Chapter 14: Stress, Lifestyle, and Health

A comprehensive array of flashcards covering key concepts related to stress, health, and coping mechanisms from the lecture notes.

Stress

A term used to describe unpleasant feeling states in response to a trigger or threat in our environment.

Stimulus-based definitions

Stress is a demanding or threatening event/situation (demanding job)

Response-based definitions

Emphasize physiological and psychological responses that occur in response to challenging situations.

Cognitive Appraisal

A process through which an individual considers and responds to potentially stressful events.

Primary Appraisal

Judgement about the degree of potential threat/challenge that a stressor might entail.

Threat

A stressor that could lead to harm, loss, or negative consequences.

Challenge

A stressor that carries the potential for gain or personal growth.

Secondary Appraisal

Judgment of the options to cope with a stressor and how effective they will be.

Eustress

Positive stress that motivates us to do our best.

Distress

Negative stress that can lead to burnout and performance decline.

Optimal Level of Stress

The level at which performance peaks before becoming distressing.

Physiological Effects of Stress

Stress can cause an accelerated heart rate, headaches, and GI problems.

Cognitive Effects of Stress

Stress can lead to trouble concentrating or making decisions.

Behavioral Effects of Stress

Stress can result in avoidance behaviors like drinking and smoking or proactive actions.

Health Psychology

A field that studies psychological influences on health, illness, and responses to illness.

Fight-or-Flight Response

Physiological reactions that occur when an individual encounters a threat or stressor.

Adrenal Glands

Glands that release hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to stress that prepares a person to fight or flee.

General Adaptation Syndrome

Selye's theory describing the body's three stages of response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Alarm Reaction

The body’s immediate reaction to a threat; physiological reactions activate to provide energy to manage the threat.

Resistance

The body has adapted to the stressor but remains alert and prepared to respond. Physiological reactions begin to diminish.

Exhaustion

Person has depleted physical resources. Physical wear takes its toll; may result in illness.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

A central stress response system that regulates the body's reaction to stress. It involves adrenal glands releasing cortisol.

Cortisol

A stress hormone that prepares the body to react to stress.

Chronic Stressors

Events that persist over a long period, such as unemployment or living in an unsafe neighborhood.

Acute Stressors

Brief events that can cause immediate stress, like an accident or argument.

Traumatic Events

Situations involving exposure to actual or threatened death or serious injury.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A disorder occurring after exposure to traumatic events, characterized by intrusive memories and avoidance.

Daily Hassles

Minor irritations and annoyances that can accumulate and lead to stress.

Job Strain

Excessive demands and workload in a job that increases health risk.

Job Burnout

A sense of emotional exhaustion and cynicism often found in human service jobs.

Relationships

Relationships with friends/family: conflicts, lack of emotional support, lack of reciprocity in relationships cause stress.

Psychophysiological Disorders

Physical disorders whose symptoms are exacerbated by stress such as tension headaches, asthma, acne, eczema, hypertension, & irritable bowel syndrome.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of how psychological factors influence immune function.

Immunosuppression

Decreased immune function associated with stress.

Hypertension

High blood pressure, often caused by stressors, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Type A Personality

A personality type characterized by competitiveness, driven, impatience, and hostility.

Type B Personality

A personality type characterized by a relaxed and laid-back demeanor.

Friedman & Roseman (1974)

Discovered that heart disease is 7x more frequent among Type A personalities than Type B personalities

Relationship Between Depression and Heart Disease

Depression increases risk factors like obesity and inactivity that can lead to heart disease.

Asthma

A chronic disease where airways become inflamed, causing difficulty breathing.

Problem-Focused Coping

Proactive attempts to manage or change the problem causing stress.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Efforts to reduce negative emotions associated with stress.

Perceived Control

The level of control an individual feels over a stressor.

Learned Helplessness

The belief that one cannot change a situation, often learned from repeated exposure to uncontrollable events.

Martin Seligman 1967 Experiment

A study demonstrating learned helplessness, where animals subjected to unavoidable stressors failed to escape later avoidable stress.

Social Support

The comforting impact of friends and family during stressful situations.

Stress Reduction Techniques

Strategies used to alleviate stress, including exercise, meditation, and biofeedback.

Exercise

Reduces stress and improves health

Meditation & relaxation

Reduces sympatheic arousal and blood pressure.

Biofeedback

uses electronic equipment to measure involuntary (neuromuscular and autonomic) activity and provide feedback to help the person gain voluntary control over these processes.

Happiness

An enduring state of well-being characterized by joy, contentment, and a sense of life meaning.

Positive Psychology

The study of positive human functioning and well-being. Seeks to identify and promote qualities that lead to greater fulfillment in our lives.

Flow

An experience of complete immersion and engagement in an activity.

Surveys of Happiness

The average person in the world reports being relatively happy (5.2/10). Surveys of residents in over 150 countries indicate that Denmark has the happiest citizens in the world. (The US ranked 17th)

Positive mood

Associated with greater social connectedness, adaptive coping, lower depression, longevity, and good physical functioning.

Factors Predicting Happiness

Age, social relationships, income, religion, and culture can influence happiness.

Life Satisfaction Over Time

Research shows that life satisfaction typically increases with age.

Age and Happiness

Younger individuals may report higher levels of happiness, but life satisfaction often improves with age due to accumulated experiences and social relationships.

Social relationships and Happiness

Strong social connections contribute significantly to overall happiness and well-being, enhancing life satisfaction.

Happiness and Income

Happiness increases with income up to a certain point, after which it levels off.

Religion and Happiness

In challenging living conditions, religion is associated with greater well-being.

Culture and Happiness

Cultural values influence what characteristics contribute to happiness.

Engagement in Flow Activities

Activities that bring joy and engross individuals deeply, often related to leisure.

Adaptation

Significant life events cause a surge of emotion, but we eventually adapt to changing circumstances in our lives. Although long-term happiness levels can and do change, big life events have less dramatic & less long-lasting impacts than we might expect.