Terms & Misc. Flashcards
(65 cards)
Stress
A response to an overwhelming and demanding situation.
Stressors
Events that trigger stress.
Stimulus View of Stress
Focus on situations that cause stress.
Response View of Stress
Focus on physiological changes that occur when someone encounters a challenging situation.
Relational View of Stress
Defines stress as a particular relationship between people and situations in which they find themselves.
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe (1960)
Developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) that quantified stress in terms of major life changes.
Why is it hard to measure life events and hassles that cause stress?
Not all people react to situations in the same way.
Lazarus and Folkman (1984)
Appraisals & Dealing with Coping
Primary Appraisal
Quick assessment of the meaning of an event for the person. (Determines whether a emotional response will occur).
Secondary Appraisal
Accessing resources available for us to cope with stress. (What do we do, how do we resolve the problem?)
What are the two main systems in our body that are involved in stress?
The Autonomic Nervous System and the Endocrine System cause physiological changes.
The Neuroendocrine System
Hormonal systems involved in emotions and stress.
Three key structures in the regulation of stress responses?
Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland.
The adrenal gland release…
Catecholamines and glucocorticoids.
Catecholamines
Function as hormones and as neurotransmitters to control ANS activation.
Glucocorticoids
Hormones that maintain activation of physiological systems during emergencies.
Two major neuroendocrine pathways?
Adrenal-Medullary System, and the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis.
Adrenal-Madullary System
Major pathway stimulated during stress - hypothalamus activates sympathetic nervous system.
Norepinephrine
Neurotransmitter that activates the sympathetic response to stress, increasing heart rate, rate of respiration, and blood pressure in support of rapid action.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis
A major pathway relevant to the stress response involving the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex.
During emotional arousal and stress, the hypothalamus releases a substance called…
Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF).
____ stimulates ____ which stimulates ____.
CRF - ACTH - Cortex of the Adrenal Gland.
Cortisol
The “stress hormone” produced by the body to make sure the body gets enough fuel during stress and arousal.
What does Cortisol do?
Breakdown complex molecules, ensuring glucose is available for the bloodstream, regulates immune system by reducing immune cells in bloodstream, which may make it susceptible to infections.
