Lecture 4

Question 1

— 3 ways to define stress: 3 —

Answer 1

Transactions occur between the person and the environment.

Question 2

Transactions consist of?

Answer 2

Our appraisals of the environmental demands and our resources for coping with it.

Question 3

_ of stressful events is more important than the events themselves

Answer 3

Interpretation

Question 4

Stress is determined by both:

Answer 4

• the person (e.g., neuroticism, vulnerability, ability to cope)
• the stressor (e.g., controllability, intensity)

Question 5

What leads to a person’s repsonse to stress? (stress as a transaction)

Answer 5

1. Noxious environmental stimulus
2. Cognitive appraisal of stress
3. Person’s response

Question 6

– Appraisals –

Question 7

Primary Appraisal

Answer 7

• Assessment of whether the person has anything at stake in the encounter; of the meaning of the situation for our well-being
• How significant is this event for me?
• Does the event have positive, negative, or neutral (or not relevant) consequences for me?

Question 8

Secondary Appraisal

Answer 8

assessment of whether one has sufficient resources and abilities to cope with the demands of the situation

Question 9

Stages of overall stress transaction?

Answer 9

1. Stimulus
2. Cognitive Appraisal

Question 10

– What makes events stressful? –

Question 11

Events are more stressful when they are perceived as… (3)

Answer 11

1) Uncontrollable or unpredictable
2) Ambiguous (vs. clear-cut stressors)
3) Overload (too much to do)
Involve central life goals

Question 12

Criticisms of Transactional Definition - 1

Answer 12

In research studies, appraisals don’t fully account for the effects of stressors on health

Question 13

Criticisms of Transactional Definition - 2

Answer 13

Can lead to blaming the victim (i.e. “stress is all in your head”)

Question 14

Criticisms of Transactional Definition - 3

Answer 14

Too much focus on subjective experience

Question 15

– Chronic Stress –

Question 16

Types of Stressors

(in terms of duration)

Answer 16

• Acute Stressors (limited; short), e.g., running late, fight, accident
• Chronic Stressors (prolonged; repeated), e.g., job strain, poverty

Question 17

General Adaptation Syndrome: initial stage

Answer 17

• Alarm Stage - physiological mobilization for action
• Includes fight or flight

Question 18

If the stressor continues…

(stage 2 and 3)

Answer 18

2. Resistance – body tries to adapt to stimulus/stress
3. Exhaustion – physiological resources depleted; breakdown of organs, disease, death; burnout; fatigue

Question 19

General Adaptation Syndrome - what does cortisol look like across the 3 levels?

(from a normal level)

Answer 19

1. Alarm: high cortisol
2. Resistance: lower cortisol
3. Exhaustion: lowest cortisol

Question 20

Effects of Chronic Stress - overall

Answer 20

HPA axis gets dysregulated, leading to elevated cortisol

Question 21

Effects of Chronic Stress - 2

Answer 21

Elevated blood glucose; increased storage of visceral fat

Question 22

Effects of Chronic Stress - 3

Answer 22

Higher BP and cholesterol; plaque build-up in arteries (atherosclerosis)

Question 23

Effects of Chronic Stress - 4

Answer 23

Impaired immune functioning; increased susceptibility to infection

Question 24

Effects of Chronic Stress - 5

Answer 24

Inflammation

Question 25

Persistent surges of epinephrine also affect health, esp... (**3**)

Answer 25

**cardiovascular health, blood pressure, and anxiety**

Question 26

Stress & Colds

Answer 26

More psychological **stress** = **increased likelihood of contracting cold virus**

Question 27

Increased Risk of Cancer from stress?

Answer 27

* **Chronic stress *weakens the immune system*** (via cortisol), which may accelerate cancer or tumour growth. * Or, via health-compromising behaviours in response to stress.

Question 28

Can cancer cause stress? Insights from Animal Research

Answer 28

* Experimental design – mouse model with control group. * Injected human ovarian carcinoma cells into mice. * **Mice were exposed to chronic stress (2 hours of physical restraint** per day for 21 consecutive days). * **Rats with more stress = developed larger tumors**