that involves avoiding the stressor or the thoughts and feelings associated with it.

Defense Mechanisms

Conscious and unconscious psychological processes aimed at self-protection, survival, and reducing pain, stress, or anxiety to maintain emotional homeostasis.

Adaptive Defense Mechanisms

Mature defense mechanisms that are generally healthy and constructive in managing stress.

Maladaptive Defense Mechanisms

Immature defense mechanisms that can be detrimental or interfere with healthy functioning in managing stress.

Relaxation Response

The physiological opposite of the stress response, characterized by lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate, placing the body at rest.