Studied by 5 people
what are the three different approaches to stress?
a. stress as a response
b. stress as a stimulus
c. interaction of stress as a response and stress as a stimulus
How can stress be defined? What is stress as a response? What is the general adaptation syndrome?
stress ~ individual state characterised by high arousal and displeasure e.g.
as a response ~ Seyle first to identify it as an underlying symptom of disease
GAS ~ general adaptation syndrome (general to all kinds of stressors)
phase 1 → alarm reaction during which resources are mobilised (resistance to stressor goes down)
phase 2 → resistance during which our body defends itself and we cope with the stressor
phase 3 → exhaustion during which reserves are depleted (can lead to death)
=> Seyle’s experiment w/rats (injected w/poison)
What is stress as a stimulus?
The Holmes & Rahe Life Stress Inventory (theory of stressful life events)
→ examined medical records trying to see the link between life events and illness
~ stress and/or illness depend on the life events people go through
BUT → ppl can experience the same events and have very different responses
What is stress as an interaction?
~ individual and situation interaction
Stress & coping theory (name?)
→ how appraisal and thoughts/beliefs about a situation can lead to stress
- experiments w/forestry videos ~ 3 conditions, same video, different context (real/fake/unspecified)
→ when ambiguous, ppl experience the most stress
What is transactional model?
transactional model
- stimulus coming from an environment is perceived by a person and
i. primary appraisal ~ stressor interpreted either as positive, dangerous, or irrelevant
ii. secondary appraisal ~ if interpreted as dangerous, then available resources are analysed as insufficient or sufficient
iii. if resources are insufficient → stress
iv. coping ~ either problem (change of situation) or emotion (change of how we relate to the situation) focused
v. reappraisal ~ pacing and learning (feedback loop)
→ doesn’t specify what the stressor can be
What is coping and what are the two types of it?
problem focused ~ we change the situation (e.g., walk away)
emotion focused ~ we change how we relate to the situation (e.g., choose to not feel bothered by it)
Is stress good or bad?
eustress~ beneficial stress
distress ~ negative stress w/negative outcomes
generally an adaptive reaction (high arousal, fight/flight/freeze, coping w/stressor, …) → usually comes in situations where there is a lot at stake, no escape is possible (even seemingly) and there is uncertainty about outcomes
chronic stress is very bad
What is the job-characteristics model?
5 core job dimensions (relate to job satisfaction, performance, stress)
i. skill variety
ii. task identity (how specific the task is, does it have a meaning in itself)
iii. task significance (is it meaningful to the world outside)
iv. autonomy
v. feedback
→ when those are fulfilled, lower chance of (di)stress
→ individual differences depending on what people care about
What is the job-demand control model? What are the strain & active learning hypotheses?
~ work stress influenced mainly by job decision latitude and job demands
4 types of jobs
i. passive jobs
ii. low strain jobs
iii. active jobs
iv. high strain jobs
→ best to be on the boarder of low strain and active jobs where the demands are moderate to low and decision latitude is quite high
hypotheses
i. strain hypothesis ~ job demands can form a risk for stress and can be detrimental for health (control can buffer the stress)
ii. active learning hypothesis ~ workers have more control, therefore have to make more decisions themselves, which makes them more motivated to learn and to find new behavioural patterns
→ low control is more likely than high demands to lead to more stress and worse health
What is the job-demands resources model?
~ most widely studied and used to explain work-related stress
motivational vs health impairment process (also influence each other) → job resources are an important buffer to stress
→ not very specific model
What is the effort-reward imbalance model? What is overcommitment?
~ how do we balance our efforts (what we put into our work and our motivation for it) and the rewards we get from it (pay, non-material rewards as well)
→ when disturbed, stress occurs
overcommitment ~ when it is high, we tend to deliver more than is expected, which leads to imbalance and therefore more stress
imbalance usually maintained when → there is no alternative, when it is strategic (short-term, internship, …), or because of the overcommitment
What are the two systems at work in stress?
i. immediate response ~ SAM system (sympathetic adrenal medullary system)
→ fight/flight/freeze
→prepares us for physical stressors (not as adequate for other stressors that are more part of our lives nowadays)
ii. HPA system (hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis)
→a bit slower
→ triggered by cortisol (released by adrenal glands) that releases energy stored in glucose and fatty acids
How does HPA axis work?
how
stressor → hippocampus → hypothalamus → anterior pituitary gland → ACTH released through our blood → adrenal cortex → cortisol release → feeds back to hippocampus when there is enough to inhibit it again
cortisol → increases the level of energy in the body (via glucose & fatty acids from the liver)
- its level increases naturally after we wake up, gradually decreasing as the day goes on
- high levels → suppress our immune system and impact hippocampus negatively (less able to learn, remember, …)
GAS (general adaptation syndrome)
- also focused on the HPA axis
- first better able to deal with the stressor but after a while we get exhausted
What is the effort recovery model?
~ if acute stress and not enough time to recover → suboptimal condition due to not optimal recovery → trying to compensate for that → even more stress on our body → cumulation (cumulative load effect) → can lead to chronic problems
what is the allostatic-load theory?
~ if our stress and immune system are not back to baseline (not enough rest/recovery), then stress system stays overly active and immune system not active enough (allostatic load) which can lead to chronic health problems
How does stress lead to health problems?
a. stress reactivity ~ during exposure, when prolonged leads to higher levels of glucose & fatty acids etc. which are unhealthy for us
b. stress recovery ~ when recovery is not complete after the exposure → no return to baseline → making overall health worse
How is stress related to cardiovascular disease?
high levels of workload stress → 10-40% higher risk of coronary heart disease (not w/cancer though)
What are the two types of recovery?
a. internal ~ recovery at work (can potentially reduce the load effects - stress/fatigue)
b. external ~ can be a buffer to the load effects outside of work
What is prolonged activation?
~ stress can be there even if the stressor is not immediately present (thinking about it, reliving it, …)
→ how we think about stress plays a role and can be an important buffer
How are emotions related to stress recovery?
~ positive emotions affect the recovery positively (and vice versa) bc
i. override the negative emotions
ii. calm down the physiological response
iii. reappraisal/bigger picture
What are the differences between workaholics and nonworkaholics?
work addiction scale ~ used to measure workaholism
comparison
i. the amount of hours worked are not different (reduced during holidays, going up afterwards again)
ii. rumination is higher for workaholics → detachment is lower for them
iii. well-being is lower for workaholics (feel less good about the work they’ve done, rumination, …)
overtime
- only high levels have harmful effects
- when the work is healthy and enjoyable, we choose to do overtime and when there is proper compensation it is okay
What does active work lead to?
How does internal recovery happen? What are the strategies for it?
a. adequate work-rest arrangements ~ planning of shifts w/enough time to rest and recover
b. healthy job design ~ demanding but doable, sufficient decision latitude (control)
→ adapting task demands (pace)
→ switching the levels of processing and tasks (skills & rule based vs knowledge based; variety)
→ ask for help, plan breaks (social support; control)
What is the best work-rest schedule?
~ usual vs relaxation vs walk in the park (walk was the best)
How are meta and macro recovery different?
meta ~ recovery in-between work periods (e.g. evenings off)
macro ~ longer recovery periods (e.g., weekends, holidays, …)
→ passive relief from exposure to stressors
→ actively spending time on enjoyable activities that are energising
What is the diffrernce between intensive and normal workday of driving examiners?
~ recovery is slower after an intensive work-day, adrenaline levels stay up higher for longer
~ when adrenaline goes lower, less people pass the exams
How does sleep relate to stress?
~ one of the most important external recovery strategies
→ has a stimulating effect on hippocampus (enhances information processing, learning, and memory)
→ helps physiological recovery of the endocrine processes
→ good for the immune system
How is active living related to stress?
a. effective distraction (reduces rumination, enhances internal state)
b. feel-good-effect ~ self-efficacy & brain hormones (antidepressant effect)
c. better physiological recovery from stress
d. use of extra energy (that might be there due to stress)
e. better sleep
What is the running therapy study?
~ ppl w/high fatigue scores divided into 3 running groups → lower fatigue in the running therapy group
→ less burnout, less fatigue, more recovery, better sleep, better cognitive functioning (sustained attention)
How can different kinds of stressors be countered?
a. prolonged exposure → active leisure time
b. rumination, negative emotions → detachment, positive emotions
Who is responsible for stress? (dual responsibility) What is the role of employees and employers?
~ dual responsibility → both employee and employer are responsible (the employer and supervisors maybe a bit more)
work-directed measures → first priority (how can stress be prevented by making a healthier work environment)
worker-directed measures → second priority
What are the 3 types of intervention purposes?
a. primary organisation focused interventions
- higher effectiveness due to dealing w/the root of the stressor
b. secondary person focused interventions
- resilience/relaxation/time management/stress management training
c. tertiary person focused interventions
- used when the problem is already there, more costly
- e.g., therapy, rehabilitation, …
What is locus of control?
~ people’s belief about their ability to control reinforcements in their environment
how is the field of human factors also called and what is it?
~ ergonomics or engineering psychology
→ the design of the physical environment to make jobs safer and easier
what is organisational citizenship behaviour?
~ beyond the core task requirements of the job e.g, altruism and compliance
how can burnout be defined and how does it relate to the employee health?
~ psychological distress due to the job leading to emotional exhaustion, low work motivation, and little energy and enthusiasm for the job.
→ absence, fatigue, not being nice to others, hostility, poor performance, worse health overall
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Flashcard (32)