Health Psych Ch 3

stress

a psychobiological process that reflects the interaction of a person with the environment

occurs when a person perceives a discrepancy between the physical or psychological demands of a situation and the resources of their biological, psychological, or social systems

stressor

physically or psychologically challenging event/circumstance that threatens, exceeds, or harms a person’s physical and/or psychological health

strain

the psychological and physiological response to a stressor

Lazarus 1999

stress is a transaction between a persona and the environment

transactional model of stress

whether an event is perceived as stressful is based on how a person appraises the situation

transactions involve an assessment process called cognitive appraisal

cognitive appraisal

a mental process by which people assess two factors

primary

cognitive process people use in assessing the meaning of an event for their well-being

(whether a demand threatens their physical or psychological well-being)

secondary

cognitive process people use to assess their resources to meet the demand

primary cognitive appraisal

how does this event/situation/circumstance affect me?

• irrelevant

• good (benign positive)

• stressful(harm-loss, threat, challenge)

harm-loss

amount of damage that has already occurred (ex. being in pain after injury)

threat

anticipated har (ex. when hospital patients contemplate rehab, bills, loss of income)

challenge

opportunity for growth, mastery, or profit (ex. offered s high level job)

secondary cognitive appraisal

what types of resources do I have and are they sufficient to meet the har,, threat, or challenge i am facing?

• evaluate resources and decide how to react

• when we appraise our resources as sufficient to meet the demands, then we experience little or no stress

biological aspect of stress

reactivity: physiological response to a stressor

sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis

Selye’s General Adaption Syndrome

Selye’s General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)

1) alarm reaction

2) stage of resistance

3) stage of exhaustion

alarm reaction

SNS and HPA axis

body is mobilized to defend against the stressor

stage of resistance

HPA axis predominates

arousal remains high as body tires to defend against and adapt to the stressor

stage of exhaustion

less energy and immunity

resources are very limited; ability to resist may collapse

vulnerable to diseases of adaptation

fast-acting pathway

sympathetic nervous system

hypothalamus → sends neural message to sympathetic through spinal cord → sympathetic is activated and stimulates medulla of adrenal gland → epinephrine is released in circulatory system

slow-acting pathway

HPA axis

hypothalamus → releases CRH into pituitary gland → releases ACTH into cortex of adrenal gland → releases cortisol into circulatory system

allostatic load

the cumulative physiological effect of chronic stress over time

4 factors are important

amount of exposure, magnitude of reactivity, rate of recovery, resource restoration

4 factors of physiological stress

amount of exposure

when we encounter more frequent, intense, or prolonged stressors, we’re likely to respond with a greater total amount off physiological activation

magnitude of reactivity

there are individual differences in reactivity (ex. BP changes) to the same stressor

rate of recovery

there are individual differences in how quickly physiological responses return to normal after a stressor (ex. rumination delays recovery)

resource restoration

sleep helps replenish resources

psychosocial aspects of stress

cognition, emotion, social behaviors, sociocultural factors

cognition

high levels of stress can affect memory and attention

emotion

stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and anger

hormones

stressors are most likely to trigger the release of large amounts of stress ___ if a person has strong emotional response

social behaviors

stress changes people’s behavior toward others (ex. more hostile, less sociable)

sociocultural factors

being a member of a socially disadvantaged group increases exposure to stressors and stress related health problems

Yerkes-Dodson Law

performance increases with stress but only to a certain point

physiological arousal

stress may be measured by assessing a person’s ____

physiological stress measures

blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, galvanic skin response, hormone and neurotransmitter levels (cortisol/epinephrine), neuroimaging

individual, family, and community (society)

3 major stressful life events

social readjustment rating scale (SRRS)

measure of 43 stressors

primary source: CHANGE

perceived stress level = total score

death of spouse, divorce, marital separation, jail term, death of close family, personal injury or illness, marriage, fired at work, marital reconciliation, retirement

top 10 stressful life events

daily hassles

the irritating, frustrating, distressing demands that to some degree characterize everyday transactions with the environment

weight, health of family, rising costs, home maintenance, too many things, misplacing and losing, yard work, property investments taxes, crime, physical appearance

top daily hassles