Understanding Stress & Coping

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to stress and coping mechanisms.

Health Psychology

The study of how psychological, behavioral, and cultural factors contribute to physical health and illness.

Stress

The response of the body and mind to challenges or demands, characterized by physical, emotional, and mental reactions.

Stressors

Events or conditions that trigger stress by challenging an individual's ability to cope or adjust.

Eustress

Positive stress that enhances motivation, performance, and emotional well-being.

Distress

Negative stress that decreases motivation, impairs performance, and leads to emotional and physical problems.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Stressful or traumatic events in childhood that can have long-lasting effects on health and well-being throughout a person's life.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Three-stage response to stress that includes alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, describing how the body reacts and adapts to stress over time.

Alarm Reaction Phase

The initial stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, where the body reacts to a stressor with a "fight-or- flight" response, activating stress hormones and physiological changes.

Fight-Flight-Freeze Response

A physiological reaction to perceived threats that prepares the body to fight, flee, or freeze to enhance survival.

Resistance Phase

The second stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, where the body tries to adapt and cope with a stressor, maintaining heightened alertness and stress hormone levels.

Exhaustion Phase

The final stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, where the body's resources are depleted after prolonged stress, leading to decreased stress tolerance and potential health issues.

Tend-and-Befriend Theory

Behavioral reaction to stress that involves nurturing activities to protect oneself and one's offspring, and seeking social support to reduce stress; this phenomenon occurs mostly in women.

Problem-Focused Coping

Involves directly managing or solving the source of stress to reduce its impact.

Emotion-Focused Coping

Managing the emotional response to stress rather than changing the stressful situation itself.