Unit 7 Stress And Coping Flashcards
(20 cards)
stress
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.
stressor
anything that brings on the reaction to stress.
distress
bad stress such as losing a job, a loved one, divorce, etc.
eustress
good stress such as going on a vacation, the holidays, getting married, etc.
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS):
Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases – alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
*Remember: Selye’s three stages ARE (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) a GAS.
Alarm stage:
encounter threatening stimulus, fight or flight activated. If threat avoided, stage ends
resistance stage
if the threat is not avoided there’s prolonged state of stress. Activation of stress cannot be kept up indefinitely.
exhaustion stage
energy and strength are used up by maintaining resistance, can become vulnerable to illness, fatigue & injury.
approach approach conflict
the least stressful social conflict that involves 2 positive options, only one of which you can choose. Ex. You are accepted to both Harvard and Dartmouth. Which do you chose?
avoidance avoidance conflict
involves 2 negative options, one of which you must chose. Ex. mow the lawn or wash the dishes.
approach avoidance conflict
involves whether or not to choose an option that has both a positive and negative consequence or consequences. You are both attracted and repelled by the same goal. Ex. you like to eat spicy food but it gives you heart burn.
multiple approach avoidance conflict
most complex of the social conflicts that involves several alternative courses of action that have both positive and negative aspects. Ex. you only have a certain amount of money to spend on prom. Take a limo: spend most of your budget on the limo and have very little money left for a nice dinner; borrow your parent’s car: it can only fit one other couple and they can’t give it to you when you want it, but you save money; get a party bus: cheaper than a limo, but you don’t know all of the couples going.
Coronary heart disease
the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; the leading cause of death in North America.
acute stress disorder
diagnosed with in the 1st month after exposure to a traumatic event. The person experiences depression and/or anxiety.
Type A
Friedman and Rosenman’s term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people.
Type B
Friedman and Rosenman’s term for easygoing, relaxed people.
Psychophysiological illness
literally, “mind-body” illness; any stress-related physical illness, such as hypertension and some headaches.
Lymphocytes
the two types of white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system; B lymphocytes form in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections; T lymphocytes form in the thymus and other lymphatic tissue and attack cancer cells, viruses, and foreign substances.
T lymphocytes
attack cancer cells and viruses.
B lymphocytes
make antibodies
