Psych - Unit 3 SAC 1 - Psychological theories

Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selyes suggested stress was a non-specific physiological response caused by unpleasant (distress) or pleasant (eustress) demands on the body

Rat experiments

Selyes conducted a series of experiments on rates where her repeatedly pulled their tails to deliberately stress them out

discovered consistent biological consequences, such as shrunken lymph glans, enlarged adrenal glands, ulcers, weight loss etc.

Three stages of GAS stress response

1. alarm reaction stage

2. resistance stage

3. exhaustion stage

Stage 1 - Alarm Reaction

when we initially encounter a threat, our physiological responses drop below normal and them increase to above normal.

contains two phases:

-shock

-countershock

Shock Phase

first part of the alarm reaction; when initially faced with a stressor our body's resistance to stress drops below normal levels

(blood pressure and temperature decrease) - as if we are injured

dominant NS in shock phase

parasympathetic nervous system is dominant

Countershock Phase

our body then rebounds and activates the sympathetic NS above normal levels to arouse survival

(increased heart rate, respiration provides more glucose and oxygen to muscles and organs at a faster rate)

during countershock, body is more resistant to stress

adrenaline is released first, then cortisol

Stage 2 - Resistance

the hormone cortisol continues to be released into the bloodstream in an attempt to maintain arousal so body can fight the stressor

Resistance - if stress is overcome/continues

if threat is OVERCOME during resistance stage, then system will return to normal functioning

if stress CONTINUES and resistance must remain above normal levels for a prolonged period of time, body's resources (cortisol) become depleted

Cortisol and Stress

researchers often measure amount of cortisol in the bloodstream to determine stress levels

increased amount - can impair immune system, hence people with long term stress can be more vulnerable to disease

if overcome stressor fast

if able to OVERCOME stressor - parasympathetic NS will return our physiological systems back to normal (reduce heartbeat, etc.)

Stage 3 - Exhaustion

if threat is undefeated for a long time, our body's resources are drained, stress hormones become depleted and resistance to stress falls below normal levels

thus prolonged exposure to stress and high levels of cortisol compromise our immune system, leaving us vulnerable to infection, disease and mental illness

'Explanatory Power'

STRENGTHS of GAS model

- simple model - fits our traditional understanding of stress as a physiological reaction

- diagnoses 'stress' as a medical condition that requires treatment

-suggests a predictable pattern of repsonses that can be easily testes

-identifies various biological processes as part of the stress response (including release of hormones and depletion of immune system

'Explanatory Power'

WEAKNESSES of GAS model

-assumes everyone responds to stress physiologically the same way, hence does not take into account psychological factors or individual differences

-humans and rats are very different - human stress response is more complex and variable, hence hard to generalise results

-over-emphasis on role of adrenal cortex and the hormones adrenaline and cortisol

-subsequent research suggests other hormones triggered by other organs are involved, hence model is too simplistic

Stress as a psychobiological process

BIOLOGICAL - activation of autonomic NS

PSYCHOLOGICAL - initial mental processes involved in the perception and interpretation of the stressor; same stress may produce eustress in one person and distress in another

Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

According to Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model, stress involveds an exchange (transaction) between individuals and the environment (stressors, threat, change etc.)

Examples of Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model

eg. a VCE student facing their end of year psychology exam

TRANSACTION - between student and exam

STRESSOR - the exam

Primary Appraisal

an initial interpretation of the relevance of the stressor to the person. The individual decides if the stressor is 'irrelevant', 'benign/positive', or 'stressful.'

-Does this matter to me?

-Do I need to worry about it?

-Will I be affected by this?

-How does this make me feel?

Irrelevant

doesn't matter to individual - NO STRESS

Benign/Positive

matters but in a good way, can cope and deal with it - EUSTRESS

Stressful

matters but in a bad way, person believes they cannot cope or deal with it - DISTRESS

Primary Appraisal - Decisions for stressful

if they perceive the situation to be 'stressful', then they have to make additional appraisals and decisions, based on

-Harm/Loss (past)

-Challenge (present)

-Threat (future)

Harm/Loss (past)

-involves assessing known damage or issues that have occurred (eg. wasted time, lack of preparation, failed assignments)

Challenge (present)

involves assessing the consequences and OPPORTUNITY for change required to overcome the situation

(eg. start studying 3 hours per night, explore TAFE pathways, get tutored by your teacher)

Threat (future)

involves assessing potential problems that may occur

(eg. not passing year 12, having to repeat, not getting into uni course you want)

Secondary Appraisal

a subsequent evaluation of the adequacy of one's coping resources

-what can I do about this?

-what resources do I have to help?

-will I be able to overcome this?

judgements on effectiveness of coping abilities

individual makes judgments on the effectiveness of their coping options/resources

either coping resources are ADEQUATE or INADEQUATE

adequate v inadequate

adequate - can cope with stress - EUSTRESS

inadequate - cannot cope with stress - DISTRESS

Internal and external coping mechanisms/options

internal - determination to succeed, motivation, reslience, self-efficacy

external - family support, teacher assistance, buying extra books

Reappraisal

individuals judge whether or not additional resources are needed to cope and prosper in addition to those already available

(eg. extra tutoring by psych expert)

Strengths/Advantages of model

-research for the model used human participants, not animals

-included mental and emotional factors which influence how a stressful event is interpreted

-uses a cognitive focus on how people perceive, interpret and cope with psychological stressors

-identifies methods for managing psychological responses to stressors

Limitations/Weaknesses

-physiological factors are not given enough emphasis

-it doesn't account for social, cultural and environmental factors

-difficult to identify/differentiate appraisals/interpretations of the event as primary versus secondary as they are independent

coping

a process involving cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific internal and/or external stressors that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of a person in a stressful situation

coping strategy

a specific method, behavioural or psychological that people use to manage or reduce the stress produced by a stressor

no 'right way' to cope, as everyone responds to stress in their own individual way

context-specific effectiveness

in relation to coping with stress, when there is a match or 'good fit' between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation

for a coping strategy to be effective (adaptive), there needs to be an appropriate 'fit' or 'match' between

context-specific effectiveness example

eg. if there is a SAC tomorrow

context specific: going over notes and revising with a friend to feel in control

non-context specific: going for a run and then watching your favourite show to destress

aspects of context-specific effectiveness

-situational demands of stressor

-strategy employed

-relevant personal characteristics of the individual

coping effectiveness

if there stressful situation is appraised accurately and appropriate strategies have been employed - distress will be minimised, eustress will be maximised

coping flexibility

the ability to effectively modify or adjust one's coping strategies according to the demands of different stressful situations

considered to be an adaptive personality attribute, and is a strong predictor of psychological health

cognitive flexibility

ability to rethink, develop and apply new strategies until the stressor can be defeated or maintained

physical exercise

example of a strategy used to combat stress

-provides a release to harness and redirect this anxious energy

benefits:

-reduces cortisol levels and strengthens immune system

-promotes release of serotonin and endorphins

-reduces fatigue, anxiety, depression

-improves mood

is exercise and approach or avoidance strategy

can be both, can exercise to avoid doing other things like homework, or, if are super stressed and can't calm down, can be an approach strategy as it is directly combatting that panic.

avoidance strategies

techniques people employ when they are cognitively or behaviourally trying to escape or delay painful, upsetting, difficult or threatening responses associated with a stressor

they are an emotion focussed strategy which is a short-term fix, is usually maladaptive and ineffective

-delay inevitable

-increase anxiety over time

common avoidance strategies

-denial, distancing, avoiding situation

-drug/alcohol dependency

-breakdown of relationships and social isolation

approach strategies

they directly target the stressor and attempt to find ways to overcome or diminish the threat they pose

using approach strategies means you choose to confront the issue - more effective as it alows people to gain a sense of control and actively confront the stressor

2 mains approach based strategies

-problem-focused coping

-emotion focused coping (although usually considered an avoidance strategy)

problem focussed coping

the use of coping strategies that directly target the source of the stressor, aiming to reduce it in a practical way

-looking at problem from different perspectives

-generating alternative solution strategies

approach strategies - benefits

-adaptive and effective

-more effective in coping with stress long term

-results in fewer psychological symptoms

approach strategies - limitations

-short term - may increase stress levels while individual is directly engaged with the stressor

-may require a lot of the individuals energy and focus to deal with the stressor

avoidance strategies - benefits

-allows you to conserve energy

-may be appropriate in situations where absolutely nothing can be done

-effective short term

avoidance strategies - limitations

-tend to be maladaptive

-can affect mental health long term

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