Stress

Question 1

Eustress v distress

Answer 1

Eustress is a positive psychological response to a stressor. Can give energy and motivation to achieve a goal.

Distress is a negative psychological response to a stressor.

Question 2

5 sources of stress

Answer 2

Daily Pressures (can accumulate)
Life events.
Acculturative stress (trying to adapt to a new culture when living in it for along period of time)
Major stressors (extraordinarily stressful for everyone)
Catastrophes (widespread damage and stress for many)

Question 3

Fight-Flight-Freeze response?

Answer 3

Involuntary, physical response to sudden threat.
Fight-flight reactions are increased hr, breathing, glucose, pupils. Freeze is hr slows, muscles still

Question 4

HPA axis (for long-term stressor)

Answer 4

Hypothalamus stimulates pituitary gland. Pituitary gland secretes hormones into bloodstream which are carried to the adrenal cortex. The hormones stimulate the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol.

Question 5

Effects of cortisol

Answer 5

Energise the body. Retard tissue repair and slow wound healing (suppress immune system).

Question 6

ASC

Selye’s general adaptation syndrome (GAD)

Answer 6

Three-stage physiological response to stress.
Alarm reaction (shock and counter shock):
Shock is ability to deal with stressors reduces
Counter shock, SNS activated and fff response. Adrenaline is released.

Resistance: If stressor not dealt with, cortisol released to energise the body. But it weakens immunity and so limits body’s ability to fight disease.

Exhaustion: body cannot sustain resistance and resistance to disease is very weak.

Question 7

Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional model of stress and coping?

Answer 7

Stress depends on individual’s evaluation of stresses and their ability to cope with it.

Primary appraisal:
Irrelevant, benign-positive or stressful
Harm/loss, threat or challenge
Secondary:
Evaluate internal/external coping options
If situation is perceived as exceeding ability to cope, then we experience a stress response.

Question 8

Context-specific effectiveness

Answer 8

A good fit between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation. Eg. planning to reduce exam stress

Question 9

Coping flexibility

Answer 9

Ability to modify coping strategies for different stressful siutations.

Question 10

Approach and avoidance coping strategies

Answer 10

Approach: confront stressor and directly deal with its effects.
Avoidant: evade a stressor and not confront it.

Question 11

Exercise as a coping strategy

Answer 11

When exercising, stress hormones are used up, tension is reduced, distraction.