Stress Flashcards
(101 cards)
1
Q
What is a stressor?
A
• Stimulus in the environment
2
Q
What is stress?
A
• Tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a stressor strains our ability to cope effectively
3
Q
What is a traumatic event?
A
• Stressor that’s so severe it can produce long-term psychological or health effects
4
Q
Describe stress as a stimulus
A
- Identifying different types of stressful events
- Found event types we find dangerous and unpredictable
- Identified those most susceptible to stress after
- Stress on a community can increase social awareness and cement interpersonal bonds
5
Q
Describe stress as a transaction including appraisals
A
• Different reaction to same stressor may be how people interpret and cope with the event
• Primary appraisal
o Initial decision about if event is harmful
• Secondary appraisal
o Decision about how well we can cope with the event
6
Q
What is problem focused coping?
A
o We believe we can cope as per secondary appraisal
o Work to improve and face challenges head on
7
Q
What is emotion focused coping?
A
o We believe we can’t cope or control events
o We put a positive spin on our feelings
8
Q
What is avoidance focused coping?
A
o We believe we can’t cope or control events
o Includes procrastination or distracting yourself
9
Q
What is learned helplessness and what does it tell us about a persons coping ability?
A
o Learning that you have no control over your experiences
o Better predictor of long-term coping if people feel they have some control
10
Q
Describe stress as a response
A
- Assess a persons physical and psychological reaction to a stressor
- Studies stress related feelings
- Studies heart rate, cortisol release, etc.
11
Q
What is the social readjustment rating scale?
A
- Adopts view that stressors are stimuli
- Questionnaire based on 43 life events ranked by stressfulness by participants
- Does not consider coping abilities, resources, etc.
- Does not account for chronic causes for stress
- Some stressors listed may be result of stress rather than cause
12
Q
What is the Hassles scale?
A
• Hassle
o Minor nuisance that strains our ability to cope
• Interview rather than self reporting
• Frequency and severity better predictor of physical and psychological disorders
• Have a larger influence over one’s perception of their own wellbeing on any given day
13
Q
What is Selye’s general adaption syndrome?
A
- Stress response pattern proposed by Canadian Hans Selye
* Prolonged stressors have 3 stages alarm, resistance and exhaustion
14
Q
Describe the alarm reaction and the parts of the body and hormones involved
A
• Excitation of autonomic nervous system (fight or flight response)
o Adrenalin and physical symptoms of it
• Involves emotional brain, limbic system
o Amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus (retrieves scary images/memories)
• Cortisol released
o Stress hormone form adrenal gland
o Under control of hypothalamus and pituitary
15
Q
Describe resistance
A
- Adapts to stressor and finds way to cope
* Thinking brain of frontal cortex takes control of thoughts
16
Q
Describe exhaustion
A
• Break down of resistance due to
o Prolonged stressor
o Lack of personal resources and coping skills
• Can result in physical and psychological damage
17
Q
Describe tend and befriend
A
- By Shelley Taylor
- Pattern common among women, may be experienced by men
- Rely on social contacts and turn to others for support
- Combined with fight or flight increases odds of offspring’s survival
- Promoted by oxytocin, the love and bonding hormone, which helps counter stress
18
Q
Describe PTSD
A
• A condition that may follow extremely stressful events
• Symptoms include
o Flashbacks (vivid memories, feelings, and images of traumatic events)
o Avoiding triggers
o Feeling detached from others
o Increased arousal
Difficulty sleeping
Startling easy
• Severity, duration, and nearness of stressor affect role of PTSD
• Number of traumatic events and lack of social support predict stress levels, depression, and suicidal thoughts
• Military at high risk
• Supportive spouses decrease symptoms
19
Q
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
A
- Study of relationship between immune system and CNS
* Positive thinking cannot reverse serious illness and physical diseases are not result of negative thinking
20
Q
Describe the connection between stress and colds
A
- Significant stressors are best predictors of cold development
- May be due to inflammatory response caused by stress
- Close ties to loved ones and community gave protection from colds
- May also be increased due to stress related behaviors (poor sleep, diet, etc.)
21
Q
How are stressors related to the immune system and how can this be counteracted?
A
- Severely stressful situations (i.e., death of a spouse) decreases immune system
- Positive emotions and social support help counteract this
22
Q
What is psychophysiological?
A
- Illnesses in which emotions and stress contributes to, maintains, or aggravates the physical condition
- Includes ulcers, asthma, etc.
23
Q
What is biopsychosocial perspective?
A
- View that illness or medical condition is the product of interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors
- Adopted by most psychologists
- Medical conditions are not all physical or psychological
24
Q
Describe the relationship between ulcers and stress
A
- Used to be thought of as psychosomatic
- 90% caused by H. pylori bacteria
- Higher rates of ulcers in people suffering stress so may reduce resistance to bacteria
25
Describe the relationship between stress and coronary heart disease
• Stressful events predict recurrences of MI’s, HTN, and cardiomegaly (enlargement)
o Only correlational
• High levels of stress hormones can lead to dysrhythmias, atherosclerosis, and cardiac arrest
• Autonomic nervous system increases HR and exaggerated responses to physical stressors
• May also be increased due to stress related behaviours
• Hostility a predictor of CVD, decreasing hostility and practicing forgiveness decreases risk of death
26
What is social support and how does it help with stress and overall health?
* Relationships with people and groups that can provide us with emotional comfort and personal and financial resources
* People with less social support have higher mortality rates
27
What is behavioral control?
* Active coping that is problem-focused
| * Do something to decrease impact and prevent recurrence of stressful event
28
What is cognitive control?
• Emotion-focused coping involving thinking differently about negative emotions
• Helps when we can’t control or change stressful events
• Collective self esteem
o An evaluation of ones identity “I am…”
o Tied to better health for those with little perceived control
o May protect older adults who believe they have little control with what is happening in their life
29
What is decisional control?
* Ability to choose among alternative courses of action
| * Can include consulting with others for help
30
What is informational control?
• Ability to acquire information about a stressful event
• Proactive coping
o Anticipating problems and stressful situations and take steps to prevent or minimize difficulties before they arise
o People who practice this often perceive stressful events as growth opportunities
31
What is emotional control?
* Ability to suppress and express emotions
* People who journal about traumatic events have more emotional control and it improves overall health and wellbeing
* May need to supress anger and fear until its appropriate to express
32
What is crisis debriefing
* Usually 3-4 hours long within 1-2 days following the incident
* Discusses participants emotions to help process
* New research shows its not effective
* May increase risk of PTSD by getting in the way of natural coping strategies
* Emotional disclosure (vs nondisclosure) shows no benefit to physical or psychological measures
* Emotional disclosure most likely to help when it allows thinking about and working through problems in a more constructive light
33
What is flexible coping?
* Ability to adjust coping skills to situation demands
* Shows its critical to coping with many stressful situations
* Suppressing and avoiding emotions can distract us from problem solving and coping long term
34
Describe hardiness and its effect on overall health
* Set of attitudes marked by a sense of control over events, commitment to life and work, and courage and motivation to confront stressful circumstance
* Quality of stress-resistant people
* Remain healthier than those that are not hardy
* May be because they tend to react calmly to stressors rather than just being hardy
35
Describe optimism and its effect on overall health
* Decreased mortality rate
| * Better at handling frustration than pessimists
36
Describe spirituality and religious involvement and its effect on overall health
• Spirituality is the search for the sacred, may or may not extend to belief in God
• Decreased mortality rates
• May be due to
o Prohibiting risky health behaviours
o Increases social support and marital satisfaction
o Sense of meaning and purpose
37
Describe ruminating and its effect on overall health
* Focusing on how bad we feel and endlessly analyzing cause and consequences of our problems
* Recycling negative events can make us more depressed
* Reflection related to positive adjustment
* Regret and brooding related to negative adjustment
38
What is health psychology?
* Also called behavioral medicine
* Field of psychology that integrates the behavioral sciences with the practice of medicine
* Studies influences of stress and other psychological factors on physical disorders
* Uses psychological interventions to promote and maintain health and to prevent and treat illness
39
Describe smoking cessations overall health benefits
* Smoking leading cause of preventable disease
* About 50% try to quit, only 10% of that succeed
* Education about risks managing stress, and avoiding high risk situations worked 25-35% of the time in long term smoker
* More attempts to quit increases changes of success
40
Describe the overall health benefits of reducing alcohol intake
• 1400 Canadians die in DUI MVCs each year
• Repeated heavy episodic drinking linked to serious health consequences
o At least than 5 drinks in men and 4 in women
41
Describe the overall health benefits of healthy weight
* About 1/3 Canadians are overweight or obese
* Increased risk for CVD, HTN, arthritis, resp issues, diabetes, etc.
* Even losing 10% of weight decreases risk factors
* Suffer from social and emotional issues and discrimination
* Crash diets, severely restricting calories, not likely to result in long term change and are unhealthy
* Lots of fad diets are based on little to no science and often result in yoyo effect
* Most fall of diet within 6 months
* ~20% of people can lose and keep off 10% of their body weight
* Obesity is genetically influenced so medications in the future may be developed
42
What are some scientifically supported advice for achieving a healthy weight?
```
o Exercise regularly
o Monitor total calories and weight
o Eat good fats
o Lower salt and caffeine intake
o Eat high fiber foods
o Get help from social network for support
o Control portion size
```
43
Describe exercise and its overall effects on health
• Aerobic exercises
o Exercises that promote use of oxygen in the body
o Decreases BP and risk of CVD, increases lung function, relieves symptoms or arthritis
• Exercise >8 weeks
o Increases cardiovascular recovery from stress
o Decreased depression and anxiety
• Moderate exercise like a brisk walk yields health benefits
• Sustained, vigorous exercise helps reach fitness potential
44
Why do people resist changing for the better?
• Up to 80% don’t’ follow medical advice for health changes or medications
• Difficulty overcoming personal status quo
o Many self-destructive habits relieve stress and don’t create imminent health threat
• Underestimate common causes of death and overestimate frequency of least common causes
o Rationalize lifestyle with something will kill me, may as well enjoy life
• Some feel powerless to change
45
What are prevention programs?
• Educate youth about
o Risks and negative consequences of unhealthy habits
o Positive health behaviours
o Recognizing and resisting peer pressures
o Exposure to positive role models
o Effective coping skills
• Those that focus on coping skills and managing stress result in better outcomes
46
What is CAM?
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
47
What is alternative medicine?
* Health care practices and products used in place of conventional medicine
* Not shown safe/effective by scientific standards
48
What is complementary medicine?
* Health care practices and products used together with conventional medicine
* Not shown safe/effective by scientific standards
49
Describe the use of vitamins, herbs, and food supplements on overall health
* Many herbal and natural preparations are found to be no more effective than a placebo
* Adequate vitamins are important but high doses are not beneficial, and may be bad ro overall health
* FDA doesn’t monitor it so no guarantee to contents
* Not necessarily safe because they are natural
50
What is manipulative and body based medicine?
* Includes chiropractor
* May have some benefit for spine issues
* No evidence it can help diseases not associated with the spine
51
What is biofeedback?
* Feedback by a device that provides almost an immediate output of a biological function, such as HR or temp
* People use it to modify physiological response to stress
* Works as well as regular relaxation
52
What is meditation
• Practices that train attention and awareness
• Expectancies of meditation helps positive outcomes
• Associated with wide range of health benefits
• Concentrative meditation
o Focus on a single thing, i.e. mantra, breath etc.
• Awareness meditation
o Attention wanders and examines and examines whatever comes to mind
53
What is energy medicine?
* Includes acupuncture
| * Is not falsifiable and therefore not scientific
54
What is mind-body medicine?
Includes biofeedback, meditation, and energy medicine
55
Describe CAMs compared to placebos
* Most CAMs failed to be more effective than placebos
* Placebo effects can have measurable impact on brain chemistry
* Pain is especially affected by placebos
56
What is homeopathic medicine?
• Remedies that feature a small dose of an illness-inducing substance to activate the bodies own natural defences
• Have not been shown to be effective for any conditions
• Use representative heuristic
o Mental shortcut with which we judge the similarity between two things by gauging the extent to which they resemble each other
• Some are so diluted none actually makes it into the “medicine”
57
According to the text, which of the following is not a dimension of psychological hardiness?
a) a tendency to look on change as a challenge rather than a threat
b) a sense of commitment and deep involvement in personal goals
c) close supportive relationships with family and friends
d) a feeling that adverse circumstances can be controlled or changed
C
58
Jaime applied to several law schools but was not accepted at any of them. He says that he is actually relieved—he really didn't want to be a lawyer anyway. Jaime appears to be engaging in __________ coping.
emotion-focused
59
Preet does yoga to manage her stress associated with work, and to deal with stress about school she focuses on good study habits and being very organized. In this example, Preet uses ____________ coping for work stress and ___________ coping for school stress.
emotion-focused; problem-focused
60
John is the type of person who wants everything done perfectly the first time. When playing a game, he feels like he must win. He is easily provoked to anger and is very ambitious. Which personality type is associated with these traits?
Type A personality.
61
Adelaide hears a hissing sound as she hikes through the desert. Her muscles tense and her blood pressure rises. According to Hans Selye, she is in which stage of the general adaptation syndrome?
alarm phase
62
Steven doesn't think that his actions will help change his stressful job. Instead, he adopts the "smile—the world looks brighter when you do" coping style to deal with his stress. He uses what type of coping style?
emotion-focused
63
Dr. Alastair examines the effects of emotional states on the body's ability to fight diseases. She is a:
psychoneuroimmunologist
64
Health psychology emphasizes
preventing and treating illness.
65
The field of ______ studies the effects of psychological factors such as stress, emotions, thinking, and behaviour on the immune system.
psychoneuroimmunology
66
Eustress is to _______________ stress as distress is to _________________ stress.
good; damaging
67
Which of the following is an example of problem-focused coping?
a) crying
b) humour
c) getting a second job
d) religious faith
C
68
The field of psychology that integrates the behavioural sciences with the practice and science of medicine is known as
health psychology.
69
The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) measures stress related to
positive and negative life events.
70
What hormone helps to counter stress and promotes the tend-and-befriend response?
Oxytocin
71
Why are peptic ulcers so interesting to psychologists?
Before their cause was known, it was thought that they resulted from stress alone.
72
Imagine that you have just failed a class. You evaluate this situation and decide that failing a class is stressful and important enough to be upset about. Next you decide to repeat the class in summer school. You have made
both a primary appraisal and a secondary appraisal.
73
Hans Selye's description of how people react to stressors is
the general adaptation syndrome.
74
Jan is a physician at a major medical centre. Even though she is not a psychologist, she considers her patients' mental health and their social situations along with their current physical condition and symptoms when making assessments and developing treatment plans. Jan is an adherent of the __________ model of health care.
biopsychosocial
75
Which of the following is one of the five types of control we use in stressful situations?
a) Psychosomatic control
b) Decisional control
c) Social control
d) Crisis control
B
76
Allison has just started a new job. She has become very aware of all the expectations people have of her, and she feels somewhat threatened. According to Lazarus, what process has Allison gone through in sizing up her new job?
primary appraisal
77
A stressor that is so severe that it produces long-term psychological or health consequences is considered ____________.
traumatic
78
Julien just found out that his grandmother passed away. While he is very sad and upset that he didn’t get to see her before she passed away, he recognizes that there was nothing he would have been able to do for his grandmother and that she lived a full and happy life. Which of the following best represents Julien’s behaviour?
Emotion-focused coping
79
Darci wants to go to medical school. She has high grades, but she is stressed with having to take the MCAT exam that is required for all applicants. To reduce this stress, she signed up for MCAT prep classes, so that she will know what to expect. Darci is engaging in
proactive coping.
80
How are hassles different from the life changes included in the Social Readjustment Rating Scale?
a) Hassles occur with greater frequency than life changes.
b) Hassles are caused by other people, while life changes are caused by the physical environment.
c) Hassles are major sources of stress, while life changes are less intense.
d) Hassles occur less often than life changes.
A
81
Research on Parkinson’s disease, sham acupuncture treatments, and depression has indicated that _____________ can actually alleviate some physical symptoms and enhance the effects of available treatments.
placebo effects
82
If someone is exposed to a prolonged and inescapable stressor that exceeds the person’s ability to cope, that person will move into which stage of Selye's general adaptation syndrome?
Exhaustion
83
Which of the following is not one of the stages of the general adaptation syndrome?
a) recovery
b) exhaustion
c) alarm
d) resistance
A
84
Which term describes the sources of emotional comfort, information, and even financial assistance that allow us to cope with difficult situations?
social support
85
________ is also known as "recycling mental garbage."
Rumination
86
The coping method that involves changing the way you feel or react to a stressor is known as:
emotion-focused coping.
87
Optimism is linked with
enhanced immune functioning.
88
A coping strategy that features a positive outlook on feelings or situations accompanied by behaviours that reduce painful emotions is called __________ coping.
emotion-focused
89
The interdisciplinary field that studies the effects of psychological factors on the immune system is known as
psychoneuroimmunology
90
The term hassles refers to
minor annoyances of everyday life.
91
In comparison to nonreligious people, religious individuals have
a) lower mortality rates and lower blood pressure.
b) higher mortality rates and higher blood pressure.
c) lower mortality rates and higher blood pressure.
d) higher mortality rates and lower blood pressure.
A
92
It can be very difficult to change bad habits, because people have a hard time starting something new or stopping an existing bad habit that is enjoyable. What term is used to describe this state?
personal inertia
93
Which of the following individuals would be most likely to die from coronary heart disease (CHD)?
a) A man with Type B personality.
b) A woman with Type B personality.
c) A woman with Type A personality.
d) A man with Type A personality.
D
94
Edgar is learning deep-breathing techniques to reduce his anxiety about public speaking. This is an example of
emotion-focused coping.
95
Adelaide hears a hissing sound as she hikes through the desert. Her muscles tense and her blood pressure rises. According to Hans Selye, she is in which stage of the general adaptation syndrome?
alarm phase.
96
Which of the following represents the theoretical basis for the Social Readjustment Rating Scale?
a) Our interpretation of events is critical to our experience of stress.
b) The number and intensity of stressors determines how we feel.
c) Some people are more vulnerable to stress than others.
d) Stress results from the physiological symptoms of arousal.
B
97
Scenario: Ellen was just promoted to a new job within her organization. She feels very well prepared for her new role and all of the various tasks associated with it, but she is still a bit apprehensive about the change. She is excited about getting a new office, and having an assistant to help with some big projects, and she is also pretty happy about getting a raise to her salary. On the other hand, she will have less flexibility in her new job and a lot more responsibility. In order to prepare for the new job, Ellen has been getting a lot of advice from her current boss about what to expect, and she has a big chart on her wall with all of the tasks she needs to accomplish. On that chart she has included a timeline, a series of steps, and notes about things that could go wrong. Ellen also booked a couple of extra massage appointments and downloaded a meditation app on her phone, to help her deal with some of the stress responses associated with the transition.
What is Ellen’s primary appraisal of this situation?
She feels that it is a stressful event.
98
Scenario: Ellen was just promoted to a new job within her organization. She feels very well prepared for her new role and all of the various tasks associated with it, but she is still a bit apprehensive about the change. She is excited about getting a new office, and having an assistant to help with some big projects, and she is also pretty happy about getting a raise to her salary. On the other hand, she will have less flexibility in her new job and a lot more responsibility. In order to prepare for the new job, Ellen has been getting a lot of advice from her current boss about what to expect, and she has a big chart on her wall with all of the tasks she needs to accomplish. On that chart she has included a timeline, a series of steps, and notes about things that could go wrong. Ellen also booked a couple of extra massage appointments and downloaded a meditation app on her phone, to help her deal with some of the stress responses associated with the transition.
Your text and lecture video provide information about various strategies to take control in times of stress. When Ellen gets advice from her boss, which form of control is that?
Informational control.
99
Scenario: Ellen was just promoted to a new job within her organization. She feels very well prepared for her new role and all of the various tasks associated with it, but she is still a bit apprehensive about the change. She is excited about getting a new office, and having an assistant to help with some big projects, and she is also pretty happy about getting a raise to her salary. On the other hand, she will have less flexibility in her new job and a lot more responsibility. In order to prepare for the new job, Ellen has been getting a lot of advice from her current boss about what to expect, and she has a big chart on her wall with all of the tasks she needs to accomplish. On that chart she has included a timeline, a series of steps, and notes about things that could go wrong. Ellen also booked a couple of extra massage appointments and downloaded a meditation app on her phone, to help her deal with some of the stress responses associated with the transition.
Which of Ellen’s responses would be considered proactive coping?
a) Booking extra massage appointments.
b) Creating the wall chart.
c) Doing meditation.
d) Thinking about the exciting aspects of her new job.
B
100
Scenario: Ellen was just promoted to a new job within her organization. She feels very well prepared for her new role and all of the various tasks associated with it, but she is still a bit apprehensive about the change. She is excited about getting a new office, and having an assistant to help with some big projects, and she is also pretty happy about getting a raise to her salary. On the other hand, she will have less flexibility in her new job and a lot more responsibility. In order to prepare for the new job, Ellen has been getting a lot of advice from her current boss about what to expect, and she has a big chart on her wall with all of the tasks she needs to accomplish. On that chart she has included a timeline, a series of steps, and notes about things that could go wrong. Ellen also booked a couple of extra massage appointments and downloaded a meditation app on her phone, to help her deal with some of the stress responses associated with the transition.
Which of the following best represents Ellen’s secondary appraisal of her promotion?
She is able to cope, because she feels that she is well-prepared for the new role.
101
Scenario: Ellen was just promoted to a new job within her organization. She feels very well prepared for her new role and all of the various tasks associated with it, but she is still a bit apprehensive about the change. She is excited about getting a new office, and having an assistant to help with some big projects, and she is also pretty happy about getting a raise to her salary. On the other hand, she will have less flexibility in her new job and a lot more responsibility. In order to prepare for the new job, Ellen has been getting a lot of advice from her current boss about what to expect, and she has a big chart on her wall with all of the tasks she needs to accomplish. On that chart she has included a timeline, a series of steps, and notes about things that could go wrong. Ellen also booked a couple of extra massage appointments and downloaded a meditation app on her phone, to help her deal with some of the stress responses associated with the transition.
Which of Ellen’s responses would be considered to be emotion-focused coping?
a) Focusing on the positive aspects of the promotion.
b) Recognizing that she is feeling apprehensive.
c) Making charts and getting advice.
d) Thinking about all of the things that could go wrong.
A
