Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

PSYC 314 > Ch 3 > Flashcards

Ch 3 Flashcards

1
Q

2 components of stress

A

physical (involving direct material or bodily challenge) and psychological (involving how individuals perceive their life circumstances)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

3 ways to examine stress components

A

seeing stress as (1) a stimulus or a change in the environment, (2) as a psychological or physiological response to stressors, (3) a process that includes stressors and strains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Stressors

A

physically or psychologically challenging events or circumstances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

2 types of stressors

A

acute stressors (limited) and chronic stressors (prolonged or repeated)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Strain

A

the psychological and physiological response to a stressor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What important dimension does the process approach of stress add?

A

the relationship between the person and the environment, particularly transactions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Transactions

A

continuous interactions and adjustments between the person and the environment as we assess the existing demands, resources, and discrepancies in our own life or another’s (vicarious)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How does the process approach of stress differ from the stimulus and response approaches?

A

the person is seen as an active agent who can influence the impact of the stressor through behavioral, cognitive, and emotional strategies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Definition of stress

A

the circumstance in which transactions lead a person to perceive a discrepancy between the physical or psychological demands of a situation and the resources of one’s biological, psychological, or social systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What do a demand, resource, or discrepancy have in common?

A

they may either be real or just believed to exist

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What situation typically results in stress?

A

forming inaccurate perceptions of discrepancies between environmental demands and the actual resources

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What typically happens when our resources are taxed?

A

it impacts all three of our systems (biopsychosocial)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Demands

A

the amount of our resources the stressor appears to require

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

When does a discrepancy exist?

A

when there is a mismatch between the demands of a situation the resources available in a person; either the demands exceed the resources or the resources are underutilized

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Cognitive appraisal

A

a mental process that occurs in transactions that is divided into primary and secondary appraisal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Primary appraisal

A

people first assess the implications of the situation on our well-being, particularly whether a demand threatens our physical or psychological well-being

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

3 judgements that primary appraisal could yield

A

the circumstance is irrelevant, good or benign-positive, or stressful

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Botulism

A

a life-threatening type of food poisoning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

3 possible implications of a circumstance that was appraised as stressful

A

harm-loss, threat, and challenge

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Harm-loss implication

A

the amount of damage that has already occurred (the impact of minor stressors may be exaggerated)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Threat implication

A

the expectation of future harm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Challenge implication

A

the opportunity to achieve growth, mastery, or profit by using more than routine resources to meet a demand

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What kind of appraisal influences our response to stress experienced by others?

A

primary appraisal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Secondary appraisal

A

our assessment of the resources we have available for meeting the demands of the situation in terms of behavioral and cognitive control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Behavioral control

A

changing something in the environment to meet the demands of a situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Cognitive control

A

changing one’s perception of control and ability to meet the demands of the situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

When are we especially aware of our secondary appraisals?

A

when we judge a situation as potentially stressful and try to determine if our resources are sufficient to meet the harm, challenge, or threat we face

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

2 types of factors affecting cogntive appraisal

A

situational factors (e.g. desirability, controllability, imminence, timing, ambiguity, life transitions) and personal factors (e.g. personality, self-esteem, motivation, perfectionism)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A

a psychiatric disorder resulting from exposure to an extremely severe stressor (i.e. a traumatic event), creating intense fear and horror

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

8 criterias for PTSD in DSM-5

A

(1) exposure to a stressor; (2) intrusion of trauma; (3) avoidance of trauma-related thoughts/feelings and other external reminders; (4) negative alterations in cognitions/mood; (5) alterations in arousal; (6) symptoms last for more than a month; (7) functional significance; (8) exclusion of other potential causes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

4 ways of getting exposed to a stressor

A

direct exposure, witnessing in person, indirectly (e.g. learning about a friend/relative’s trauma), repeated or extreme indirect exposure to aversive details of an event

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is intrusion?

A

recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive memories (e.g. traumatic nightmares, flashbacks)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Symptoms of PTSD

A

alterations in arousal (difficulty concentrating or sleeping); frequently reliving the event (through intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares); avoiding people, places, and activities that remind a person of the event

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

2 types of factors that lead to stressful appraisals

A

those that relate to the person (i.e. personal factors) and those that relate to the situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Personal factors

A

a person’s intellectual, motivational, and personality characteristics (e.g. high self-esteem may lead to interpreting an event as a challenge rather than a threat)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Perfectionism

A

the tendency to appraise minor issues as major problems; causes emotional distress and poses a serious threat to long-term health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What characteristics of events make them more likely to be appraised as stressful?

A

if they are demanding, imminent, life transitions, ambiguous, undesirable, uncontrollable (both behaviorally and cognitively), and deviate from timing in the social clock,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What 3 factors are assumed to influence the amount of stress experienced?

A

stressor frequency, intensity, and duration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Chronic stress

A

stress that occurs often or lasts a long time (e.g. many stressors occur simultaneously, rumination); increases negative emotions and likelihood of getting ill

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Effects of chronic stress on the HPA axis

A

it becomes dysregulated leading to elevated cortisol, blood glucose and increased visceral fat, higher cholesterol and plaque build-up in arteries (atherosclerosis), impaired immune functioning and inflammation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

2 ways that chronic stress can contribute to illness

A

directly via physiological effects on bodily systems OR indirectly via health behaviors for coping (e.g. substance abuse, poor sleep and exercise, unhealthy eating)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

Rumination or dwelling

A

when thoughts about a trauma recur frequently over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Reactivity

A

the physiological part of the strain or response to a stressor measured by comparison against a baseline or resting level of arousal; influenced by genetics

44
Q

What causes the fight-or-flight response?

A

perception of danger causes the sympathetic nervous system to directly stimulate many organs (e.g. the heart) and the adrenal glands in the endocrine system to secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine

45
Q

Epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)

A

hormones/neurotransmitters (catecholamines) released by the adrenal glands that regulate heart rate, metabolism, respiration, oxygen to the brain and muscles

46
Q

Physiological effects in the fight-or-flight response

A

rapid breathing for increased oxygen intake, increased blood pressure for enhanced blood flow to muscles, dilation of pupils for better vision, reproductive and digestive systems shut down to conserve resources

47
Q

What does the general adaptation syndrome (Selye) propose?

A

the fight-or-flight response is only the first of a series of physiological reactions in a person while experiencing stress

48
Q

What are the 3 stages of GAS?

A

alarm reaction, stage of resistance, stage of exhaustion

49
Q

Alarm reaction stage of GAS

A

the fight-or-flight response wherein the body’s resources are mobilized (e.g. sympathetic nervous system, adrenal glands, HPA axis)

50
Q

What happens when the HPA axis is activated?

A

the hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland to secrete the hormone ACTH, which causes the adrenal gland to release cortisol into the bloodstream, enhancing mobilization

51
Q

Cortisol or “the stress hormone”

A

increases blood pressure/glucose, enhances the brain’s use of glucose, suppresses nonessential systems, reduces inflammation, and assists return to homeostasis

52
Q

Negative feedback loop

A

cortisol output automatically decreases over time

53
Q

3 reasons why cortisol is difficult to study

A

(1) release is influenced by many factors like exercise, diet, and mood; (2) people have individual diurnal/daily cycles and average output; (3) effects are inconsistent across types of stressors

54
Q

Stage of resistance in GAS

A

as the body tries to adapt to the stressor, physiological arousal declines but remains higher than normal, the HPA axis predominates, and the body replenishes the hormones released by the adrenal glands

55
Q

What impairment may occur in the stage of resistance?

A

if the stressor doesn’t disappear or get resolved, a person’s body will adapt to high arousal and become less able to resist new stressors, making them vulnerable to diseases of adaptation

56
Q

Examples of diseases of adaptation

A

ulcers, high blood pressure, asthma, and illnesses that result from impaired immune function

57
Q

Stage of exhaustion in GAS

A

if severe or repeated stress persists and physiological arousal is prolonged, the immune system weakens, resistance becomes limited, and death may occur

58
Q

Allostatic load

A

accumulated effects or wear and tear of one’s body adapting repeatedly to stressors over time (e.g. fluctuations in hormone levels, blood pressure, and immune function)

59
Q

What does allostatic load do to the body?

A

it impairs the body’s ability to adapt to future stressors

60
Q

4 factors that influence the overall amount of bodily activation or physiological stress

A

amount of exposure, magnitude of reactivity, rate of recovery, resource restoration (e.g. through sleep)

61
Q

3 lines of evidence why the nonspecificity of GAS in terms of type of stressor is problematic

A

(1) some stressors appear to elicit a stronger emotional response than others e.g. amount of hormones secreted; (2) patterns of physiological arousal under stress depend on effort and distress; (3) it also depends on cognitive appraisal

62
Q

2 factors that influence the pattern of physiological arousal under stress (Frankenhaueuser)

A

effort (one’s interest, striving, and determination) and distress (anxiety, uncertainty, boredom, dissatisfaction)

63
Q

When does effort with distress occur?

A

during daily hassles or routine jobs; accompanied by an increase in catecholamine and cortisol excretion

64
Q

When does effort without distress occur?

A

when there is active and successful coping, high job involvement, and a high degree of personal control; accompanied by an increase in catecholamine and decrease in cortisol secretion

65
Q

When does distress without effort occur?

A

when one is feeling helpless, losing control, or giving up; accompanied by increased cortisol secretion

66
Q

Limitation of Selye’s GAS

A

it assumes that all stressors produce the same physiological reactions and fails to consider the role of psychosocial factors

67
Q

How is stress related to cognition in older adults?

A

higher levels of stress are associated with increased cognitive decline and memory problems

68
Q

What is fear?

A

a common emotional reaction that involves psychological discomfort and physical arousal when we feel threatened

69
Q

2 categories of fear

A

phobias and anxiety

70
Q

Phobias

A

intense and irrational fears that are directly associated with specific events and situations

71
Q

Anxiety

A

a vague feeling of uneasiness, apprehension, or anticipation of impending doom that often involves a relatively uncertain or unspecific threat

72
Q

When does the feeling of depression count as a psychological disorder?

A

when the feeling is severe and prolonged (lasting for at least 2 weeks)

73
Q

Symptoms of people diagnosed with depression

A

having a sad mood nearly every day, poor sleeping habits, atypical appetite, thoughts of suicide feelings of hopelessness, and low self-esteem; appearing listless with loss of energy, pleasure, concentration, and interest

74
Q

3 main types of conflict

A

approach/approach, avoidance/avoidance, approach/avoidance

75
Q

Approach/approach conflict

A

when the choice is between two appealing goals that are incompatible (e.g. choosing between eating healthy to lose weight or eating delicious junk food)

76
Q

Avoidance/avoidance conflict

A

when the choice is between two undesirable situations; often difficult to resolve, leads to indecisiveness and delayal of making a decision

77
Q

Approach/avoidance conflict

A

when a single goal or situation has both attractive and unattractive features (e.g. wanting to quit smoking cigarettes)

78
Q

Benefits of disengagement from unattainable goals

A

lower perceived stress, fewer depressive symptoms, better regulated cortisol and self-reported health, less severe cold symptoms

79
Q

Temperament

A

a person’s personality disposition present since birth; an important factor in the experience of parental stress

80
Q

5 aspects of a person’s job that can increase their stress

A

the job’s physical environment (e.g. noise), perceived insufficient control, poor interpersonal relationships, perceived inaccurate recognition or advancement, job loss and insecurity

81
Q

Stress spillover

A

when stress experienced at work is carried home by an individual (or vice versa) and results in greater stress

82
Q

Stress crossover

A

when stress experienced at work and is carried home by an individual also affects someone else in the home

83
Q

Polygraph

A

an device used to measure indexes of physiological arousal separately or altogether such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, galvanic skin response (skin conductance or sweat gland activity)

84
Q

3 ways to measure stress

A

electric/mechanical equipment, biochemical analyses of blood, urine, or saliva samples, self-reporting on a scale (e.g. social readjustment rating scale, life experiences survey, PERI life events scale, unpleasant events schedule)

85
Q

Life events

A

major happenings that can occur in a person’s life that require some psychological adjustment

86
Q

Daily hassles

A

day-to-day unpleasant or potentially harmful events; ideally measured as they unfold and may be more strongly associated with health than life events

87
Q

What health consequences are correlated with the severity or number of life events?

A

incidence of heart attacks, broken bones, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, cold virus, pregnancy complications, decline in academic performance

88
Q

2 classes of hormones secreted by the adrenal glands

A

corticosteroids (e.g. cortisol) and catecholamines (e.g. epinephrine and norepinephrine)

89
Q

2 kinds of stress that differ in impact (Selye)

A

distress (harmfu) and eustress (beneficial or constructive)

90
Q

Psychophysiological disorders

A

previously “psychosomatic;” physical symptoms or illnesses that result from the interplay of psychosocial and physiological processes; may be caused by or aggravated by stress

91
Q

Examples of psychophysiological disorders

A

digestive system diseases (e.g. ulcers), asthma, recurrent headache (e.g. tension headaches, migraines), rheumatoid arthritis

92
Q

Acute stress disorder

A

severe anxiety, dissociation, and other symptoms within one month after exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor (e.g. witnessing a death, a serious accident)

93
Q

Posttraumatic growth

A

positive psychological changes following a highly challenging event or experience

94
Q

Examples of posttraumatic growth

A

appreciation of life, renewed commitment to goals, greater sense of personal strength, greater intimacy in relationships, developing a warmer and more loving personality

95
Q

Factors that may lead to PTSD rather than PTG

A

prior/childhood trauma, low openness to experience, low extraversion, maladaptive coping responses (e.g. peri-traumatic dissociation or psychological disconnect from what happened), perceived threat to life, low social support, being a woman, having low income and education

96
Q

Primary predictors of exhibiting a freeze response

A

feelings of anxiety and panic during highly stressful events

97
Q

How can PTSD, anxiety, and depression be adaptive to adversity?

A

depression may help prevent adversity by shifting attention; anxiety is a response to threat; PTSD involves avoidance of trauma-related stimuli and hypervigilance

98
Q

Sources of stress within the individual

A

illness and disease, conflicting motivations (approach/avoidance), frustrated goals (e.g. failure to fulfill social motives like fear of rejection)

99
Q

Sources of stress within one’s family/social network

A

new addition to the family; relationship strain, separation, divorce; family illness, disability, death

100
Q

Sources of stress within the community/society

A

occupational and environmental stress

101
Q

Occupational stress

A

stress originating in the workplace or associated with one’s employment (or lack thereof); e.g. police officers, nurses, ER doctors, truck drivers

102
Q

3 factors in the demand-control-support model that predict stress and well-being on the job

A

perceived demand, perceived control, and perceived social support

103
Q

Environmental stress

A

aversive, primarily uncontrollable, sometimes unpredictable environmental stimuli that varies in duration and frequency (e.g. ambient stressors like noise, crowding, air pollution or cataclysmic events like natural or human-caused disasters)

104
Q

Flow

A

an optimal state of arousal or complete absorption in work, play, or creativity that arises spontaneously while engrossed

105
Q

Effects of flow

A

intense concentration; loss of self-awareness, time awareness, environmental awareness; feeling perfectly challenged (neither bored nor overwhelmed)

106
Q

Benefits of acute/moderate stress

A

stimulation of immune activity and cell growth in the brain’s learning centers, improved accuracy in cognitive tasks, reinforcement of good habits (but also bad)

PSYC 314 (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions