Psychology Unit III- Stress, Psychopathology and Social Psychology

James-Lange Theory

Emotion follows bodily arousal; we feel fear because we notice our racing heart.

Cannon-Bard Theory

Emotion and arousal occur simultaneously but independently; body response → sympathetic nervous system, emotion → cortex.

Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory

Emotion = Arousal + Cognitive Appraisal; the same arousal can produce different emotions depending on interpretation.

Spillover Effect

Lingering arousal from one event can intensify emotions in a subsequent event.

Zajonc/LeDoux Theory

Some emotions occur before conscious interpretation; we can have immediate likes/dislikes without reasoning.

High Road of Emotion

Stimulus → thalamus → cortex → complex emotions (e.g., love, hatred).

Low Road of Emotion

Quick, automatic emotional response that bypasses higher-level thinking.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Activates fight-or-flight; increases heart rate, respiration, blood sugar.

Lymphocytes

White blood cells suppressed by stress, leading to increased susceptibility to infections.

Oxytocin

Stress-moderating hormone released during cuddling/pair-bonding; promotes social bonding and reduces stress.

Cognition in Emotion

How we interpret and appraise events influences the emotion we experience.

Emotional Components

• Bodily arousal

• Expressive behaviors

• Conscious experiences

Theories of emotion address two questions

• Does physiological arousal come before or after emotional feelings?

• How do feeling and cognition interact?

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory

Emotions have two ingredients: physical arousal and cognitive appraisal 

Arousal ___ emotion, cognition ____ it.

Fuels, channels

Emotional experience requires a _________ interpretation of arousal

conscious

Spillover effect

Arousal spills over from one event to the next, influencing the response

Zajonc

Sometimes emotional responses take a neural shortcut and go directly to the amygdala, some emotional responses involve no deliberate thinking 

Lazarus

• The brain processes much information without conscious awareness, but mental function still takes place

• Emotions arise when an event is appraised as harmless or dangerous

The arousal component of emotion is regulated by the ____ nervous system

autonomic

Olfactory bulb

Smell

What shape is the limbic system?

Ring 

Hippocampus

a seahorse-shaped brain structure critical for forming and consolidating new long-term memories, especially episodic and spatial memories

Hypothalamus

a brain region that serves as the primary control center for the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system

Amygdala is a barometer for ____

safety

Amygdala triggers the ________

sympathetic nervous system

More heightened childhood experiences lead to a:

larger, more developed amygdala

Stress

The process by which we perceive and respond to certain events called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

Stressors appraised as threats can lead to

strong negative reactions

Extreme or prolonged stress can 

cause harm 

Catastrophes

Unpleasant, large-scale events

When faced with stress women

may have a tend-and-befriend response

When faced with stress men may

withdraw socially, turn to alcohol, or become aggressive

Psychoneuroimmunology

Studies mind-body interactions 

Three components of psychoneuroimmunology

• Emotions (psycho)

• Brain (neuro)

• Hormones (immune)

Four types of cells active in the search-and-destroy mission of the immune system

• B lymphocytes

• T lymphocytes

• Macrophages

• Natural killer cells

Reacting too strongly to stress can cause 

• Self-attacking diseases

• Some forms of arthritis 

• Allergic reaction

Not reacting enough to stress can cause

• bacterial infections flare up

• dormant herpes virus erupt

• Cancer cells multiply

Chronic stress ____ your immune system

Shuts down

Pessimists are more likely than optimists to

develop heart disease

Depression increases the risk of 

death especially from cardiovascular disease 

Chronic stress triggers

persistent inflammation

Coping methods

• problem-focused

• emotion-focused

Telomeres

the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age and stress. When they become too short, cells can no longer divide effectively, contributing to aging and disease risk.

Selye’s GAS Phase 1

The body mobilizes resources (fight-or-flight).

Selye’s GAS Phase 2

The body’s resistance to stress is at its highest as it tries to cope with the stressor.

Selye’s GAS Phase 3

The body’s resources are depleted, and resistance drops.

external locus of control

believe that chance or outside forces control

their fate

Internal locus of control

Believe they choose their own destiny 

Cortisol is released as a result of 

Stress

Stress hormones ________ the immune system 

Suppress 

Depression increases the risk of

death, especially from ________

Cardiovascular disease 

Chronic stress triggers persistent

___________, which increases the risks of heart disease and depression.

Inflammation 

Type A 

Friedman and Rosenman’s term

for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people

Type B

Friedman and Rosenman’s term

for easygoing, relaxed people

Self control

Ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for

greater long-term rewards

Social support helps fight illness in two ways.

Calms cardiovascular system, which lowers blood pressure and stress

hormone levels – Fights illness by fostering stronger immune functioning

■ Close relationships give us an opportunity to confide painful feelings.

Mindfulness meditation 

A reflective practice in which people attend to current experiences

in a nonjudgmental and accepting manner

Aerobic exercise

reduces

depression and anxiety, and improves management of stress

DSM-5

is a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that provides the standard classification system for mental health disorders.

DSM Purpose

to diagnose mental disorders based on specific criteria.

Why is DSM-5 important?

ensure that diagnoses are consistent and evidence-based, so patients can receive the right treatment and researchers can study mental health using shared definitions.

Today, “abnormal psychology” is ____________

statistically normal 

_____ is a risk factor for psychological disorder

Poverty

Categorizations for anxiety disorders (DSM-5)

1) Generalized Anxiety Disorder

2) Panic Disorder

3) Phobic Disorders

Three Component Model of Anxiety 

Bodily effects, upsetting thoughts, ineffective behavior 

Anxiety medicine

Anxiolytics