Stress Management: Dealing with the Demands of Life and Work Flashcards
Though psychologists cannot agree on one definition for the word _____, it will be defined for the purpose of this chapter as the psychological and physical reaction to certain life events or situations.
stress
The stress process begins with life events or situations that cause stress. These life events are called _____ and include such things as weddings, job interviews, dentist appointments, basketball games, deadlines, and traffic jams.
stressors
If we perceive these events as being stressful, our bodies respond in many ways, including elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, muscle tension, and perspiration. These reactions are called stress _____.
reactivity
If these physical reactions occur for periods longer than our body can tolerate, negative physical and psychological consequences can occur. These consequences are called _____.
strains
_____(from the root eu-, meaning something that is proper) occurs when stressors result in feelings of challenge or achievement—the feelings of stress get converted into positive energy and actually become motivating.
Eustress
If you are too stressed, your performance will decline. This is what is known as the optimal level of arousal, or _____ theory.
According to the _____ theory, having little arousal or too much arousal results in poor performance, whereas a moderate level results in the highest levels of
inverted-U
In a study of more than 1,800 U.S. managers, the amount of _____ (called challenge-related stress by the researchers) had no relationship to job satisfaction or attempts to leave the organization.
eustress
Stress Personalities
They tend to do many things at one time (called multitasking).
They are achievement-oriented, competitive individuals who tend to place work before pleasure.
These characteristics become exaggerated when the _____ personality experiences stress. _____ employees under stress are more likely than others to exhibit high blood pressure and high levels of stress-related hormones. In addition, _____ individuals are slower to recover after the stressor is removed.
Type A Personalities
Stress Personalities
_____ individuals seem to be more laid-back. That is, when a potentially stress-producing event occurs, they are better able to keep it in perspective and use more positive ways to deal with it. They are more relaxed and more agreeable.
Type B
Occupational Stressors
Three main job characteristics cause _____: role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload.
stress
_____ occurs when our work expectations and what we think we should be doing don’t match up with the work we actually have to do. _____ can also occur when an employee has competing roles or conflicting roles. For example, an employee’s role as manager may require her to work on a Saturday, but her role as a mother requires her to attend her daughter’s soccer game on the same day.
Role conflict
_____ occurs when an individual’s job duties and performance expectations are not clearly defined. In the preceding example, the woman experienced not only role conflict but _____ because what her boss expected her to do was different from what the other staff expected her to do
Role ambiguity
_____ develops when individuals either feel they lack the skills or workplace resources to complete a task or perceive that the task cannot be done in the required amount of time.
Role overload
_____ politics are self-serving behaviors employees use to increase the probability of obtaining positive outcomes in organizations.
Organizational
_____ politics are behaviors designed to influence others with the goal of helping both the organization and the person playing the politics. Examples of _____ politics include portraying a professional image, publicizing one’s accomplishments, volunteering, and complimenting others.
Positive
