Stress, Health, and Coping 1/6

These flashcards cover essential concepts and definitions regarding stress, health psychology, coping mechanisms, and individual and social factors impacting stress.

What is the definition of stress according to the lecture notes?

Stress is a negative emotional state occurring in response to events that are perceived as taxing or exceeding a person’s resources or ability to cope.

What model emphasizes the role of individual evaluation in stress?

The cognitive appraisal model, proposed by Richard Lazarus, emphasizes individual evaluation of the event and the resources available to cope.

What are the two stages in the cognitive appraisal model when encountering a new situation?

Primary appraisal (is the stimulus stressful?) and secondary appraisal (do you have the resources to handle it?).

What are stressors?

Stressors are events or situations that are perceived as harmful, threatening, or challenging.

What does the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) measure?

The SRRS rates the relative impact of major life events in terms of life change units.

What key finding did Holmes and Rahe discover regarding life change units and health?

They found that people with more than 150 life change units within a year had an increased rate of physical or psychological illness.

What is termed as daily hassles in the context of stress?

Daily hassles are everyday minor events that annoy and upset people and may be an important source of stress.

What is burnout characterized by according to the lecture?

Burnout is characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of failure or inadequacy due to chronic, prolonged work stress.

What factors are suggested to contribute to chronic stress in disadvantaged groups?

Chronic stress can be influenced by lower socioeconomic status, more negative life events, and fewer coping resources.

What is acculturative stress?

Acculturative stress results from the pressure of adapting to a new culture.