Chapter 3: Stress as an example of a psychobiological process

Question 1

What is stress?

Answer 1

The physiological and psychological responses a person experiences when faced with a threatening situation (a stressor).

Question 2

When is stress experienced?

Answer 2

When a person perceives
the demands of a stressor exceed their ability to cope.

Question 3

An object or event that happens which is a threat or challenge to the individual.

Answer 3

A stressor

Question 4

What is an internal stressor?

Answer 4

Factors that originate within a person, can be psychological or biological

Question 5

What type of stressor is feelings of anxiety?

Answer 5

Internal, Psychological

Question 6

Psychological internal stressors are:

Answer 6

inducing thoughts or behaviours that come from our own psychological mindset and expectations. Including feelings of worry and anxiety, low self esteem and feelings of anger

Question 7

What type of stressor is illness

Answer 7

Internal, biological

Question 8

What is a internal, biological stressor?

Answer 8

Things relating to your physical health and wellbeing, like illness, pain, nutrition and sleep.

Question 9

What is an external stressor?

Answer 9

Any stressful factors which occur outside the body, can be social cultural, or physical environmental conditions, often that cannot be controlled.

Question 10

3 examples of an external stressor:

Answer 10

• Life events e.g. divorce, death or pregnancy
• Adjusting to new environments e.g. new school or workplace
• Witnessing or experiencing a trauma

Question 11

What occurs once a stressor has ocured?

Answer 11

The sympathetic nervous system is activated and the same physiological changes occur regardless the type of stressor.

Question 12

What can influence perception of a stressor?

Answer 12

Perceiving a stressor is an individual experience which can be influenced by past experiences, personality, beliefs, culture, educational background and genetic factors.

Question 13

Define distress

Answer 13

The negative psychological response to a stressor, indicated by feeling overwhelmed and experiencing anxiety, fear and helplessness

Question 14

Define eustress

Answer 14

A positive psychological response to a stressor, things like skydiving, planning an event or meeting a role model are all examples of eustress, they usually present excitement and optimism.

Question 15

What is the term for short term stress?

Answer 15

Acute stress

Question 16

Define acute stress

Answer 16

Acute stress is typically caused by daily demands and pressures experienced by an individual, it can be intense but will only last for a short amount of time.

Question 17

What does a persistent long term stressor cause?

Answer 17

Chronic stress

Question 18

What is chronic stress?

Answer 18

The bodys response to a long term stressor, involving ongoing demands we dont feel like we have under control. Chronic stress exhausts an individual and can lead to a range of mental and physical problems.

Question 19

What is the flight-or-fight-or-freeze response?

Answer 19

The automatic physiological reaction to a stressor that involves the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system.

Question 20

What is it called when am individual avoids a stressor?

Answer 20

Flight

Question 21

What does the fight component of the FFF model mean

Answer 21

confronting the stressor

Question 22

What happens when someone ‘freezes’?

Answer 22

A person is immobilised to evade detection and prepare to face the stressor

Question 23

What is the role of cortisol?

Answer 23

A hormone released to give the body extra energy needed to adapt and deal with a stressor

Question 24

What can happen if there is too much cortisol?

Answer 24

Because the immune system is suppressed it can increase the likelihood of developing a sickness.

Question 25

What are the stages of the GAS model?

Answer 25

Phase I: Alarm reaction stage, shock and counter shock Phase II: The resistance stage Phase III: Exhaustion

Question 26

What happens in shock part of the alarm reaction stage?

Answer 26

Shock is experienced when we first perceive a threat, our resistance levels fall below normal and body temp and blood pressure drops.

Question 27

what comes after shock?

Answer 27

Countershock

Question 28

What happens in countershock?

Answer 28

The sympathetic nervous system is activated, adrenaline and noradrenaline are released to prepare the body to respond to the stressor.

Question 29

What happens when the body reaches the resistance stage?

Answer 29

Symptoms of the alarm reaction stage subside and the body is better able to deal with the stressor.

Question 30

What stage is entered if the stressor is not defeated in the resistance stage?

Answer 30

The exhaustion stage

Question 31

What happens in the Exhaustion stage?

Answer 31

Our cortisol levels are depleted and we feel drained, its characterised by mental illness like depression and anxiety, as well as significant sickness.

Question 32

Strengths of the GAS model include:

Answer 32

Identifies the biological impact of stress, and whether the stress is chronic or acute Highlights the impact stress has on the immune system

Question 33

What weaknesses does the GAS model have?

Answer 33

Doesn't take into account psychological factors explaining the subjective stress individuals experience Predominantly animal based research and therefore cannot be generalised to to human populations

Question 34

What is Lazarus and Folkmans Transactional model?

Answer 34

The transactional model considers the unique psychological characteristics of an individual that make up their subjective evaluation of a stressor, the model has two major stages: Primary appraisal and Secondary appraisal.

Question 35

What occurs during the first stage of the transactional model: Primary appraisal?

Answer 35

During primary appraisal a person evaluates whether a stimulus is stressful and whether the stressor is harmful, a threat or a challenge.

Question 36

What occurs during the second stage of the transactional model: Secondary appraisal?

Answer 36

During secondary appraisal the individual evaluates the internal and external resources available to cope with the stressor.

Question 37

What are strengths of Lazarus and Folkmans transactional model of stress?

Answer 37

Focuses on the subjective experiences of the individual and acknowledges that people have different responses to the same stressors. Focuses on the cognitive, affective and behavioural (psychological) responses to stress considers a range of different psychological factors in the stress response.

Question 38

What are the limitations of Lazarus and Folkmans transactional model?

Answer 38

does not refer to or consider the biological responses to stress primary and secondary appraisal may not occur as two separate processes model may be too simplistic as most people are not aware of the appraisal process as it occurs

Question 39

What is the Gut Brain Axis?

Answer 39

The gut–brain axis is the network of bidirectional communication pathways that enable communication between the microbiota and the central nervous system (brain).

Question 40

What are microbiota?

Answer 40

A mix of 'good' and 'bad' bacteria seen as a strong indicator of good physical and mental health.

Question 41

What factors can influence Gut microbiota?

Answer 41

genetics diet metabolism age illness geography antibiotics stress

Question 42

Does the Enteric nervous system need the CNS to function?

Answer 42

No, the enteric nervous system functions independently of the CNS to manage functions of the digestive system.

Question 43

What are functions of the ENS?

Answer 43

Detecting nutrients for the body to use Maintaining the chemistry in the gut (including hormones, digestive acids, and neurotransmitters) Immune and defence responses (against toxic foods and bacteria)

Question 44

How does the Gut and the Brain communicate?

Answer 44

The vagus nerve

Question 45

What is coping?

Answer 45

a process involving constantly changing thoughts and behaviours so we can manage the demands (internal and/or external) of stressors we appraise as taxing or exceeding our resources.

Question 46

What is a context specific coping strategy?

Answer 46

A coping strategy being more effective when the strategy is well matched to the stressful situation.

Question 47

What is coping flexibility?

Answer 47

refers to an individual’s ability to stop an ineffective coping strategy and implement an alternative effective coping strategy (or adapt their coping process).

Question 48

What are the two types of strategies to deal with a stressor?

Answer 48

Approach and avoidance