PSY120 final exam chapter 14

Cognitive Appraisal

stress- a process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events he appraises as overwhelming or threatening to his well-being

• this definition places importance on how we appraise (judge) demanding/threatening events (stressors) which then influence our reaction

Primary appraisal

judgement about the degree of potential harm.threat to well-being that a stressor might entail

• threat- stressor that could lead to harm/loss/negative consequences

• challenge- stressor that carries the potential for gain/personal growth

Secondary appraisal

judgement of the options available to cope with a stressor, and perceptions of how effective such options will be

• a threat is less stressful if we believe something can be done about it

Eustress

stress that can be positive and motivate us to do things in our best interests

• associated with positive feelings, optimal health, and performance

Distress

“bad” stress, causing people to feel burned out, (fatigued and exhausted), and performance to decline

Physiological stress reaction

accelerated heart rate, headaches, or gastrointestinal problems

Cognitive stress reaction

difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Behavioral stress reaction

drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking actions directed at eliminating the cause of stress

Health Psychology

a subfield devoted to understanding the importance of psychological influences on healthy illness, and how people respond when they become ill; investigates:

• connection between stress and illness

• why people make certain life choices

• effectiveness of interventions aimed at changing unhealthy behaviors

• which groups of people are at risk for negative health outcomes

Walter Cannon

first to identify the body’s physiological reactions to stress; first articulated and names the fight-or-flight response, which he suggested is a built-in mechanism that stabilizes physiological variables at levels optimal for survival

Fight-or-flight response

set of physiological reactions that occur when an individual encounters a perceived threat; produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system

Hans Selye - General Adaptation Syndrome

specialized in research about stress; noticed that prolonged exposure to stressors caused rats to show signs of adrenal enlargement, thymus and lymph node shrinkage, and stomach ulceration

• the same pattern of physiological reactions occurred regardless of the stressor

• Selye had discovered the general adaptation syndrome - the body’s nonspecific physiological response to stress

Alarm Reaction (GAS)

(1) the body’s immediate reaction upon facing a threatening situation or emergency

• physiological reactions that provide energy to manage the situation

Resistance (GAS)

(2) the body has adapted (readjusted) to the stressor but remains alert and prepared to respond (with less intensity)

• physiological reactions diminish

Exhaustion

(3) person can no longer adapt to the stressor (depletion of physical resources) physical wear takes its toll on the body’s tissues and organs

Chronic Stressors

events that persist over an extended period of time (ex. long term unemployment)

Acute Stressors

brief events that sometimes continue to be experienced as overwhelming well after the event has ended (ex. falling and breaking a leg)

Traumatic events

one category of stressors: situations involving exposure to actual or threatened death or serious injury

Holmes and Rahe

Hypothesized that life events requiring significant change are stressful, whether they are desirable or undesirable

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

a scale consisting of 43 life events that require varying degrees of personal readjustment

Life Change Unit (LCU)

each life event has a score from 11 to 100, representing the perceived magnitude of life change they involve

Daily hassles

minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our every day lives

• often lead to negative and distressed mood states

• can build up and leave us feeling stressed

• frequency of these is a better predictor of physical and psychological health than life change units

Psychophysiological disorders

physical disorders/diseases whose symptoms are brought about or worsened by stress and emotional factors

• tension headaches

• asthma

• acne

• eczema

• hypertension

• IBS

Autoimmune disease

immune system mistakes the body’s now healthy cells for invaders and repeatedly attacks them (can affect almost any part of the body)

Immunosuppression

the decreased effectiveness of the immune system

Stress and aging effects

research suggest this can shorten telomeres (segments of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes)

• shortened telomeres can inhibit/block cell division, which includes growth and proliferation of new cells, leading to more rapid aging

Cardiovascular disease

this system plays a central role in the stress response making it a key focus in studies of psychophysiological disorders

Heart disease

a cardiovascular disorder

• major risk factor is hypertension

Hypertension

high blood pressure

• can be caused by stressors including job strain, marital conflict, and natural disasters

• forces the heart to pump harder, thus putting increased physical strain on the heart

• has no symptoms

• can lead to heart attack or stroke

Negative affectivity

tendency to experience distressed emotional states involving anger, contempt, disgust, guilt, fear, and nervousness

Type A personality

tend to be extremely competitive, intensely driven, impatient, rushed, and hostile toward others

Type B personality

tend to be relaxed and laid back

Depression and heart disease

research suggest that a relationship exists between these

Lazarus and Folkman

problem and emotional focused coping styles

Problem-focused coping

individual attempts to manage or alter the problem that is causing them to experience stress

• involves identifying the problem, considering possible solutions, weight the costs and benefits of these solutions, and then selecting the alternative

• proactively addresses the problem

• more likely to be used when the stressor is perceived as controllable

Emotion-focused coping

efforts to change or reduce the negative emotions associated with stress

• can include avoiding, minimizing, or distancing oneself from the problem, or positive comparisons with others, or seeking something positive in a negative event

• treats the symptoms of stress, not the cause

• more often used for stressors we feel powerless to change

Perceived control

our beliefs about out personal capacity to exert influence over and shape outcomes

• has major implications for health and happiness

Learned helplessness

an acquired belief that one is powerless to do anything about a situation

Biofeedback

uses electronic equipment to measure a person’s involuntary (neuromuscular and autonomic) activity and provide feedback to help the person gain a level of voluntary control over these processes

Exercise

reduces stress and increases resistance to adverse effects of stress