PSY805 midterm 1

distress

negative stress

eustress

positive stress

acute stress

lasts minutes to hours

sub chronic stress

lasts days to less than 1 month

chronic stress

lasts months to years

stimulus model of stress

stress is external to the individual, stress is something that occurs in the environment and makes a demand upon the individual

Response Model of Stress

focuses on the individual's experience (they are suffering from stress). Stress is internal to the individual.

the transactional model of stress

stress is a transaction between a person and their envronment.

what does the transactional model of stress say that stress involves?

1. the external stimulus which places a demand upon the individual
2. the individual's response to the demand
3. the outcome or the individual's adaptation to the situation

what does the response model of stress say that stress is?

the observable behaviour, emotional or physical symptoms resulting from demands of the environment. Focuses on the way we deal with external events or demands.

what is the stress model most accepted in the field right now?

the transactional model of stress

what happens when the fit between the environmental demands and an individual's abilities is BAD

negative symptoms, stress and disease

who proposed the fight or flight response?

walter cannon

Homeostasis

the process of regulating our internal environments in response to our external environments to ensure optimal bodily functioning and optimal adaptiveness to life's demands.

biological model of minor stress

stressor --\> spike in physiological activity --\> homeostasis return to baseline

fight or flight theory of emotion

1. startle reaction
2. orientation reaction
3. physiological arousal
4. emotional response

James-lange theory of emotion

we experience physiological arousal first, then emotions. We're afraid BECAUSE our heart is racing and we are running.

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

our emotional experiences initiate our physical responses. We see the bear, we feel fear, which leads to physiological response.

Cognitive theory of emotion (Schachter)

we first feel physiological arousal, then through cognitive appraisal we emotionally and behaviourally respond.

2 factor theory of emotion

1. physiological arousal
2. cognitive interpretation (appraisal)

Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

General responses to a stressful event , A IS FOR ALARM R IS FOR RESISTANCE, E IS FOR EXHAUSTION (allostatic stage is in there too: cost paid when exposed to chronic stress)

general adaptation syndrome limitations

1. doesn't address physiological processes
2. proposes a universality to stressors and their effects

what does the stress response psychological model explain?

how the same event can cause distress in some people but excitement in others.

Lazurus and Folkman;s cognitive model of stress and coping

1. primary appraisal: evaluating the. relative significance of an event regarding its potential benefit or harm
2. secondary appraisal: evaluating one's coping resources and labeling accompanying emotion

stress:

subjective feeling produced by events that are uncontrollable and either perceived as threatening (bad) or challenging (good). the less control you have over a stressor the more distress you would experience.

reappraisal of stress:

changing meaning of events to reduce stress reaction

daily hassles

small irritants and pressures experienced in daily life

top 3 common daily hassles

weight, health of family member, rising prices

Biomedical model of health

Focuses on the physical or biological aspects of disease and illness.

biomedical model of health states that health and illness are:

dichotomous-states (either or)

biopsychosocial model of health

a model of health that integrates the effects of biological, behavioral, and social factors on health and illness

biopsychosocial model of health states that health and illness are:

on a continuum

biomedical model: cause of illness is

physical

biopsychosocial model: cause of illness is

physical, social, and psychological

behavioural pathogens

risk increasing behaviours

behavioural immunogens

health enhancing behaviours

biomedical model: relationship between mind and body

separate entities, treatment is only focused on body

biopsychosocial model: relationship between mind and body

integrated entities that interact with each other in a holistic manner, treatment is focused on both

biomedical model: responsibility for illness:

individuals are passive victims of illness

biomedical model: role of psychology in health and illness:

illness has psychological consequences but not causes

biopsychosocial model responsibility for illness:

individuals are NOT passive victims of illness, behaviour and lifestyle plays a role.

biopyschosocial model: role of psychology in health and illness:

psychological factors both AFFECT illness and are CONSEQUENCES of illness

when under stress, we tend to engage in:

behavioural pathogens

health psychology

the specialty in psychology that focuses on the interrelationships between psychological factors and physical health

individuals who experience more stress are more likely to experience:

more serious illnesses

true/false: does distress have an effect on life expectancy?

yes

the most effective way to manage stress is to:

live a healthy lifestyle

goal of stress management:

stay in an optimal zone of functioning and life satisfaction through the use of health-promoting strategies.

Yerkes-Dodson curve/law

identified a relationship between physiological arousal and performance. People do the best job when they are neither overstimulate nor understimulated for a long amount of time

according to the yerkes dodson curve, when does optimal performance occur??

in the green zone (mid level of excitement) of physiological arousal

what law is accepted as the basis for a physiological expanation of anxiety?

yerkes-dodson law

what is habituation in terms of the fight or flight response?

when repeated exposure to a stimulus results in no observable response due to having adjusted to it.

how does the central nervous system monitor bodily functions?

by picking up signals that indicate when any part of the body deviates from homeostatic stability.

an example of an autonomic/endocrine mechanism that restores homeostasis in the body if you are too hot

sweat

an example of behavioural responses to restore homeostasis in the body if you are too hot

opening a window

what axes are activated during the fight or flight response?

the sympathetic adrenal medula and the hypothalamic pituitary stress axis.

the sympathetic nervous system does what to the fight or flight response?

ACTIVATES IT

The parasympathetic nervous system does what to the fight or flight response?

reverses it/shuts it down

sympathetic and parasympathetic branches \----- each other

oppose

cerebral cortex

the outermost layer of the brain (grey matter)

gyrus (gyri)

the folds of brain in the cortex

sulcus (sulci)

grooves between gyri

are gyri in the brain random?

no

laterial vs medial

lateral: outside ,medial: inside

white matter of brain

consists of fibers that connect different regions of gray matter together, allowing them to communicate!

corpus collosum:

a large bundle of fibers connection the 2 cerebral hemispheres!

Where is the cingulate gyrus

medial left hemisphere

What does the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) do?

1. processes emotional info
2. extinguishes conditioned fear
3. regulating emotional responses

lateralization

cognitive function that relies more on one side of the brain than the other

what are the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex?

frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

what is the brainstem responsible for?

the vegetative functions of the body! heartbeat, respiration etc

what are the three parts of the brainstem?

midbrain, pons, medulla

what does the medulla do?

controls and regulates autonomic processes

what part of the brainstem is responsible for physiological responses during the fight or flight response such as increases in heartbeat?

medulla

Pons is latin for:

bridge

what does the pons do?

transmits information related to movement , connects the cerebral cortex to the cerebellum

what does the midbrain do?

controls and coordinates sensory and motor activities, plays a role in involuntary movement, controls the tracking of visual stimuli and reflexes that are triggered by sound.

Diencephalon: Thalamus

relay and processing centers for sensory information

Sensory information goes through the thalamus for initial processing and then to the\---- for further processing?

cortex

the thalamus has a distinct nucleus for each what?

sense organ!

what is the sensory projection system?

The circuit from a sense organ moving through the thalamus to its specific region in the neocortex responsible for the experience of sensation.

Diancephalon (Hypothalamus)

responsible for regulating internal bodily states

how does the hypothalamus regulate internal body states?

1. overseeing hormone release through connections with the pituitary gland
2. being involved in normal homeostatic regulation of the autonomic nervous system.

what is the hypothalamus's direct control over fight or flight response?

influences brainstem to activate the sympathetic responses of the viscera

what is the hypothalamus's indirect control over the fight or flight response?

through to connection to pituitary gland to stimulate the endocrine system

amygdala is part of the\--- system

limbic

What is the role of the amygdala?

mediating emotional responses (especially fear and anxiety), emotional memory formation and assessing threat stimuli, fear conditioning

what is the Hippocamus (limbic system) involved in?

encoding long term memories of declarative memories, plays a role in fear conditioning

how does fear conditioning work in the limbic system

hippocampus encodes the context, amygdala adds in the emotions

what is the emotional centre of the brain?

the limbic system

What does the limbic system include?

hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, thalamus, cingulate gyrus, parts of cerebral cortex, etc

the limbic system and its connections to the cortex help us form motivations to avoid: \--- and obtain\---- and remember \----

things that are dangerous, and obtain things that are needed for survival and remember motivationally relevant experiences for future references.

efferent neurons

neural pathways that send motor signals AWAY from the brain TO the periphery
* send information FROM motor areas of the cortex TO striated muscles to facilitate voluntary motor movement.

afferent neurons

neural pathways that send signals FROM the periphery TO the brain
* send sensory info from sense receptors to sensory areas of cortex

during the fight or flight response, the brain sends messaging through the \---- neurons to the \----- to tense to prepare for fighting/fleeing

efferent neurons to striated muscles

what is the command centre of the stress response?

paraventricular nucleus

PNS: Autonomic Nervous System

An INVOLUNTARY system. Innervates the body's viscera (organ system of the body)

endocrine system

a system of organs and glands that secrete hormones into our bloodstream which act as biochemical messengers to their target cells and organs.

Where is the paraventricular nucleus located?

hypothalamus

Where are the adrenal glands located?

on top of the kidneys