Stress and Emotion

Modules 41-44 and 83-84

define stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging

what are the three types of stress?

catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles

what triggers the outpour of stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine in a fight or flight scenario?

extreme cold, lack of oxygen, emotion-arousing events

what are the four components of stress?

1. cognitive appraisal
2. physiological response
3. subjective feelings
4. behavior

define cognitive appraisal (component of stress)

consciously and unconsciously evaluating the stressor and your resources before coping with it

define physiological response (component of stress)

“butterflies” in the stomach, tense muscles

define subjective feelings (component of stress)

fear, frustration, and anger

define behavior

aggression, crying, running away

during a fight or flight scenario, what does the sympathetic nervous system do?

increase heart rate and respiration, dulls feelings of pain and releases sugar and fat from body’s stores

what happens to the individual during a fight or flight scenario?

they get ready to fight or run away from stressor

which brain structures are involved in the fight or flight scenario?

amygdala and hypothalamus

what does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

brings your body back down (heart rate, etc); calms you down and brings you back to normal

what does the sympathetic nervous system do?

prepares body to deal with stressor

what are the three phases of Seyle’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

1. Phase 1 (alarm reaction)
2. Phase 2 (resistance)
3. Phase 3 (exhaustion)

describe phase one of GAS

alarm reaction: sympathetic nervous system is activated and the hypothalamus sends messages to hormones (adrenaline) and endorphins and to automatic nervous system (elevates heart rate, respiration rate)

describe phase 2 of GAS

resistance: parasympathetic nervous systems tries to calm you down and return to homeostasis; adrenal glands slow production of hormones

describe phase 3 of GAS

exhaustion: body overcompensates and provides you with more adrenaline; your immune system becomes suppressed and more susceptible to becoming sick (your body is tired)

why does one often become sick during the exhaustion stage of GAS

since your body can only take and produce so much adrenaline at one time, your body becomes tired and your immune system becomes suppresses

what is hans selye’s basic point about GAS?

prolonged stress can damage the human body

in response to a stressor, what do stress hormones produce?

fever, listlessness, depression, and negative emotions which can prolong sickness

when is tend and befriend demonstrated?

in the outpouring of help after natural disasters

describe an example of tend and befriend

inviting friends over to watch the summer i turned pretty after a hard math test

why do women most commonly follow the tend and befriend pattern?

women produce more oxytocin (the cuddle hormone) and respond to stress by nurturing and bonding together

what are the hormones involved in a stress response?

epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol

what is cortisol?

a stress hormone that increases glucose in the blood and limits non-essential systems like the immune and digestive systems

give examples of psychophysiological illnesses

headaches and hypertension

list the 4 cells active in a healthy immune system

B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, macrophage, and natural killer cells

what do B lymphocytes do?

BATTLE BACTERIA by releasing antibodies

what do T lymphocytes do? (think TV)

BATTLE VIRUSES

what do macrophages do?

identify, pursue and ingest harmful invaders and worn out cells

what are the two main parts of the immune system?

lymphocytes and macrophages

in a physiological sense, why is an individual more susceptible to sickness when they are stressed?

stress responses divert energy from disease-fighting immune system and sends them to muscles and brain

what can happen if an immune system overreacts?

it can attack body’s own tissues which can result in arthritis, etc

what happens if an immune system underreacts?

it may allow for dormant herpes virus to erupt or cancer cells to multiply

what are the 4 primary ways to look at conflict?

1. approach-approach
2. approach-avoidance
3. avoidance-avoidance
4. multiple approach-avoidance

describe approach-approach (way to look at conflict)

CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO EQUALLY ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS (i could get either pizza or pasta. which one?

describe approach-avoidance (way to look at conflict)

AN OPTION HAS APPEALING AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS (hoco would be fun! but its expensive…)

describe avoidance-avoidance (way to look at conflict)

CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO EQUALLY UNAPPEALING OPTIONS (i could either get fish or pork chop)

describe multiple approach-avoidance (way to look at conflict)

CHOOSE BETWEEN OPTIONS THAT HAVE MANY ATTRACTIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS TO THE CHOICE (which college should i choose? there’s so many factors.)

what is AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

an immune disorder caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

describe the relationship between men and AIDS

HIV men who experience stressful events exhibit greater immune suppression and travel a faster course in this disease

explain the result of the lab in which rodents were injected with tumor cells (carcinogens)

rodents became more prone to developing cancer (tumors developed sooner and faster)

describe the relationship between stress and heart disease

stress increases vulnerability to heart diseases as clotting and cholesterol levels rise to dangerous levels before deadline

define type A personalities

most reactive, competitive, hard-driving, impatient, easily angered

provide an example of a type A personality

amy (brooklyn 99) and hermione granger (harry potter)

define type B personalities

more easily going, relaxed

provide an example of a type B personality

jake peralta (brookyn 99) and phoebe buffay (friends)

why do stress hormones enhance the production of proteins that contribute to inflammation?

inflammation fights infections and recruits infection-fighting cells

describe pessimists

individuals who expect things to go badly (squidward, carl fredricksen)

describe optimists

individuals who usually expect the best (rapunzel, spongebob)

how do optimists handle stress in comparison to pessimists?

optimists have more control and respond to stress with smaller increases in blood pressure

defne social support

feeling liked and encouraged by intimate friends and family (promotes both happiness and health)

explain the relationship between social support and health

social support calms us and reduces blood pressure and stress hormones, fosters stronger immune functioning, and gives people a chance to confide painful feelings

explain the relationship between pets and health

pets have been found to relieve depression among AIDS patients, lower level of blood pressure / lipids that contribute to cardiovascular risk, and have increased odds of surviving heart attack

how does exercise fight heart disease?

by strengthening heart, increasing bloodflow, keeping blood vessels open and lowering blood pressure

describe the impact of exercise on the brain

exercising can boost serotonin production, increase the volume of brain and create new neurons, increase brain cells in the hippocampus (part of the brain tied to long-term memory)

explain the relationship between exercise and stress

exercising can reduce stress / depression / anxiety by increasing arousal state (counteracts depressions low arousal state), lead to muscle relaxation and sounder sleep, enhance self-image, and finally increases energy

explain the relationship between relaxation/meditation on stress

relaxation procedures can alleviate headaches, hypertension, anxiety, and insomnia

which hemisphere is associated with positive emotions

left

explain the relationship between faith communities and health

religiously active people tend to live longer than non-religiously active people

why do religiously active people tend to live longer than non-religiously active people?

religion promotes SELF CONTROL (tend to have healthier lifestyles) and encourages marriage (are there for each other when misfortune strikes)

what are the 3 main elements of emotions?

bodily arousal (heart pounding), expressive behaviors (quickened pace), and conscious experience (incl. panic and thoughts)

describe the james lange theory (JALOPY)

events trigger physical reaction then emotion

provide an example of the james lange theory

if you see a lion coming at you, your heart rate increases then you realize that you’re afraid

describe the cannon-bard theory

events trigger emotional feeling and physical response at the same time (simultaneously)

provide an example that demonstrates the cannon-bard theory

if you watch a scary movie, you feel fear AND a racing heartbeat at the same time

describe the schachter-singer two factor theory

the theory that an emotion-arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers physiological responsiveness and the subjective experience of emotion

provide an example of schachter-singer two factor theory

when you are called to present in front of the class, you start sweating as you present and when you look back, you cognitively label this feeling as “nervousness”

describe the opponent-process theory

initial reactions to emotional events or stimuli are followed by the opposite reaction over time or when that stimuli is removed.

provide an example of the opponent-process theory

think about a rollercoaster. at first, you’re scared and not so much excited. but after a few turns, the scared diminishes and the excited gets stronger

describe the spill-over effect

tendency of one’s emotions to affect how other people feel around them

provide an example of the spill-over effect

becoming happy if the other person in happy

describe high road emotions

complex feelings like hatred and love follow this path

explain the pathway of high road emotions

stimulus -→ thalamus -→ sensory cortex -→ prefrontal cortex -→ amygdala -→ response

what is the amygdala?

emotion-control center

what is the function of the cortex?

for analysis then transmission to amygdala

describe low road emotions

simple likes, dislikes, and fears

explain the pathway of low road emotions

stimulus -→ thalamus -→ amygydala -→ response

what does the sympathetic division of your automatic nervous system do in response to stress?

mobilizes your body for action -→ directs adrenal glands to release epinephrine and norepinephrine

describe the yerkes-dodson law

arousal affects performance

provide an example of the yerkes-dodson law

little arousal (when sleepy) during a test can be disruptive

which part of the brain is activated when we experience social emotions like pride, lust and disgust?

the insula

which side of the prefrontal cortex tends to be more active when negative emotions are experienced?

right

describe the position of the baseline frontal lobe activity of upbeat people

it tilts left or is made to tilt left by perceptual activity

why are polygraphs considered unreliable ways to detect liars?

physiological arousal is basically the same from one emotion to another (anxiety and irriation/guilt show similar physical activity) and innocent people respond with heightened tension to the accusations being implied

what are the 7 basic emotions?

sadness, fear, anger, disgust, contempt, happiness, and surprise

what are the two distinct emotion processing systems?

unconscious and conscious

describe the unconscious processing system

operate quickly and relies on deep brain circuitry that operates automatically

describe the conscious processing system

slower and relies primarily on cerebral cortex

which system is useful in “fight or flight response”

limbic

what occurs in the limbic system?

the amygdala is the center for fear and receives messages from quick and slow pathways

what is the reticular formation?

the brain’s early warning system

what occurs in the reticular formation when a thread is detected?

it raises blood pressure, increases respiration, and muscles become more tense

which part of the brain plays a role in conscious emotion?

the cerebral cortex

what occurs in the cerebral cortex?

events are interpreted and is associated with memories

describe the facial feedback effect

the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness

provide an example that follows the facial feedback effect

smiling makes an individual feel happier

define catharsis

the idea that releasing aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges

provide an example of catharsis

venting to a friend or using art to express emotions

why does catharsis usually fail to cleanse rage? (provide an example)

expressing anger breeds more anger (laid off workers expressed more hostility when they answered questions about unfairness in the workplace than those that didnt)