VCEPsychology3and4_Ch04

Stress

A state of mental, emotional, and physiological tension resulting from perceived threats or challenges to coping abilities.

Stressor

Any event or situation that triggers a stress response in an individual.

Acute Stress

Short-term stress that arises from a sudden, external threat and typically subsides quickly.

Chronic Stress

Long-term stress resulting from ongoing, persistent challenges that negatively impact health over time.

Cortisol

A steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress, regulating various bodily processes including metabolism and immune response.

Flight-or-Fight-or-Freeze Response

A physiological reaction to perceived harmful events or threats, preparing the body for survival through fleeing, fighting, or freezing.

Gut-Brain Axis (GBA)

The bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal (gut) system and the brain, affecting psychological states and behavior.

Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress

A model suggesting stress is a result of the interaction between an individual and an event, characterized by primary and secondary appraisals.

Primary Appraisal

The initial assessment of whether an event is a threat, benign, or irrelevant to an individual's wellbeing.

Secondary Appraisal

The evaluation of available resources and coping strategies to deal with a stressor after it has been deemed significant.

Coping Strategy

Methods employed by individuals to manage and reduce stress, which can be classified as approach or avoidance strategies.

Approach Strategy

Efforts to confront a stressor directly and deal with its causes or effects.

Avoidance Strategy

Efforts to evade a stressor, resulting in indirect management of the stressor.

Coping Flexibility

The ability to adapt and modify coping strategies based on situational demands.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

A biological model of stress describing the body's non-specific response to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

Internal Stressor

A stressor that originates from within the individual, such as expectations or self-criticism.

External Stressor

A stressor that comes from the external environment, like life events or physical conditions.

Stress Response

The physiological and psychological reactions triggered by a stressor, involving various bodily systems, including the autonomic nervous system.