Biological stress Flashcards
(25 cards)
name 2 reasons why stress is associated with illness?
stress reduces the immune systems ability to fight invading bacteria and viruses and secondly it can raise blood pressure which wears away the blood vessels which can cause problems such as heart attacks
what is a psychiatric illness associated with stress?
depression
what are examples of sources of stress
life changes e.g. buying a house, changing job but also everyday hassles. The workplace can also be a source of stress
what can reduce workplace stress?
a sense of control
what concept has been used to explain why some people cope better with stress than others
the concept of hardiness i.e. they are more committed, more in control and like a challenge
What is a type A personality factor?
competitive and assertive and in a rush to do things
what is a type B personality factor?
less competitive and steady-paced
what is a psychcological method of stress management
these deal with the subjective experience of stress such as stress innoculation therapy
what is a biological method of stress management
these deal with what is happening in the body when stress is experienced - such as the use of anti-anxiety drugs
why is stress sometimes useful?
by changing certain aspects of the body in times of danger - the stress response increases our physical ability to cope with the physical challenges that might arise
What did Nesse and Young suggest was the first step in understanding the adaptive nature of stress
understand the exact situations in which the stress response is useful
what were the typical stressors that early humans were subjected to
physical
what did early humans evolve to deal with stress
early humans evolved a co-ordinated pattern of bodily changes that could snap into action when faced with imminent danger
what is the fight or flight response ?
changes that take place to prepare the body for physical action
Name features of the fight or flight response
increased heart rate, depth of breathing, increased glucose synthesis for energy, increased muscle tension for greater strength, increased blood clotting in preparation for possible tissue damage
why is the fight or flight response less useful in modern days
it is inappropriate for stressors in modern life
what are the costs of the fight or flight response
it was expensive in terms of the calories consumed, interfered with other activities such as finding food, forming alliances, mating. If the stress was chronic it would reduce the ability to fight infection. Clearly, early humans could not afford to stay in this state for too long.
who identified the fight or flight response
psyhchologist Walter Cannon
what is a commonly accepted definition of stress
‘the mismatch of demands made upon an individual and their ability to meet those demands’
what are examples of modern stressors
argument, boring job, demanding job, exams, desire for too numerous and unattainable goals
what are examples of personal goals that can cause stress
be liked by everyone, do well in our exams, be happy, run a home and do a full time job
what does happen when you are stressed
a racing heart, sweaty palms, a dry mouth etc
what is a selective advantage of sweating
it makes the body slippery and more difficult to catch hold of
how could you test the stress response
arrange for volunteers to be engage in mildly stressful tasks and record the effect, taking psyhchological measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure etc, Record the results over the 3 phases - before, during and after.
