1
Q
Stress has 2 components:
A
- Physical, involving direct material or bodily challenge
- Psychological, involving how individuals perceive circumstances in their lives
2
Q
Examining stress components: Method 1
A
- Focus on the environment
- Stress seen as a stimulus
3
Q
Stressor
Examining stress components: Method 1
A
physically or psychologically challenging events or circumstances
4
Q
Examining stress components: Method 2
A
- Focus on people’s reactions
- Stress as a response
5
Q
Strain
Examining stress components: Method 3
A
The psychological and physiological response to a stressor
6
Q
Examining stress components: Method 3
A
- Focus on the person and environment
- Describes stress as a process that includes stressors and strains
7
Q
Transactions
Examining stress components: Method 3
A
- Continuous interactions and adjustments with the person and environment each affecting and being affected by the other
- Assessing demands, resources, and discrepancies between them
8
Q
Stress:
A
The circumstance in which transactions lead a person to perceive a discrepency between the physical psychological demands of a situation and the resources of one’s biological and psychological or social systems
9
Q
A demand, resource, discrepancy can be _ or _
A
real or believed
10
Q
– Components of Definition of Stress –
A
11
Q
Resources
A
Stress taxes the person’s biopsychosocial resources for coping with difficult events of circumstances
12
Q
Demands
A
refers to the amount of our resources the stressor appears to require
13
Q
Discrepancy
A
Where there is a poor fit, or a mismatch, between the demands of the situation and the resources of the person
14
Q
Stress generally involves an assessment process (Lazarus + others) called…
A
Cognitive appraisal – a mental process by which people assess two factors: primary and secondary appraisal
15
Q
Primary appraisal
A
In a stressful circumstance, assessing the meaning of the situation for our wellbeing
16
Q
Primary appraisal yields 3 judgements:
A
- It is irrelevant (e.g. if you had similar symptoms that weren’t followed by illness)
- It is good (“benign positive”; e.g. if you wanted to skip work)
- It is stressful (if you feared the symptoms were of a serious illness; e.g. botulism)
17
Q
Circumstances we appraise as stressful receive further appraisal for 3 implications:
A
- Harm loss
- Threat
- Challenge
18
Q
Harm-loss
A
The amount of damage that has already occured, e.g. when someone is incapacitated and in pain following a serious injury
19
Q
Threat
A
expectation of future harm - e.g. anticipating rehab process after serious injury
20
Q
Challenge
A
opportunity to achieve growth, mastery, or profit by using more than routine resources meet a demand
21
Q
Appraisals might not relate to us directly; can influence us when the transaction is…
A
- Vicarious
- e.g. if we see other people in stressful circumstances
22
Q
Secondary appraisal
A
- our assessment of the resources we have available for coping
- we’re especially aware of this in stressful situations
23
Q
– What factors lead to stressful appraisals –
A
24
Q
Appraising events as stressful depends two types of factors:
A
- Those that relate to the person
- Those that relate to the situation
25
Personal factors - **self esteem**
* people who have high self-esteem are **likely to believe that they have the resources to meet demands that require the strengths they possess**
* They might **interpret a stressful event as a *challenge*** rather than a threat
26
Personal factors - **motivation**
the **more important a threatened goal**, the **more stress the person is likely to perceive**
27
Personal factors - **belief systems/perfectionism**
* people might have **irrational beliefs that increase their stress**
* perfectionism: **the tendency to appraise even minor issues as major problems**
28
What is it about situations that make them stressful?
Events that involve **very strong demands** that are **imminent** tend to be seen as stressful
29
Characteristics of stressful situations (5)
1. Life transitions
2. Difficult timing (earlier/later than expected)
3. Ambiguity (e.g. unclear info about one's diagnosis)
4. Low desireability (e.g. getting a ticket)
5. Low controllability (outside of one's control)
30
-- Dimensions of Stress --
31
Psychologists who study stress or perform therapy to help people manage it assume that...
the amount of stress a person experiences increases with **stressor frequency, intensity, and duration**
32
Reactivity
* **The physiological portion of the response** to a stressor or strain is called reactivity, where **researchers measure by comparison against a baseline, or "resting" level of arousal**
* Influenced by genetic factors
33
Fight or flight response
prepares the organism to attack the threat or to flee
34
Fight or flight response - activates **first**...
* the sympathetic NS to stimulate many organs, such as the heart (e.g. increased heart rate)
35
Fight or flight response - activates **second**...
the adrenal glands of the endocrine system
36
Fight or flight - pros/cons?
* Can mobilize the organism to respond quickly to danger
* However, this high arousal can be harmful to health if prolonged
* can also be understood using an evolutionary context!
37
What did Hans Selye discover about fight-or-flight?
## Footnote
+ what is this called?
the response is only the first in a series of reactions the body engages in when stress is ongoing; aka **general adaptation syndrome**
38
GAS: **Stage 1**
* Alarm reaction
* SNS -> adrenal glands -> HPA axis -> pituitary gland -> CORTISOL
39
GAS: **Stage 2**
* **Stage of resistance**
* Body tries to adapt to the stressor
* Physiological arousal remains higher than normal, but the ability to resist new stressors may become impaired
* Here, sympathetic nervous system become less pronounced, and HPA activation predominates
40
GAS: **Stage 3**
* Stage of exhaustion
* Prolonged physiological arousal produced by severe, long term, or repeated stress is costly
* It can weaken the immune syste, and deplete the body's energy reserves until resistance is very limited
* If the stress continues, disease and damage to internal organs are likely, and death may occur
41
Allostatic Load
The accumulated effects of one's body adapting repeatedly to stressors over time - as with fluctuations in levels of hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, blood pressure, and immune function
42
Allostatic Load - view on cumulative stress vs singular stimuli
The cumulative amount of strain typically has a greater influence on health than the degree of activation in response to any one stressor
43
4 factors are important in the overall amount of bodily activation or physiological stress
1. Amount of exposure
2. Magnitude of reactivity
3. Rate of recovery
4. Resource restoration
44
Many studies have demonstrated that stressors of various types **increase...**
the secretion of hormones by the adrenal glands
45
GAS - specific to the stressor?
* NO - non-specific
* This raises issues!
46
Non-specificity for GAS: **#1**
* **Some stressors appear to elicit a *stronger emotional response* than others**
* This is important because **the amount of hormone released in reaction to a stressor that involves a strong *emotional response*** appears to be **different from the amount released with a *less emotional stressor***
* John Mason concluded that he and his colleagues “[had] not found evidence that any single hormone responds to all stimuli in absolutely nonspecific fashion”
47
Non-specificity for GAS: **#2**
* Patterns of physiological arousal under stress depends on two factors: **effort and distress**
48
Non-specificity for GAS: **#2 - effort with distress**
* Increase of both catecholamine and cortisol excretion
* Typically daily hassles
* Commonly occurs among people in repetitious, machine-paced jobs
49
Non-specificity for GAS: **#2 - effort without distress**
* A joyous state
* Active/successful coping, high job involvement, high degree of personal control
* Increase catecholamine secretion, suppressed cortisol secretion
50
Non-specificity for GAS: **#2 - distress without effort**
* Feeling helpless, losing control, giving up
* Increased cortisol secretion, but catecholamines may be elevated too
51
Non-specificity for GAS: **#3**
* Evidence suggests that cognitive appraisal processes play a role in people's physiological reaction to stressors
52
Overall pros/flaws of GAS
Structure seems to be valid, but assumes that all stressors produce the same physiological reactions and fails to include the role of psychosocial factors in stress
53
-- Psychosocial Aspects of Stress --
54
How can stress affect memory and attention? EXAMPLES
* **Preoccupation with worries about failure** can interfere with memory and attention
* Can distract our attention + **impair cognitive functioning**
55
Connections between cognition and stress are particularly important **during what time of life?**
When people are older and have more trouble making complex treatment decisions
56
Emotions tend to _ stress; people often used their emotions to _ stress
accompany; evaluate
57
Fear
a common emotional rxn that includes psychological disomfort and physiological arousal when we feel threatened
58
Phobias
**intense** and **irrational fears** that are directly **associated with specific events and situations**
59
Anxiety
a vague feeling of uneasiness; a gloomy anticipation of impending doom
60
Stress can also lead to feelings of...
sadness or depression
61
Depression meets the criteria for a disorder when...
it is severe, prolonged, and lasts for more than 2 weeks
62
-- Social Behaviour + Stress --
63
What normally increases alongside feelings of stress and anger?
**negative social behaviours** (e.g. aggressive behaviours, like child abuse)
64
-- Gender and Sociocultural Differences in Stress --
65
Who experiences more major/minor stressors? What type?
* Women > men
* Mostly interpersonal and home-based
* EX: heightened heart disease due to caretaking
66
Minority groups + stressors
Experience a disproportionately high number of major stressors
67
Who shows more reactivity when stressed?
* M > W
68
Who takes longer to return to baseline after stress?
* M > W
69
It's suggested that _ better explains male stress reactions, while _ explains female responses
fight or flight; tend and befriend
70
Reactivity - Indigenous vs Non-Indigenous
More reactivity presented by Indigenous members of the population
71
Intergenerational Trauma
* idea that the trauma of earlier generations had lasting effects that are still felt by community members today
* can make children more susceptible to stress and developing PTSD
72
-- Sources within the person --
73
How can stress arise in the individual? **#1**
Being **ill** creates physical and psychological demands, and this depends on the severity of illness + age (and other factors)
74
How can stress arise in the individual? **#2**
* During a state of **conflict**
* This can produce two tendencies: **approach** and **avoidance**
75
How can stress arise in the individual? **Conflict: approach/approach**
* Choice involves two appealing goals that are **in**compatible
* EX: wanting to lose weight when sweet treats are around
76
How can stress arise in the individual? **Conflict: avoidance/avoidance**
* Choice between two **undesirable situations**
* EX: choosing between two medicines that both taste terrible
77
How can stress arise in the individual? **Conflict: approach/avoidance**
* A goal or situation has **attractive** and **unattractive** features
* EX: quitting smoking will improve health, but it comes with weight gain/cravings
78
-- Sources in the family --
79
3 family factors for stress:
1. Adding a new member
2. Relationship conflict/divorce
3. Illness/death
80
Adding a new member - **temperaments**
* a baby's personality dispositions
* ex: "easy" or "difficult" babies
81
Relationship conflict/divorce - couples with frequent disagreements and greater negative behaviour are likely to...
* separate or divorce eventually
* this also increases risk of serious health issues
82
How can illness or death in the family impact?
* Stress can lead to PTSD
* Expensive treatments
* Relationships between family members may suffer
83
-- Jobs and Stress --
84
General stressors about jobs:
1. Workload is too high
2. Performance reviews/evals
3. Jobs that involve a responsibility for ppls lives (e.g. first responders)
4. Physical environment
5. Lack of advancement/promotion
85
How can job stress transition into home life? What is this called?
* "spill over effects"
* Experiment with paramedics: the more stress during their day job, the more they brought home
86
-- Environment + Stress --
87
The Socioeconomic Gradient
**Low SES is associated with reduced life expectancy** and an **increased risk of many life threatening diseases**
88
The Socioeconomic Gradient + its effects on health
* Limited access to healthcare
* Lack of safety/control
* Limited social relationships
* Physical consequences (from growing up in these environments)
* Greater stress, isolation
* Discrimination
89
-- Measuring Stress --
90
What is a polygraph used for?
Measuring blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, or galvanic skin response
91
How can biochemical analyses of blood, urine, or saliva inform us?
* Can assess the level of hormones that adrenal glands secrete during stress
92
How can biochemical analyses of blood, urine, or saliva inform us? - Researchers can test for two classes of hormones:
1. **Corticosteroids** (cortisol being the most important)
2. **Catecholamines** (include epinephrine and norepinephrine
93
Disadvantages to physiological measurement:
* Expensive
* Measurement technique itself can be stressful for people (e.g. getting blood drawn)
* Affected by many factors like consumption of certain foods (e.g. caffeine), body weight, sex
94
How can we measure stress qualitatively?
Compiling a list of one's life events
95
Example of stress rating scale
**Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)**: researchers constructed a list of events they derived from clinical experience
96
Strengths of SRSS
* Does represent a wide range of stressful events
* Initially tested carefully/properly by broad sample
* Quick and easy
97
Weaknesses of SRSS
* Correlation is very weak (.30)
* People might get sick or have accidents for many reasons other than stress
* Vague, ambiguous (lack of specificity in wording)
* Does not consider meaning or impact of an event for the individual
98
Common weakness of SRRS and other life event checklists
* Emphasize **acute stressors** involving single events, than chronic stressors
* Depends on respondent's ability to respond
99
Daily Hassles Scale (+ its opposite)
* lists 117 minor to major problems or difficulties
* also the **uplifts scale (positive stuff)**
100
Can stress be good for you?
## Footnote
What do theories say?
Some theories suggest that people function/feel best at their optimal level of arousal
101
Are some types of stress better than others? 2 types
* **Distress**: harmful and damaging
* **Eustress**: beneficial or constructive
PSYC 314
flashcards
Decks in class (36)
# Cards
-
Lecture 1-224
-
Lecture 329
-
Lecture 428
-
Lecture 530
-
Lecture 639
-
Lecture 727
-
Lecture 825
-
Chapter 1105
-
Chapter 3101
-
Chapter 4117
-
Chapter 588
-
-------------------------- MIDTERM 1 --------------------------0
-
Lecture 9 - Health Behaviours and Promotions23
-
Lecture 10 - Health Behaviours and Promotions28
-
Lecture 11 - Health Behaviours and Promotions, Substance Use11
-
Chapter 6158
-
Lecture 12 - Substance Use & Addiction32
-
Chapter 70
-
Lecture 13 - Diet, Exercise, & Weight Control19
-
Chapter 8140
-
Lecture 14 - Using Health Services & Patient-Practitioner Interaction27
-
Chapter 9128
-
Lecture 1520
-
Chapter 1068
-
-------------------------- MIDTERM 2 --------------------------0
-
Lecture 16 - Pain and its Symptoms and Management22
-
Chapter 11 lol119
-
Lecture 17 - Pain and its Symptoms and Management29
-
Chapter 12107
-
Lecture 18 - Managing Chronic Illness and Family Involvement0
-
Chapter 130
-
Lecture 19 - Managing Chronic Illness and Family Involvement0
-
Chapter 140
-
Lecture 20 - Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness and Aging; End-of-Life Care and Bereavement0
-
Lecture 21 - Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness and Aging; End-of-Life Care and Bereavement0
-
Chapter 150
