PSYCHOLOGY U3AOS1 stress DP2

Stress

a psychological and physiological response to internal or external sources of tensions that challenge a person's ability to cope, these can be real of percieved

Fight-flight-freeze response

a physiological response to stress that causes an organism to react in a combative manner (fight), by removing themselves from the situation (flight), or by not reacting at all (freeze)

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

a model developed by Selye to explain the biological processes involved in chronic stress; 1. alarm, 2. resistance and 3. exhaustion

Alarm

the 1st stage of Selye's GAS model where the fight-flight-free response is activated to prepare the person to deal with the challenge or stressor

this stage has two components; shock & countershock

Resistance

the 2nd stage of Selye's GAS model when the body's resistance to the particular stressor develops and rises above its normal levels in order to cope with and adapt to the stressor

Exhaustion

the 3rd stage of Selye's GAS model where the body cannot continue to cope with the stressor and its resistance begins to drop; the body's resources are depleted and very tired which can lead to life-threatening illness and death if the stress continues

Adrenaline

a neurohormone secreted by the adrenal glands, especially in conditions of stress, increasing rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and preparing muscles for exertion

Stressor

A situation, event, or person that causes the stress response

Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

a cognitive model focused on the transaction between an individual's perception of a stressor and the stressor itself.

Threat

an assessment that there may be a future harm or a loss

Secondary appraisal

the appraisal where a person considers whether they have sufficient coping resources available to them and how they will respond to the event (stressor)

Cortisol

hormone released by the adrenal gland in response to stress; metabolises blood sugars and reduces inflammation

Avoidance strategies

tend to be emotion focused as the fundamental goal is to avoid feelings of distress and emotional upset eg. denial, procrastination, oversleeping

Approach strategies

an effort to cope with stress by confronting the stressor and dealing with it and/or its effects eg. seeing a psychologist

Acute stress

stress that lasts for a relatively short time

Chronic stress

stress that continues for a prolonged period of time

External stressor

a stressor which originates outside the individual from situations and events in the environment

Gut-brain axis (GBA)

a bidirectional, multi-faceted communication link between the central and enteric nervous systems

gut microbiota

the microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses and fungi) present in each individual's digestive tract ('gut')

Internal stressor

a stressor that originates within the individual

Primary appraisal

evaluating the significance of a situation (resulting in a decision that it is either irrelevant, benign-positive or stressful, and if stressful, harm, threat or challenge)

Countershock

in the General Adaptation Syndrome, rebound from the temporary state of shock during the initial alarm reaction stage

Shock

in the General Adaptation Syndrome, the temporary state immediately following exposure to a stressor during the initial alarm reaction stage

Coping flexibility

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

Context-specific effectiveness

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

Coping

in relation to stress management, attempting to manage the demands of a stressor in some effective way