Module 8

Question 1

what is stress

Answer 1

stress is the psychological and physiological consequence that challenge a person’s ability to cope and which threaten or interfere with important goals

Question 2

What are stressors

Answer 2

Life events that cause stress

Question 3

Eustress

Answer 3

not all stress is harmful. This kind of stress motivates us and can improve the quality of our life

Question 4

Distress

Answer 4

When stress passes the limit for it to be positive. Can experience burning out, fatigued exhausted and performance begins to decline

Question 5

Primary appraisal

Answer 5

involves judgment about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might give

Question 6

Secondary appraisal

Answer 6

judgement of the options available to cope with a stressor, as well as perceptions of how effective such options will be.

Question 7

GAS

Answer 7

General Adaptive system - a model of the response to chronic stress

Question 8

Phase 1 of GAS

Answer 8

Alarm - the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and endocrine system, which allow stress related hormones, such as adrenaline to be pumped into blood

Question 9

Phase 2 of GAS

Answer 9

Resistance - the individual resists the stressful condition for as long as possible by coping and adapting to the best of their ability. Body is aroused

Question 10

Phase 3 of GAS

Answer 10

Exhaustion - The organism is literally run down and fatigue is inevitable. Body no longer has energy available to mobilize even for the nonemergency activities

Question 11

4 categories of stressors

Answer 11

Traumatic events, Life changes, Hassles and Occupation related stressors

Question 12

Traumatic events

Answer 12

situations in which a person is exposed to actual or threatened death or serious injury.

Question 13

Life Changes

Answer 13

situations that require us to make changes in our ongoing lives and require time as we adjust to those changes.

Question 14

Hassles

Answer 14

Daily hassles—the minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives

Question 15

Occupational related stressors

Answer 15

situations in which one is frequently exposed to challenging and unpleasant events, such as difficult, demanding, or unsafe working conditions

Question 16

Psychophysiological Disorders

Answer 16

Physical disorders or diseases whose symptoms are brought about or worsened by stress and emotional factors are called psychophysiological disorders.

Question 18

Coping

Answer 18

processes by which we ensure that the demands of potentially stressful situations do not overwhelm our psychological or material resources. Coping can be adaptive or maladaptive

Question 19

Problem-focused coping

Answer 19

one attempts to manage or alter the problem that is causing one to experience stress (i.e., the stressor) they typically involve identifying the problem, considering possible solutions, weighing the costs and benefits of these solutions, and then selecting an alternative

Question 20

Emotion-focused coping:

Answer 20

consists of efforts to change or reduce the negative emotions associated with stress. These efforts may include avoiding, minimizing, or distancing oneself from the problem, or positive comparisons with others

Question 21

Perceived control

Answer 21

our beliefs about our personal capacity to exert influence over and shape outcomes, and it has major implications for our health and happiness

Question 22

Explanatory style

Answer 22

how we explain the good and bad events of our lives and make predictions about the future based on these explanations. People can be divided into optimists and pessimists

Question 23

Optimism

Answer 23

people whose explanations for bad events involve perceptions of the events as external, temporary, and surmountable. The good news is that we can learn to be optimistic.

Question 24

Pessimism

Answer 24

people whose explanations for bad events involve perceptions of the events as internal, permanent, and catastrophic.

Question 25

Aerobic exercise

Answer 25

is any physical exercise involving large muscle groups which increases oxygen consumption and elevates heart rate

Question 26

Relaxation response

Answer 26

is any self-induced alteration in consciousness that results in decreased physiological and psychological arousal, and increased attention to the moment

Question 27

Meditation

Answer 27

Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and increase positive mood; it may even reduce mortality from heart disease and other ailments.

Question 28

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

Answer 28

is a form of meditation training that has been shown to activate parts of the brain associated with positive emotion and to strengthen immune response

Question 29

Social support

Answer 29

is the perception or experience that one is loved, esteemed, and cared for by others, and is part of a network of people who engage in mutual assistance and accept mutual obligations to one another.

Question 30

Religion & spiritual life

Answer 30

Those who attend communal religious services and meetings, or who describe themselves as turning to religion to help them cope in times of stress, tend to be healthier, happier, and to live longer than those who do not

Question 31

Pet ownership

Answer 31

number of studies have linked pet ownership to lowered stress, cholesterol, and blood pressure; and to better recovery following heart attacks and stressful experiences of social rejection.