ch14 Stress and health

Stress

Response to perceived threats or challenges resulting from stimuli or events that cause strain.

Stressors

Stimuli that cause physiological, psychological, and emotional reactions.

Distress

The stress response to unpleasant or undesirable stressors.

Eustress

The stress response to agreeable or positive stressors.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

A scale where participants assess major life events to measure stress levels.

College Undergraduate Stress Scale (CUSS)

A rating scale adapted to life events affecting college students.

Chronic Stress

A long-term state of nervous arousal where demands exceed perceived ability to cope.

Acculturative Stress

Stress associated with adjusting to a new way of life.

Assimilation

The process of taking in and fully understanding information or ideas.

Separation

The act of moving away or diverging from something, often leading to stress or emotional response, especially in interpersonal relationships.

Integration

The process of combining or coordinating different parts into a whole.

Daily Hassles

Minor and regularly occurring problems that can act as stressors.

Uplifts

Positive experiences that have the potential to make one happy.

Approach–approach conflict

Two or more favorable alternatives are pitted against one another​

Approach–avoidance conflict

Occurs when you face a choice or situation that has both favorable and unfavorable characteristics​

Avoidance–avoidance conflict

Occurs when you are faced with two or more alternatives that are unattractive.

Fight or Flight Response

Physiological responses that prepare the body for emergencies.

Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal System (HPA)

The system that regulates the body's response to stress. The hypothalamus alerts the pituitary gland, prompting it to send signals to the adrenal cortex, which secretes corticosteroids such as cortisol. These hormones summon the immune system to fend off a threat and reduce the amount of energy used for nonessential activities.​

Alarm stage

Short-term responses are activated, giving us energy to combat a threat

Resistance stage

Resources remain mobilized, and we continue to cope with the stressor

Exhaustion stage

When we become weak and susceptible to illness, and are less able to cope with the stressor

General Adaptation Syndrome

A specific pattern of physiological reactions to stressors including alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages.

Psychoneuroimmunology

The field that examines the relationship among psychological factors, the nervous system, and immune system functioning.

Arousal theory​

Humans seek an optimal level of arousal, and what is optimal differs from person to person.​

Cortisol

Stress hormone responsible for mobilizing the body to react to stressors

Burnout

Emotional, mental, and physical fatigue that results from repeated exposure to challenges, leading to reduced motivation, enthusiasm, and performance​

Coping

Cognitive, behavioral, and emotional abilities used to manage perceived challenges. Ex: exercise

Problem-Focused Coping​

A coping strategy in which a person deals directly with a problem by attempting to solve and address it head-on​

Emotion-Focused Coping​

A coping strategy in which a person addresses the emotions that surround a problem, as opposed to trying to solve it​

Primary appraisal

One’s initial assessment of a situation to determine its personal impact and whether it is irrelevant, positive, challenging, or harmful​

Secondary appraisal​

An assessment to determine how to respond to a challenging or threatening situation​

Type A Personality

A competitive, aggressive, and often hostile behavior pattern.

Type B Personality

A relaxed, patient, and nonaggressive behavior pattern.

Type D Personality

Characterized by worry, tension, and social inhibition.

Hardiness

A personality characteristic indicating resilience and optimism under stress.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one can control their life and its circumstances.

External Locus of Control

The belief that chance, luck, or fate controls life circumstances.

Nutrition

Dietary habits that impact health and stress management.

Exercise

Physical activity that helps reduce stress and improve health.

Mindfulness Meditation

Being fully present in the moment; focusing attention without judgment.

Altruism

Helping others without expecting anything in return to reduce stress.

Blue Zones

Regions with a high number of centenarians, characterized by healthy lifestyles.