STRESS PSYC_002

Stimulus-based stress

Stimulus-based stress

a demanding, challenging, or threatening event or situation

Response-based stress

physiological responses that occur when faced with demanding or threatening situations

Stimulus-based + Response-based =

process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events that the individual appraises (judges) as overwhelming or threatening to their well-being

Stress

a physical and mental response to a challenging or threatening situation

Stressor

A stressful stimulus or situation demanding adaptation

Appraisal

The way you evaluate events that happen to you

Cognitive Appraisals (primary/secondary)

Primary appraisal: judgement about the degree of potential 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.

Health Psychology

studies psychological influences on health, illness, and how people respond when they become ill

Three Categories of Stress

Physiological: stress on the body

Psychological: stress from (interpretation of) life events

Sociocultural: stress from forces that affect social/cultural groups

Response to a Normal Stressor

physical response to a normal stressor is universal

• initiation of arousal

• protective behavioral reaction (fight or flight)

• internal response of the autonomic nervous system

• decrease in the effectiveness of the immune system

Nervous system

Autonomic Nervous System

Sympathetic Division

• control functions that accompany arousal and expenditure of energy

Parasympathetic Division

• controls functions that occur during a relaxed state (digest)

Automatic Nervous System : controls self regulated actions of internal organs and glands

Somatic : controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles

Arousal

The more rapid pulse, the deeper breathing, the increase of sugar in the blood, the secretion from the adrenal glands, were very diverse and seemed unrelated

• Walter Cannon

Walter Cannon

Flight or Fight response

• psychological reaction that occurs when an individual encounters a perceived threat

• activation of the sympathetic nervous system and endocrine system

• adaptive response in preparation for effort/energy expenditure

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Sympathetic Nervous System

The HPA Axis

H : Hypothalamus

P : Pituitary Gland

A : Adrenal Cortex

Sympathetic and HPA Interaction

Types of Stress

Acute Stress

• temporary pattern of stressor-activated arousal with a distinct onset, and limited duration (SHORT TERM STRESS)

Chronic Stress

• continues state of stressful arousal, persisting over time (LONG TERM STRESS)

Effects of Stress

Physiological

• accelerated heat rate, headaches, gastrointestinal problems

Cognitive

• difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Behavior

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

General Adaptation Syndrome

pattern of physical responses to any serious chronic stressor

Alarm Reactions

• body mobilizes its resources to cope with a stressor

Resistance

• body seems to adapt to the presence of the stressor

Exhaustion

• body depletes its resources

Physiological Effects of Stress

Cortisol

• helps body respond to brief stress

• chronically high level damage the body

Stress as a Sudden Emergency

• temp immune system repression makes sense

• immune responses consume energy

• stress results in a rapid mobilization of energy

• infection doesn’t matter if you don’t escape

• adrenal steroids also suppress inflammation

Prolonged Stress Response

• produces symptoms similar to depression

• weakens the immune system

• harms hippocampus

• ^toxins or overstimulation damage or kills neurons

Stress = increase risk of disease

Stress and Health

Psychoneuroimmunology - interaction of immune system with CNS and Behavior

• stressful exams reduce the immune system

• dental study = stress reduces body ability to heal

Stress & Immune Function (Cohen, 1998)

• Interviews 276 healthy volunteers about recent stressful experiences

• given nasal drops w/ cold virus

• participants who reported experiencing chronic stressors more than one month were more likely to develop colds than those who reported no chronic stressors

Stress & Aging

• stress can shorten telomeres (protect ends of chromosomes)

• may inhibit cell division/growth and proliferation of new cells, causing rapid again

• shorter in adults who experienced more trauma as childrenN

Negative Affectivity

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

Hypertension

• High blood pressure.

• caused by stressors (job strains, marital conflict, natural disasters, and negative affectivity)

• forces heart to pump harder increasing physical strain

Heart Attack Symptoms

Males:

• lightheadedness

• perspiration

• chest pain and pressure

• stomach pain

• shortness of breath

Females:

• dizziness

• anxiety

• back and neck pain

• shortness of breath

• nausea and vomiting

Type A and Type B personalities

Type A: extremely competitive, intensely driven, impatient, rushed, and hostile toward others

Type B: tend to be relaxed and laid back

one of the most important factors in the development of heart disease is the hostility dimension of Type A

Asthma

• chronic disease of inflamed and narrowed airways

• stressful experiences linked to developing asthma

• expecting symptoms may lead to symptoms

• often occur during periods of high or negative emotions

Perceived Control

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

• has major implications for health and happiness

• lower reactivity to stressors in daily life

Perceived Level of Control Experiment

• executive and subordinate rats received shocks which the executive was able to turn off for both

• subordinate did not have control over the shock which created more stress and health issues

Learned Helplessness

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

• MARTIN SELIGMAN (1967) : dogs placed in a chamber where they received electric shocks from which they could not escape. When given the opportunity to escape shock, most did not try.

Catastrophic Events

• situation that threatens yours or others physical safety and promotes a feeling of helplessness.

• certain events go beyond a “normal” stressor

Response to Catastrophic Situations

Five stages:

Psychic Numbness

• shock, confusion, lack of understanding

Automatic Action

• little awareness of the experience, poor memory/recall

Communal Effort

• people work together, but with little planning

Letdown

• setting in of the magnitude and impact of situation

Recovery

• survivor adapt to changes caused by the disaster.

Epigenetics, Stress & Violence

• change in the expression of a gene (turning on or off)

• early abuse or severe trauma may reduce the ability to handle stress and increase emotional reactivity

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• prolonged pattern of stress symptoms following trauma which are commonly associated with but not limited to : combat, assault, torture

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Behaviors

• agitation, irritability, hostility, hyper-vigilance, self-destructive behavior, social isolation

Psychological

• flashback, fear, severe anxiety, mistrust

Mood

• inability to feel pleasure, guilt, loneliness

Sleep

• insomnia/nightmares

Also common

• emotional detachment or unwanted thoughts

Resilience

• ability to tolerate and thrive in stressful circumstances

• protective factors are resources that help people cope more effectively

Resilience

• responses to stress may vary

• early life stress can increase or decrease resilience to later stress

• genes

• social support

• physical health

• previous stressful experiences