ap psych - stress, emotion, and motivation unit

Describe how stress relates to the immune system and heart disease

Stress affects both the immune system and cardiovascular system.

• Short-term stress can temporarily activate the immune system.

• Chronic stress can weaken immune functioning, making it harder for the body to fight illness.

• Chronic stress can also increase heart rate and blood pressure and contribute to cardiovascular problems.

Discuss the link between stress and exercise, social support, and faith communities

Exercise

Regular exercise can reduce stress and improve:

• Mood

• Sleep

• Physical health

• Ability to cope with stress

Social support

Having supportive friends, family, or other people can buffer the effects of stress.

Faith communities

Faith communities can provide:

• Social support

• A sense of belonging

• Meaning and purpose

• Coping resources

Describe the 3 phases of the General Adaptation Syndrome

1. Alarm

The body first encounters the stressor.

Fight-or-flight response activates.

Heart rate ↑, breathing ↑, adrenaline ↑.

2. Resistance

The stressor continues.

The body remains prepared to deal with the stress, but it is trying to adapt and maintain functioning.

3. Exhaustion

The stress continues for too long.

The body’s resources become depleted, increasing vulnerability to fatigue and illness.

Discuss the advantages of aerobic exercise as a technique for managing stress and fostering well-being

Aerobic exercise is sustained activity that raises your heart rate, such as running, swimming, cycling, or brisk walking.

It can:

• Reduce stress

• Improve mood

• Reduce anxiety

• Improve sleep

• Improve cardiovascular health

• Increase overall well-being

Describe the relationship between emotional arousal and the autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls automatic body functions such as heart rate, breathing, digestion, and pupil dilation.

It has two major parts:

Sympathetic nervous system

Activates during stress or excitement.

Think:

Sympathetic = SPEED UP

It causes:

• Heart rate ↑

• Breathing ↑

• Blood pressure ↑

• Digestion ↓

Parasympathetic nervous system

Calms the body after arousal.

Think:

Parasympathetic = PEACE

It causes:

• Heart rate ↓

• Breathing slows

• Digestion resumes

• Body relaxes

Describe the 6 universal emotions

1. Happiness

2. Sadness

3. Anger

4. Fear

5. Disgust

6. Surprise

Describe the brain’s pathway for emotions

There are two major pathways for processing emotional information.

Low road

Fast and automatic

Thalamus → Amygdala

The brain quickly responds to a possible threat before fully analyzing it.

Example:

You see something that looks like a snake → you immediately jump back → then realize it’s a stick.

High road

Slower and more thoughtful

Thalamus → Cortex → Amygdala

The cortex analyzes the situation more carefully.

Example:

You see the “snake” → your brain examines it → you realize it’s actually a stick.

Describe the physiological determinants of hunger

Hunger is influenced by several biological processes that help maintain energy balance.

Important factors include:

• Blood glucose

• Stomach activity

• Hunger hormones

• Fat stores

• The hypothalamus

The goal is partly to maintain homeostasis.

Describe the effect of the various hunger hormones

Ghrelin: Ghrelin increases hunger.

Ghrelin = growling stomach

Leptin: Leptin helps signal fullness/satiety.

Leptin = “Let’s stop eating.”

Spillover effect

The spillover effect is when emotions or stress from one situation carry over into another situation.

High road versus low road of emotion

Low road: Fast, automatic emotional response

Thalamus → Amygdala

High road: Slower, more thoughtful emotional processing

Thalamus → Cortex → Amygdala

Facial feedback effect

The facial feedback effect is the idea that your facial expressions can influence how you feel emotionally.

Ghrelin

Ghrelin = hunger hormone

Leptin

Leptin = satiety/fullness signal

Lateral hypothalamus

The lateral hypothalamus is traditionally associated with hunger and eating behavior.

Lateral = Let’s eat

Ventromedial hypothalamus

The ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) is traditionally associated with satiety/fullness.

VMH = Very Much Had enough

Fight-or-flight response

The body’s rapid response to a perceived threat.

The sympathetic nervous system activates the body to either:

Fight the threat
or
Flee from the threat.

Heart rate, breathing, and energy availability increase.

Sympathetic nervous system vs. parasympathetic nervous system

Sympathetic = GO

Parasympathetic = SLOW

Hormones involved in stress response

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

Provides a rapid response to stress.

• Heart rate ↑

• Blood pressure ↑

• Alertness ↑

• Energy availability ↑

Cortisol

Helps the body respond to longer-lasting stress.

It helps maintain energy availability and supports the body’s stress response.

Tend-and-befriend response

Instead of fighting or fleeing, people may respond to stress by:

Tending → caring for/protecting others

Befriending → seeking social support

Lymphocytes and macrophages — parts of the immune system

Lymphocytes

White blood cells involved in immune defense.

Two important types:

• B cells → produce antibodies

• T cells → help coordinate immune responses and attack infected cells

Macrophages

Immune cells that engulf and digest pathogens and cellular debris.

Catharsis

Catharsis is the idea that releasing pent-up anger or emotions will make you feel better.

Feel-good, do-good phenomenon

When people feel good, they tend to be more likely to do good things, such as helping others

Explanatory style (optimistic vs. pessimistic)

Explanatory style = the way someone habitually explains why events happen.

Optimistic

Negative event is viewed as:

• Temporary

• Specific

• Changeable

Pessimistic

Negative event is viewed as:

• Permanent

• Broad

• More personally caused

4 Types of Conflict

Approach-approach conflict: Two desirable choices

Avoidance-avoidance conflict: Two undesirable choices

Approach-avoidance conflict: One choice has both positive and negative aspects

Multiple approach-avoidance conflict: Multiple choices, each with both advantages and disadvantages

Homeostasis

Homeostasis = maintaining internal balance/stability

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The Yerkes-Dodson law describes the relationship between arousal and performance

Problem-focused coping

You try to solve or change the source of the stress.

Emotion-focused coping

You try to manage your emotional reaction to the stressor.

Arousal theory

Arousal theory says people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of stimulation/arousal.

Instinct theory

Instinct theory says certain behaviors are innate and biologically programmed.

The behavior happens because you’re naturally programmed to perform it.

Drive-reduction theory

A physiological need creates a drive, which motivates behavior that reduces the drive.

Incentive theory

Incentive theory says behavior is motivated by external rewards or desirable stimuli.

Sensation-seeking theory

Sensation seeking is the tendency to seek experiences that are:

• Exciting

• Novel

• Varied

• Intense

Different people have different preferred levels of stimulation.