EXAM 4

  1. Define stress. What is the difference between stress and stressors?

- Stress: Your internal reaction to that trigger (e.g., your racing heart, sweaty palms, or feeling of anxiety). Stressor: The external event or trigger (e.g., a huge exam, a car accident, or a flat tire). Think of it this way: the stressor is the cause, and stress is the effect.

  1. Understand that there is good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress).

- Eustress (Good Stress): This is positive stress that is challenging but manageable. It acts as a motivator and energizer.

Distress (Bad Stress): This is negative stress that feels overwhelming or beyond your ability to cope. It is often what people mean when they simply say they are "stressed.

3. What are the following two scales?

o the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

o the College Undergraduate Stress Scale

- Both the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) and the College Undergraduate Stress Scale (CUSS) are psychometric tools designed to quantify the amount of stress an individual has experienced by assigning numerical values to specific life events.

  1. Acute stressors are things like car accidents.  What is chronic stress and how is that different from chronic stress? What are some examples of chronic stressors? Understand those examples.

- Acute Stress: This is short-term and intense. It’s the "sudden" stress that comes and goes quickly.

  • The Difference: Once the event is over (the car accident is cleared, the exam is finished), your body returns to its normal state fairly fast.

  • Chronic Stress: This is long-term and grinding. It is a state of constant arousal where the body never gets a clear signal to return to "normal."

    • The Difference: Unlike acute stress, chronic stress wears down your body’s systems over months or years because there is no recovery period.

  1. DeLongis et al. proposed the effect of daily hassles and uplifts regards their effect on stress levels.  Understand this concept.

- DeLongis and colleagues shifted the focus from major life events (like moving or marriage) to the small, everyday occurrences that shape our mood and health.

  1. Conflicts are a major source of stress. What are meant by the following types of conflict and how do they differ from each other?

- Psychological conflict occurs when you are pulled in two or more directions by opposing goals. Here are the four types, categorized by whether the options are "good" (approach) or "bad" (avoidance):

  1. What is the flight-or-fight response? What is the role of hormones like the catecholamine adrenaline?

- The fight-or-flight response is your body's immediate, involuntary reaction to a perceived threat. It is an evolutionary survival mechanism designed to prepare you to either confront the danger (fight) or run away from it (flight) . When your brain perceives a stressor, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in and triggers the adrenal glands to flood your bloodstream with adrenaline (also known as epinephrine). This hormone acts as a chemical "turbocharge" for your body.

  1. Know the HPA axis (hypothalamus to pituitary to adrenal cortex) that responds to stress.

- While the fight-or-flight response is your body’s "sprint" system, the HPA axis is its "marathon" system. It is a slower, more sustained hormonal pathway that helps the body stay on high alert. 

  1. Hans Selye proposed the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). Know the three stages.

- Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) describes the predictable way the body responds to prolonged stress. He argued that no matter what the stressor is, the body goes through these three specific stages:

  1. What are lymphocytes?

-Lymphocytes are specialized white blood cells that make up a core part of your immune system.

  1. What is psychoneuroimmunology?

- Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is the specialized field of study that looks at how your mind (psychological factors), your brain (nervous system), and your immune systemall work together. 

  1. How do alcohol and smoking affect your help?

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  1. What is cortisol?

- Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. It is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal glands) as the final step of the HPA axis response.

  1. How does arousal theory help to explain when some seek stressful events?

- Arousal theory suggests that everyone has an "optimal level" of excitement or alertness that they try to maintain. If we are too bored, we look for stimulation; if we are too overwhelmed, we look for calm.

  1. What is burnout?

- Burnout is a state of total physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in demanding situations (usually work or caregiving).

  1. What do health psychologists seek to understand?

- Health psychologists seek to understand the interplay between biology, psychology, and social factors on health and illness—a framework known as the Biopsychosocial Model.

  1. When do we need to cope?  What are primary and secondary appraisals for stress?

- We need to cope whenever we perceive that a situation or stressor exceeds our personal resources and taxes our ability to handle it. Coping is the process of managing those internal or external demands.

Primary Appraisal

This is the initial evaluation of a situation. You ask yourself: "Is this a threat?

If you decide the event is a threat, you move to this stage. You ask yourself: "Can I handle this?"

  1. What is the difference between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping?

- Problem focused coping - This strategy involves dealing directly with the stressor to eliminate it or reduce its impact. You use this when you feel you have control over the situation. Emotion focused coping-This strategy involves managing your emotional response to the stressor rather than changing the stressor itself. You use this when you feel you have little or no control over the situation.

  1. Does personality play a role in stress and health?

- Yes, personality plays a significant role in both how we experience stress and how it affects our long-term health. Certain personality traits can act as either a buffer against stress or a risk factor for disease.

  1. Know the three C’s of hardiness.

- commitment ; Hardy individuals have a strong sense of purpose. They are deeply involved in their work, relationships, and hobbies.

- control: This is the belief that you can influence the events in your life. Hardy people don’t feel like helpless victims of fate; they believe their actions matter.

- challenge: Hardy people view change and stress as an opportunity for growth rather than a threat to their security.

  1. What is the difference between Internal and External Locus of Control?

- Internal Locus of Control: You believe that you are responsible for what happens to you. You feel that your hard work, choices, and skills determine your outcomes.

External Locus of Control: You believe that outside forces—like luck, fate, powerful others, or "the system"—determine what happens to you.

  1. What are some ways to manage and reduce stress? 

  1. Physical strategies

  2. Mental and behavioral strategies

  3. Social and lifestyle strategies