2.10 Stress Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is the General Adaptation to Stress (GAS) model?
- Hans Selye’s early model
- based on physiological aspects of stress
- stress conceptualized as a universal, non-specific, physiological response
Name 5 physiological responses that increase when we are stressed
- Cortisol hormone levels
- heart rate
- blood pressure
- respiration rate (breathing)
- perspiration (sweat)
What happens in the fight or flight response
- Amygdala sends a distress signal
- Hypothalamus acts as control centre
- Send signals around the body to activate fight or flight response
Weaknesses of the GAS Model
- cant tell us individual differences
- cant tell us Role of environment/situation
- cant tell us about Role of psychological mechanisms
Give 5 examples of stress as a stimulus
- environment
- events
- daily issues
- catastrophes
- life events
Describe a study that supports ides that life changes act as stressors
- Holmes & Rahe (1967)
- Observed that people tend to get sick after big life events or life changes
- proposed that life changes cause stress and this causes illness
What is Eustress?
- Good stress
- Challenging, exciting, motivating
- improves performance
- within coping abilities
What is distress?
- bad stress
- unpleasant
- beyond coping abilities
- decreases performance
- negative MHWB impact
What is a chronic stressor?
- continuous or repeated sources of stress; e.g. relationships, high workload
What is the impact of chronic stress?
- long term fight or flight = exhaustion or burnout from chronic stress
What is the Transactional Model of stress?
Stress is an interaction between person and the environment
- stress responses are evoked when there is a perceived imbalance between situational demands and personal resources
Describe the two aspects of cognitive appraisal?
- Primary appraisal = Is this stimulus harmful? is this a threat or challenge?
- Secondary appraisal = Is this within my coping abilities? how can i deal with the situation to get a positive outcome?
what are three cognitive coping strategies for stress?
- repressive coping
- rational coping
- reframing
What is repressive coping?
- avoiding situation or thoughts that are reminders of stressor and maintaining an artificially positive view
- harmful in long term
What is rational coping?
- facing stressor and working to overcome it
- can be unpleasant and challenging
What are three steps of rational coping?
- Acceptance = that the stressor is there & is not going away on its own
- Exposure = exposing self to stressor through thoughts or experiences
- Understanding the meaning the stressor has in one’s life
What is reframing?
Targeting the cognitive appraisal and finding a new or creative way to think about stressor that reduces its threat
