Stress p. 475 PTSD p476 Selye and GAS P479-480 Learned helplessness p482 Type a p487

What is stress defined as in psychological terms?

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to challenging events that exceed an individual's ability to cope.

What factors influence the psychological component of stress?

Factors include past experiences, personality traits, and cognitive biases.

What are the primary stress response systems activated in the physiological component of stress?

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).

What hormone is primarily released during the body's stress response?

Cortisol and adrenaline.

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

What are the four categories of PTSD symptoms?

Intrusion symptoms, avoidance symptoms, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, alterations in arousal and reactivity.

What characterizes the Intrusion Symptoms of PTSD?

Recurrent, involuntary, and distressing memories of the event, nightmares, and flashbacks.

What is an example of Avoidance Symptoms in PTSD?

Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, people, places, conversations, or other reminders associated with the trauma.

What are the stages of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?

Alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion.

What occurs during the Alarm Reaction stage of GAS?

The initial response to a stressor, characterized by activation of the SNS and release of stress hormones.

What happens during the Resistance stage of GAS?

The body attempts to cope with the stressor, maintaining a heightened state of readiness but with declining SNS activity.

What characterizes the Exhaustion stage of GAS?

Resources are depleted, characterized by fatigue, burnout, and increased susceptibility to illness.

What is learned helplessness?

A phenomenon where individuals believe they have no control over their environment or the outcomes of their actions.

Who conducted experiments demonstrating learned helplessness?

Martin Seligman.

What did Seligman's experiments with dogs demonstrate about learned helplessness?

Dogs subjected to inescapable electric shocks did not attempt to escape when given the opportunity later, as they had learned they could not escape.