Chapter 10 Healthy Psychology and Stress

More than other facets of personality, reacting to frustrating situations with anger is strongly associated with coronary heart disease. Why is this?

anger substantially raises heart rate and blood pressure, putting the system under greater strain

emotion-focused coping

attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one's stress reaction occurs when we cant control a problem

having some control over your daily lives is helpful to lifespan

being able to shower yourselves and even feed yourselves gives you some control and allows you to life for longer and healthier

state of resistance

body's defense system gears up, engaging cardiovascular support to provide continued oxygen where it is needed as fuel for the muscles, as well as immunological function to fend off infection if wounded Growth-oriented processes (digestion and reproduction) conserve limited energy ---Body's resistance can be exhausted and needs time to recharge

sympathetic adreno medullary axis SAM

body's immediate or acute response to a stressful situation--stage 1 of selye Impulsive superhero Acts quick, releases epinephrine and norepinephrine from the adrenal medulla sympathetic - releases epinephrine and norepinephrine from adrenal glands Allows parasympathetic to kick in and return the body to homeostasis when a stressor has passed

General Adaptation Syndrome

Seyle's concept that the body responds to stress with alarm, resistance and exhaustion

In the biopsychosocial model, socioeconomic status (SES) is generally considered a "social" factor. Although it's not common, a dramatic change in a person's SES can occur from one day to the next (e.g., by winning the lottery or by going unexpectedly bankrupt). However, in many studies of health risk, a person's SES in childhood is more strongly predictive of their long-term health outcomes than their current SES. Why is this?

Social factors like SES have big impacts on psychological and biological development during childhood Explanation → All three factors in the biopsychosocial model interact continuously over the lifetime. As a result, a person's current biology and psychology (including epigenetic effects) will have been powerfully influenced by, for example, childhood poverty, regardless of whether they won the lottery yesterday.

comfort foods and stress

focus on how yummy something is rather than the issues in your life Stress signals resources that may be in short supply, so our body thinks we need the calories when we really don't

self-compassion

Being kind to ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, recognizing that imperfection is part of the human condition, and accepting rather than denying negative feelings about ourselves.

why do people still smoke if they know it has health concerns bio, psych, social

Biological: Can be addictive with increased dopamine levels in reward pathways of the brain Psychological: rationales people use to justify their behavior--it helps me lose weight Social: social norms toward smoking influence behavior..has the state banned it or not

how stress leads to heart disease

Chronic activation of the sympathetic system/SAM axis can lead to the buildup of plaques on the arterial walls, which increases one's risk of a heart attack. Experience of chronic stress at work leads to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood of developing heart disease more chronic stress means a stressful event can trigger a burst in SAM reactivity and cause a heart attack Chronic stress can also impact your ability to activate the PNS, leaving the SNS unchecked Without the PNS, your body becomes inflexible in coping with new challenges

At the request of the surgeons, a private surgical clinic has hired a massage therapist who is to work with every patient. Immediately prior to surgery, patients receive 30 minutes of seated relaxation massage. Why might this procedure be included as part of the clinic's standard course of surgical treatment?

Reducing stress prior to surgery may speed up the time needed for patients to heal Explanation → Many people find surgery to be a very stressful process. By relaxing patients before administering anesthetic, the clinic can ensure that downstream effects of stress (such as vasoconstriction and inflammation) are reduced, speeding recovery.

two systems of physiological response

SAM and HPA

How do acute and chronic stress impact the immune system?

acute stress activates an immune response, but chronic stress compromises that response

Belvina has recently acquired a smartwatch that she hopes will help her get in shape. Twelve hours a day, every hour, her watch alerts her if she hasn't been active enough during that hour. What would be a good example of an implementation intention that Belvina could use to take advantage of these reminders?

"If I get a movement alert, then I have to get up and walk 500 steps" Explanation → On the one hand, this plan has an if-then trigger: If the watch alerts her, then she takes a specific action. Also, since the alerts only come if she hasn't been active, Belvina may find herself moving around more in anticipation of the alerts, getting her movement in before the alert goes off.

health

"a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Hans Selye

(Accidently) described General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)- link between stress and health in early studied of sex hormones in rats

Steps to changing behavior

-time before you are aware a problem exists (precontemplation) -Identifying the problem (Contemplation) -Desiring change and analyzing the history of the problem -Establishing short and long term goals (preparation) -signing a behavior modification contract, enact the plan (activation) -work to sustain this new behavior (maintenance)

people finding meaning by

1. making sense if a bad situation 2. find some benefit in the bad situation people who cannot find an answer to meaning tend to be unhappy many look towards religion trying to find an answer can lead to a more positive life

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

For as long as she can remember, Amahle has often found sensory stimulation overwhelming, especially in social settings like parties. Because of this, she experiences anxiety about face-to-face interactions with her friends and prefers email and text messaging. According to which of the following frameworks is Amahle more likely to experience cardiovascular complications because of this social stress? Choices : Diathesis-stress model, Genetics, Differential sensitivities hypothesis, and Epigenetics

Differential sensitivities hypothesis Explanation → Amahle's sensory sensitivity is one way in which she's different from her friends, but it is not in itself a "diathesis" for an anxiety diagnosis. Instead, according to the differential sensitivities hypothesis, this quirk happens to make Amahle more likely to experience stress and the cardiovascular risks that go with it.

euorpean Americans and asian Americans both wrote letters to someone close to them and asked for advice about a problem

European Americans felt less stressed + showed lower levels of cortisol if they wrote a letter to someone close to them and asked them advice about a problem rather than simply writing to a social group BUT Asian American responded opposite

The practice of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has shown benefits in a number of experimental studies. Which of the following is a key component of practicing MBSR?

Experiencing thoughts and feelings while also making an effort not to pass judgment on those experiences Explanation → Merely having awareness of oneself is not necessarily healthy. MBSR helps people become aware of their thoughts and feelings in a more detached way, without being judgmental about them.

Martin is feeling overwhelmed by his intense school, work, and practice schedule and experiences the alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages of the general adaptation syndrome over a few days. Is this scenario more related to the SAM or the HPA axis of stress response?

HPA

Which of the following is the most important factor in how people benefit from social support?

Having a subset of friend and family whom you know you can count on in times of need Explanation → The key to social support is having people who, if needed, will rally to your call and help you through difficult times.

Pollyanna is an extremely optimistic person, who seems to see the bright side of every situation. Based on the current consensus among scientists, which of the following is probably true of her physiological responses to stressors?

Her HPA axis shows reduced activation relative to that of her peers Explanation → Optimistic people still experience stress, but their long-term reactivity, as shown by the HPA axis, seems to be less extreme than what is ordinarily observed.

Julie is a systems analyst who spends a lot of time every day crunching numbers. She often finds the work very engaging, to the point of forgetting to take a lunch break and hardly noticing time passing until it's time to go home. Despite working very hard, Julie often goes home feeling refreshed. Why is this?

Her level of engagement makes her workday feel more like challenging play than grueling work Explanation → Two key components go into achieving the sort of flow state that Julie is experiencing. The first is that the task be treated as a challenge rather than as a threat. The second is that it be challenging enough to require undivided attention but not so challenging as to result in repeated failure or difficulty

Public speaking example

If you are prepared and like public speaking → secondary appraisal of coping exceeds the primary appraisal of the demands Fear of public speaking→ heart rate increases and beat with increased force, blood vessels constrict instead of dilating

Hans selye injected rats experiment

Injected rats with ovarian extract and measured their physiological rxns ---Injected rats developed an enlarged adrenal gland, bleeding stomach ulcers, and a shrinking of the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes To conclude that the extract caused symptoms, he needed a control group of rats that were injected with something not the extract to make sure they did not show the same results ---Found that those injected with random substances showed same symptoms Found that stress led the rats to develop these symptoms ---"Selye would try to inject the rats, miss them, drop them, spend half the morning chasing the rats around the room or vice versa, flailing with a broom to get them out from behind the sink, and so on

Ursula experienced a terrible tragedy: While she was at work, her house burned down. While still grappling with her shock, she resolves that she will do her best to understand what this tragedy could mean. How will this quest for meaning influence Ursula's ability to cope with her new situation?

It depends on whether or not she feels she has found what the tragedy means Explanation → Merely seeking meaning is not sufficient to ensure better outcomes. Those who seek meaning and find it are generally better off, but those who fail to find meaning may be worse off than those who never sought it at all.

use of drugs for stress

Nicotine stimulant can replace negative emotions with a high Painkillers which tend to become addictive Opioids knock out painful experiences by directly activating reward systems in the brain Under the influence of drugs and alcohol people tend to do more risky things and put their lives in danger

panic attack during an exam biopsychosocial model

Physical/biology: racing heart, sweating, numbness in an arm or hand Psychologically: how the questions on the exam are not making any sense Social context: you see no one else is stressing so you feel ashamed and embarrassed

According to the "broaden-and-build" interpretation, what function do positive emotions serve?

Positive emotions facilitate both open-mindedness and constructive actions Explanation → Under this framework, positive emotions are not only thought to help people see a wider range of options but also to build on those opportunities. This is also associated with a greater sense of control, as discussed in the previous study unit.

When Derrick received a diagnosis of early-stage leukemia, he leapt into action. Following every lead, Derrick sought out ways to improve his chances of beating the disease. After several months, when asked how he was feeling, he could reply honestly that he felt optimistic and invigorated. What is Derrick demonstrating? Choices : Problem-focused coping, Stress reactivity, Emotion-focused coping, Threat reactivity

Problem-focused coping Explanation → A "problem-focused" coping strategy is one that zeroes in on areas of difficulty and treats them as problems to be solved. This approach is associated with a strong sense of control, provided that taking an active role makes a visible difference.

In study after study, results show that exercise is a powerful tool for combating stress and depression. However, many people struggle to stick to a regular exercise routine. Why is this?

Sticking to a routine requires self-control, which is impaired in people who have high levels of stress Explanation → Chronic stress and depression go hand in hand with feelings of powerlessness and low levels of willpower. As a result, the hardest thing about exercising to reduce stress is to start doing it, because the willpower needed to start is often what is in short supply.

differential sensitivities hypothesis

The idea that some people have a genetic predisposition to be more strongly affected by variation in their environment, especially during early childhood This is a different kind of gene x environment interaction that has been proposed children with these genetic sensitivities are more likely to be emotionally scarred for life by stressful childhood events, but they also benefit much more from growing up in a loving, supportive environment

sleep hygiene

The practice of following good sleep habits to sleep soundly and be alert during the day going to bed at the same time each night avoiding concentration tasks before bed using bed only for sleep and sex

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its suggestions of a healthy lifestyle

The primary federal agency that conducts and supports public health activities in the United States. recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week combined with a couple of days of strength training. need 7-8 hours of sleep

sympathetic nervous system

fight or flight

Why don't zebras get ulcers?

They live in a symbolically and socially less complex world than humans do experience intense but short lived stress

Expressive Writing

Writing to express or portray personal observation or feeling. increased positive outlook on life reduced distress improved academic performance no relationship to heart health

alcohol myopia

a condition that results when alcohol hampers attention, leading people to respond in simple ways to complex situations focus of attention narrows and their ability to exert top-down control over impulses is impaired

diathesis-stress model

a diagnostic model that proposes that a disorder may develop when an underlying vulnerability is coupled with a precipitating event looks at genes and environment interactions in this model, neither the diathesis (risk of illness) nor the stress by itself causes the disorder A disorder results when an individual has both a risk factor + a high level of stress

biopsychosocial model

a model of health that integrates the effects of biological, behavioral, and social factors on health and illness

serotonin transporter gene

a particular gene critical to the gene-environment interactions that apparently contribute to the development of depression

According to his therapist, Henri is experiencing considerable stress in the workplace. In particular, Henri finds the demands of his job to be overwhelming. According to the definition of stress, what additional component would we expect Henri to be experiencing? Options: memory difficulty, a physiological response, increased, productivity, a reduced attention span

a physiological response Stress is more than just a realization that one's environment is taxing; it also has a pronounced physical component that can lead to a wide range of health complications.

flow

a psychological state of effortlessness, in which you become completely absorbed in what you're doing and time seems to pass quickly occurs when we are working not relaxing -play cards, paint...dont watch TV

laughter therapy

a type of therapy that uses humor to help relieve pain and stress and improve a person's sense of well-being

SAM is more involved in ____ response to stress

cardiovascular

3 categories of stressors

catastrophes, significant life changes, daily hassles

we perform better under stress when we show ___ rather than ___

challenge over threat pattern ex: baseball players who showed challenge response when imaging a make or break episode in a game performed better than those who showed a threat response ex: College students talking about an important test and showed a challenge response did better than those who showed a threatened response

most stressful events

death of spouse, divorce, imprisonment, death of a family member, marriage, major injury or illness

Beta Blockers

decrease heart rate and dilate arteries by blocking beta receptors

frequent mindfullness

decrease in negative moods and thoughts, decrease sympathetic reactivity and amygdala activation to negative stimuli, and increase patterns of left frontal activation that have been associated with more positive emotions

we like to have control in our lives and people who don't have control tend to have

depression

3 important factors of a healthy lifestyle

diet, exercise and sleep

Which of the following is a question that health psychology would seek the answer?

does mental exhaustion impair the body's ability to fight off infection

stressors

events that are most likely to be stressful that help determine stress Environmental factors bad for our health Not everyone has the same response to a situation Ex: post-traumatic stress disorder treatments are helpful for some and not others

daily hassles

everyday minor events that annoy and upset people ex: getting stuck in traffic, paper cuts

social context biopsycholocial model

family, friends, culture, socioeconomic status, education

acceptance

helps emotion regulation

Kalinda does design work as an independent contractor, and a new client has sent her a project that she estimates will take about 100 hours of work over the next month. Since she has already committed to several other projects, she only feels like she can handle about 80 additional hours of work, and she is worried about whether she will be able to complete the project on time. Why is Kalinda feeling stressed?

her secondary appraisal of her work capacity is lower than her primary appraisal of the project's demands Explanation → Under the framework of stress appraisal theory, it is not so much being burdened that makes us feel stress as it is experiencing more of a burden than we feel we are able to bear

Stigmatized Illness

illnesses that are particularly stressful bc they make people feel isolated and alone

HPA is more involved in the ____ response to stress

immune systems

stage of exhaustion

inability to physically adapt to an ongoing stressor Without relief, adrenal failure can occur as a response to too much stress Most of us never experience this stage of exhaustion

stress can be beneficial

increase awareness in difficult or dangerous situations allowing a quick response key for survival-but only a little

threat reactivity

increase in heart rate combined with vasoconstriction is a cardiovascular pattern of this Although it becomes more difficult for oxygenated blood to circulate, it can evolve to prevent you from losing too much blood from an injury

The power of touch

increases survival and buffers pain by touching someone they care about/know

primary appraisal

initial decision regarding whether an event is harmful what is at stake what are the demands ex: finals In a hard class the demands are higher but roommate is taking easier class so you claim the demand is much less

Hydrocortisone

injected into sore joints to reduce pain because it reduces swelling Helps store the energy we need if a stressure sticks around for a long time keeps sympathetic nervous system ON with persistent stress (chronic stress)...stops parasympathetic NS from returning to homeostasis Leads to issues in the body

health psychology

is an interdisciplinary field that investigates the links among behavior, cognition, and physical health Brings together physiology, medicine, cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, and social psychology Can have careers in medicine, public health, nursing, epidemiology, sociology, counseling, kinesiology, and psychology

hostility and anger

lead to increased heart disease react when their goals are frustrated

humor and stress

lessens it people are more optimistic, higher self esteem, less likely to be depressed but there is no evidence that it helps physical health -humor does more for perception of health rather than physical health

Philomena has no children of her own but has long dreamed of adopting a child. After many years of researching and planning, she has finally received approval to adopt a baby boy. In the week before bringing her new son home, she feels excited, but also finds that the preparations are leaving her frazzled and sleepless. Why is this?

major life events, even happy ones, are often a source of stress

alarm rxn

mechanisms in brain are alerted to some threat Initial shock may dip body's ability to resist the stressor below normal levels briefly

Type B personalities

more relaxed, easy going and less quick to anger

Catastrophic events

most extreme type of stressor: threaten lives and are often accompanied by loss Natural disasters, terrosism, wars Personal: raped, kidnapped, or beaten ---After physical scars are healed, the stress is always a burden Can negatively affect mental and physical health even if you were not directly harmed ---PTSD ---Survivor guilt ---Firefighters later developed illness after 9/11

rat and epigenetic experiment

mothers raised own pups: -more stressed caused by more methylation-nonattentitive -less stress caused by less methylation-attentitive -light hairs pups more stressed cannot tell from this result whether the moms and their offspring just shared some genetic factors maters raised other pups: -dark hared pups were more stressed inattentive mothers raised their own pups: methyl groups removed -epigenetic changes disappeared, rarely had genes methylated even being raised by inattentive -showed reduced stress behaviors

perceived stress

negative effects on many different OB-related outcomes evaluation on how they appraise a stressful event

What type of relationship do you tend to find between smoking rates and smoking bans?

negative relationship-as bans increases, smoking rate decreases

dangers of drinking to cope

one way for people to self-medicate alc may have to ability to be aware of your problems but truly alc just causes unhealthy side effects the more we drink doesn't change the amount of stress relieved...once you reach your max that's it

illusion of control

perception of uncontrollable events as subject to one's control or as more controllable than they are

secondary appraisal

perceptions regarding our ability to cope with an event that follows primary appraisal can I cope what resources do I have Ex: finals You have done well on earlier exams and finals are spaced out so you think your are up for the change of the demanding schedule...enjoy exams instead of stressing Perceive stress is more important than objective stressors for determining effects on health and well-being

Type A personality

personality type that describes people who are competitive, driven, hostile, and ambitious

Psychology biopsychosocial model

personality, history, behavior, beliefs, memories, coping strategies

there are health benefits to having a

positive affective style or optimistic personality this life-style acts as a shock absorber, allowing people's bodies and particularly their immune systems to better handle the bumps and potholes on their paths through life

hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis HPA

prolonged response Methodical sidekick Adrenal cortex flooded with ACTH, releases cortisol into the bloodstream

stress appraisal theory

provides framework for addressing the issue provides a lens through which we view the event and shape our emotional experience of it. two categories: primary appraisal and secondary appraisal

Erik has been in a high-stress job for the last ten years, and his doctor tells him that he should probably begin taking beta blockers in order to reduce the risk of a heart attack. How would taking beta blockers reduce this risk?

reduce the intensity of SNS reactions to stressful events

parasympathetic nervous system

rest and digest calms your nerves

being stressed we take more ____

risks →prefrontal cortex kicks in to quash our initial reward- seeking impulses Stress can impair these executive processes ex: young adults who are under a lot of stress tend to engage more in umprotected sex (I mean this tb really likes to talk about sex)

Biology biopsychosocial model

sex, illness, genetic background, immune functioning, neurochemistry

health and illness is now being greatly affected by

social and psychological factors

implementation intentions

specific strategies for dealing with the challenges of making a life change if then thoughts ex: if I pass the store, do I stop and get milk

Cortisol

stress hormone because it is elevated in negative, uncontrollable, and evaluative social situations Increases blood sugar to provide more energy to the system and suppresses the immune system by inhibiting inflammation

Fela doesn't drink or use drugs. Nevertheless, he is much more likely to take big risks and act without thinking things through when a lot of things in his life are causing stress. Why might this be?

stress impairs the executive faculties of our prefrontal cortex

mindfulness-based stress reduction

stress reduction technique based on being aware and nonjudgmental of whatever is happening at that moment 2 components: training your attention on the here and now being non judgemental of any thoughts and feeling you might be having mindful mediation increases awareness of our bodies

immune system and stress

stress weakens our immune system; stress is related to four serious illnesses: gastric ulcers, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, PTSD first responder system: immune cells rush to the injury or infection to fend off invaders cell release cytokines --> cause of inflammation for a quick response to destroy a foreign agent prolonged stress makes it difficult for the body to naturally reduce inflammation

interference of a healthy lifestyle

stress-acute and chronic impair the ability to exert self-control ex: stress eating, skipping exercise although you want to skip exercise if you are stressed...it is a great way to relieve stress

major life events

stressful because they disrupt the social safety nets that support our everyday experiences Divorce ----Individuals who are divorced or separated die earlier than their married peers Marriage Starting college or a new job -----Growth and change also brings stress

acute stressors

sudden, one time events some believes these build psychological toughness and strengthens the immune system ex: if you see a car coming towards you, you move rather than see it walk towards you

What ongoing pattern leads to long-term organ damage as a result of chronic stress? Options: past lifetime hardship, sustained allostatic load, repeated short-lived stress responses, ancestral environment

sustained allostatic load

challenge reactivity

sympathetic arousal leads your heart to beat faster and start pumping blood with greater force and in greater volume. Arteries expand to allow oxygenated blood to disperse freely and efficiently throughout your body Can show same cardiovascular activity when preparing a speech and running a mile

social support

the aid gained through interacting with others more support leads to lower blood pressure and stress hormones in response to high pressure situations comfort of reaching out to others to share emotions vary between cultures and individuals

stress appraisal

the events of our lives flow through a psychological filter. cognitive can play a role in amplifying, mitigating, and triggering stress responses in the first place events you think are stressful however are not as stressful in reality

allostatic load

the long-term negative impact of the stress response on the body our body wears down after too much stress daily stressors can accumulate and cause issues high levels of stress in humans put us at greater risk for developing ulcers

resilience

the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma bouncing back after a stressful situation

Stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging Occurs when environmental demands exceed one's ability to adapt

Dawn feels run-down most of the time. She worries that the things her friends post on social media suggest that they live a much more interesting life than her own. Which component of the biopsychosocial model does her worry about her lifestyle qualify as? Options: the physiological component, the psychological component, the social component, the unconscious component

the psychological component Dawn's feelings of worry are very much a psychological component, even though they are a reaction to a social context. In the biopsychosocial model, all of the components are interconnected and interact with one another.

What was the critical detail that led Hans Selye to realize that stress was responsible for the symptoms his rats were displaying?

the rats who were in the control condition showed the same symptoms as those who received ovarian extract injections

Epigenetics

the study of how life events can change how genes are expressed methyl groups some genes can cause more stress than others

broaden and build theory

theory proposing that happiness predisposes us to think more openly allows creativity and exploration ex: buying a giant CHICKIE for $50 may be a bad idea at the time but in a year or two we will laugh about how dumb it was

socioeconomic status and stress

those less wealthy report more health risk (poverty, smoke more, more stressful life) negative effects of low status also happen with animals on the bottom tier also occurs with race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation

Miguel has just received a text message that awakened him from a deep sleep. It informs him that he is late for work. In the ensuing panic to get dressed and speed down the highway to avoid losing his job, he develops a splitting tension headache from the constriction of blood vessels in his head. What is Miguel experiencing? Options: threat reactivity, increased levels of cortisol, parasympathetic nervous system activity, activation of the HPA

threat reactivity Explanation → In acutely stressful situations, threat reactivity is an immediate reaction that is characterized by constriction of blood vessels. Associated with the SAM axis, this pattern is most commonly observed in people who see stressors as immediately threatening.

A sense of control over daily experiences and stressors can transform one's response from

threat to challenge people are more likely to engage in problem focused coping--> approaching stressful situations with a desire and belief that they can proactively solve the problem (eliminating stress meaning more calmer and feel better) -can be helpful in managing anxiety and depression

when are we most likely to experience stress

when there is uncertainty, when we feel we lack of control, and when there is a concern that others will evaluate or treat us negatively