CH 10 - Stress

Question 1

Stressors

Answer 1

challenge or event

• catastrophes: large scale events (ex. natural disastors)
• life changes
• daily hassles: little things that add up

Question 2

Stress reactions

Answer 2

physical and emotional response to stressor

Question 3

Stress

Answer 3

process of perceiving and responding to stressors that we appraise as threatening or challenging

-stress hormones triggered by arousal released from adrenal glands, sympathetic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, send blood to skeletal muscles, dulls pain to prepare for fight or flight response

Question 4

General Adaption Syndrome

Answer 4

adaptive response to stress
3 stages:

1. alarm reaction - sympathetic nervous system activates
2. resistance: summon all resources to meet the challenge
3. exhaustion: prolonged stress damages body

Question 5

immune system and stress

Answer 5

-captures and destroys bacteria, viruses

types of cells:

• B lymphocytes: release antibodies
• T lymphocytes: attack cancer cells, foreign substances
• Macrophage: destroy invaders and worn out cells
• NK cells: attack diseased cells

-stress reduces immune systems ability to function, leaving us less able to fight infection

Question 6

Psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 6

• mind - body interactions, effects of psychological, neural, and endocrine functioning on the immune system and overall health
• stress responses draw energy away from immune system and sends it to your muscles and brain
• correlation of stress to sickness, aids, cancer, heart attacks etc.

Question 7

Coronary heart disease: stress and personality

Answer 7

• Type A: competitive, impatient, aggressive, anger prone
• Type B: easy going and relaxed
• Type D: suppress negative emotion to avoid social disapproval
• type A is more likely to have a heart attack because of the way they react to stressors (pulls blood away from organs that maintain cholesterol and fat levels)
• type d is more likely to have a heart attack because of the distress they experience in social interactions

Question 8

Coping with stress

Answer 8

1. Personal control
   - increase self-control decreases stress
   - external locus of control: chance or outside forces control fate
   - internal locus of control: you control your destiny
   - learned helplessness: perceived loss of control
2. Optimistic outlook
   - growth mindset
3. Social support
   - disclosure

Question 9

Resilience

Answer 9

-process of bouncing back in the face of adversity or significant sources of stress

Question 10

Managing stress effects

Answer 10

• aerobic exercise: reduces depression, increases arousal, increases serotonin activity
• relaxation and meditation: relieves headaches, HBP, anxiety, insomnia
• faith communities and health: religious involvement predicts health and longevity bc it promotes healthy behavior, social support, positive emotions

Question 11

Happiness

Answer 11

• US college students have had an increasing desire for wealth since 1970
• economic growth has provided no apparent boost to morale, reported happiness has remained unchanged

Question 12

Happiness tendencies

Answer 12

• high self esteem
• optimism, outgoing, agreeable
• close friendships or good marriage
• work and leisure engages their skills
• religious
• sleep well
• exercise

NOT

• certain age
• gender
• education level
• parenthood
• physical attractiveness

Question 13

Illness and stress

Answer 13

-stress does not directly cause illness, but makes us vulnerable because it effects our immune system and habits

Question 14

hedonic adaptation

Answer 14

tendency to return to a stable level of happiness despite recent positive or negative events