Beh Sci 110 - GR #3

Stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

Stressors

events or situations that we have a stress reaction to

Primary Appraisal

initial decision regarding whether an event is harmful

Secondary Appraisal

assess our ability to respond

3 ways Stress can have a positive impact on us

can strengthen immune system
motivate us
builds resilience

3 main types of stressors

catastrophes, significant life changes, daily hassles

Catastrophes

unpredictable large scale events (EX: natural disasters)

Acculturative Stress

strain experiences when adapting to a new culture while trying to maintain their original identity

Significant Life Changes

leaving home, losing a job

Daily Hassles

overflowing to-do lists, burnout

Approach and Avoidance Motives

the drive to move toward (approach) or away from (avoid) a stimulus or conflict

What two neurotransmitters are released when we have a stress response?

norepinephrine and epinephrine

What nervous system is responsible for fight or flight response?

sympathetic

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

body responds to stress with alarm, resistance and exhaustion

GAS: Alarm

sympathetic NS is activated; heart rate is elevated and blood diverted to the muscles

Resistance

temperature, BP, respiration are high for extended periods of time; over time the body cannot sustain this state so it slows down

Exhaustion

a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue; vulnerable to illness or death

Tend-and-Befriend Response

mostly women; when under stress, people tend to support others and bond

Health Psychology

study of how stress, healthy/unhealthy behaviors influence health and illness

Your body can inhibit these 4 types of bacteria from being released when in stress:

B lymphocytes
T lymphocytes
Macrophage cells
Natural Killer cells

B lymphocytes

fight bacterial infections

T lymphocytes

attack cancer, viruses, and foreign substances

Macrophage Cells

attack harmful invaders and worn-out cells

Natural Killer Cells

attack diseased cells (such as those infected by viruses or cancer)

Biological factors that influence immune system

age, nutrition, genetics

Coronary Heart Disease

clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle

Type A personality

prone to the consequences of stress; aggressive, ambitious, and controlling

Type B Personality

copes well with stress; easygoing

How does appraisal of an event affect our stress reaction?

if we see an event as challenging, we will see it as an opportunity for success or see it as a threat

4 ways we adapt/respond to stress?

fight-or-flight
GAS: Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion
Withdrawing
Tend-and-Befriend

How does stress make us vulnerable to disease?

diverts energy from our immune system; inhibits activities of helpful bacteria

Does stress directly cause illness?

NO; it just makes you more vulnerable

2 ways we can approach stressors

confront directly or avoid; problem focused or emotion focused

Problem Focused Coping

Attempting to alleviate stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor (EX: you feel stressed, so you create a schedule; here the student is attending to the problem directly to reduce stress)

Emotion Focused Coping

attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one's stress reaction (EX: you feel stressed, so you practice mindfulness; here the student is ignoring the problem to reduce stress)

External Locus of Control

the perception that outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate (PTSD patients experience this)

Internal Locus of Control

the perception that you control your own fate (free-will)

How does a perceived lack of control affect health?

rise in stress hormones

Belief in free-will is linked to helpful behavior

True

Can self-control be depleted?

weaken after use, recovers after rest, grows stronger when exercised

Psychological Disorder

a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior

3 ways to find out if someone has a psychological disorder

disturbance, dysfunction, distress

Medical Model

the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and cured through treatment in hospital

How can disorders be influenced biologically?

evolution, genes, brain structure and chemistry

How can disorders be influenced psychologically?

stress, trauma, learned helplessness, mood-related perceptions and memories

How can disorders be influenced socially?

roles, expectations, definitions of normality and disorder

Are psychological disorders universal or culture-specific?

some appear in culture specific (EX: anorexia in Japan); some, like depression or schizophrenia, appear in all cultures

What do classifications of disorders do?

aim to predict a disorder's future course, suggest treatment, and prompt research

What is the problem with the DSM-5?

it may classify even normal behavior as abnormal

What is the value of labeling individuals with disorders?

allows to communicate in a common language during research

What are the dangers of labeling individuals with disorders?

labels can trigger assumptions (EX: a depressed person does not have depression)

6 causes of suicide

nationality
race
gender
traits
age
time (EX: COVID-19)

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

cutting, burning, or purposely injuring one's body to cope with stress

Biopsychosocial Approach to Disorders

assumes that disorders come from the interaction of biological characteristics, psychological dynamics, and social-cultural circumstances

Vulnerability Stress Model

individual characteristics combine with environmental stressors to increase or decrease the likelihood of developing a psychological disorder

Do psychological disorders predict violence?

NO

Anxiety Disorders

marked by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

3 Anxiety Disorders

generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

a person is, for no obvious reason, continually tense and uneasy

Panic Disorder

experiences panic attacks; sudden episodes of intense dread and fears the next attack

Specific Phobias

a person is intensely and irrationally afraid of something

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

obsessive thoughts are unwanted and seemingly unending that are followed by a compulsive behaviors

Hoarding Disorder

cluttering their space with things they don't need

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

preoccupation with perceived body defects

Trichotillomania

pulling hair

Exorciation

skin picking

PTSD

haunting memories of traumatic events

Somatic Symptom Disorder

symptoms take a bodily form without apparant cause

Illness Anxiety Disorder

a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

How can classical conditioning be used to help with fear responses?

we can link the fear with something good (EX: you're scared of the 10m - so you go to the edge without actually jumping off; here, you're taking away the unconditioned response of jumping off so you aren't scared of the 10m anymore)

Stimulus Generalization

when a person experiences a fear-producing event and develops a fear of similar events (EX: being scared of cadre so now you're scared of all people in uniform)

How do genes influence anxiety disorders?

regulating brain levels of neurotransmitters

What two neurotransmitters are released during fear/anxiety?

serotonin and glutamate

Serotonin

sleep, mood, and attending to threats

Glutamate

alarm centers

Anterior Cingulate Cortex

brain region that monitors our actions and checks for errors

How does classical conditioning help with managing anxiety?

associating the anxiety-provoking stimulus with something positive (EX: exposure therapy; if someone has a fear of flying, they show pictures of airplanes and eventually the person associates flying with calmness versus fear)

How does operant conditioning help with managing anxiety?

assumes behaviors are influenced by their consequences (EX: if a person uses deep breathing techniques during stressful situations and feels calmer as a result, this positive outcome reinforces the behavior, making them more likely to use it in the future)

How might cognition influence anxiety?

observational learning

Observational Learning

seeing bad things happen to people, so you start thinking bad things may happen to you

How can biology influence anxiety?

lack of sleep
genetics

Psychotherapy

treatment involving psychological techniques to overcome difficulties or achieve personal growth

Biomedical Treatment

medications for disorders

Who created the first major psychological therapy?

Freud

Psychoanalysis

much of our behavior is caused by unconscious feelings, thoughts, and motives

Resistance (therapy)

the blocking from consciousness of anxiety-related material

Active Listening

Empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Rogers' client-centered therapy.

What does Psychological Well-Being go hand in hand with?

Self-Awareness

Psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapists expect people's problems to diminish when?

they gain insight into their unresolved and unconscious tension (you don't know how you actually feel, so gain insight)

Humanistic therapists think people's problems diminish when?

people get in touch with their feelings (listen to your feelings)

Behavior Therapists say that problems diminish when?

you modify your behavior (change your feelings)

Behavior Therapists

assume that behaviors are the problem

Counterconditioning

behavior therapy procedures that use classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors (EX: A child is afraid of dogs - therapist gradually exposes the child to dogs while providing positive reinforcement whenever the child remains calm)

How is counterconditioning different from classical conditioning in therapy?

counterconditioning involves a positive reinforcer (prize) given to the person when he/she encounters their fear
classical conditioning is when the therapist exposes the person to his/her fear without the unconditioned stimulus (EX: person is afraid of dogs, so he is exposed to dogs that don't bite him)

Exposure Therapy

treat anxieties by exposing people to the things they fear and avoid (Classical Conditioning)

Systematic Desensitization

combines relaxation techniques with gradual exposure to feared stimuli, aiming to replace the fear response with a relaxation response.

VR Therapy

treats anxiety through simulations

Aversive Conditioning

learn what you shouldn't do (EX: painting nails with bad-tasting nail polish) (Classical Conditioning)

Cognitive Therapies

therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting; assumes that our thinking affects the way we feel

Stress Inoculation

restructure their thinking in stress (EX: soldiers learn coping strategies, such as relaxation techniques to help with PTSD)