Characteristics of Stress Flashcards
(24 cards)
Eustress
Positive form of stress which has a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance and emotional wellbeing
Distress
when stress becomes negative and involves under load and overload
Acute stress
most common type of stress
-is a response to an immediate type of stressor such as taking an exam or a dog barking at you
Episodic stress
Linked to repeated incidents of short-term stress
E.g an individual becomes overloaded and takes on too much work and is experiencing frequent demands on their time and energy. This type of stress can stop and cease to exist or become part of someone’s personality or lifestyle.
Chronic stress
-persists over long periods of time
-associated with stressors where the individual feels like they have little/no control
-e.g being unhappy in a long-term relationship
-perceive situation to be never ending and get used to living with it making it difficult to treat
What are the two responses to stress?
Physiological and psychological
GAS acronym
General Adaptation Syndrome
1936 Research
Hans Selye conducted research on rats and discovered that the body responds to all stress in the same way.
What are 3 stages the body goes through when faced with stress?
- Alarm
- Resistance
- Exhaustion
Response known as GAS
What happens in the body when a threat is identified?
when threat is identified the nervous system releases hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol
Alarm
Adrenaline prepares the body for the fight or flight response
Resistance
Cortisol releases glucose which provides energy to sustain the response
Exhaustion
After a prolonged period, exhaustion and collapse can occur
Short-term physiological effects of stress
-increased blood pressure and temperature
-pupil dilation
-muscular tension
-heartburn and headaches
Long-term effect of stress
-Both acute and chronic stress can have a long term effect on physical illness
-damage to immune system which can increase vulnerability to infection as well as illness like CHD
Psychological effects of stress
-Both short term and long term
-low self esteem to mental health disorders
-anxiety/depression
-unhealthy coping habits e.g smoking, drug taking, alcohol
-changes in sleeping patterns
-development of nervous habits e.g nail biting
Stress related disorders
International Classification of Disease and Diagnostic Statistic Manual both identify stress related disorders and highlight different stress disorders exist and their specific characteristics
What also plays a role in our response to stress?
Personality types
What did Maddi in 1987 find?
Employees of the Bell Telephone Company with a hardy personality suffered fewer stress related illnesses e.g heart problems and mental illness than employees without a hardy personality.
What is the psychological response to stress determined by?
Our perception of it
What is the Psychological explanation of stress and who proposed it?
-Transactional Model of Stress
-Lazarus and Folkman 1984
What does the Transactional Model of Stress suggest?
stress does not exist solely within the environment or within the person but in the transaction between the two. According to the model the individual APPRAISES the situation and their capacity to cope with the stressor will determine the impact it will have on the individual.
What 2 key components are involved in appraisal?
- Primary (is the stressor a threat do the individual?)
- Secondary (Do i have the resources to cope?)
Weighing up the 2 components will determine the stress response and help us to understand how 2 people can respond differently to the same stressor.
Give an example of how Transactional Model works
An individual faced with an exam who appraises it as a threat and that they cannot cope will respond with negative emotions and thoughts whereas someone who appraises the situation as a challenge and can cope with the situation will experience a more positive helpful response.
