Chapter 12
Common Psychosocial Stressors
Role Overload 🡪 Too much to do Role Underload 🡪 Not enough to do Role Ambiguity 🡪 Not understanding what to do Lack of Control 🡪 No personal choice Role Conflict 🡪 Competing demands POINT: We are less well-evolved to cope with psychosocial stressors
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
"The Relaxation Response" by Herbert Benson Tension Releasing Tension
Psychophysiological
A category of illnesses such as asthma and ulcers in which emotions and stress contribute to, maintain, or aggravate the physical condition
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
A life-threatening, incurable, and yet treatable condition in which the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks and damages the immune system
Chiropractic Manipulation
Body-based methods that is not practiced by chiropractors
Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Stages of physiological response to stress: Alarm; "Fight or Flight" response (Autonomic Nervous System [ANS] arousal) -Brief drop followed by increase in resistance Resistance; Prolonged State of ANS Arousal -Resources allocated to resist stressor -Adapting to the stressor and finding a way to cope with it. -"Thinking Brain" Exhaustion; Resistance eventually weakens immune system -When the resistance breaks down from the limited resources and lack of good coping measures -Risk increases for stress-related illness
Cognitive reappraisal (reframing)
Stress caused by the way people appraise events -Pessimistic beliefs -Helplessness -Irrational beliefs Stress management programs teach people to recognize & replace irrational, self-defeating beliefs
Biopsychosocial Perspective
The view that an illness or a medical condition is the product of the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors
Stress and Colds
We do get colds when we are stressed Though a network of friends and relative and close ties to the community seems to afford protections against colds Even in controlled socioeconomic differences, body mass, season of the year, health practices, physical activity, and smoking status, the relation between sleep and colds remained the same
The three stages of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) include
alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Our attitudes, personality, and socialization shape our...
reactions to potential stressors
According to the text, the bottom line on alternative treatments is
some work, some don't; it's best to consult an authority and the scientific literature
Stress of Life
A book that unveiled Hans Selye's decades of study on the effects of prolonged stress on the body Attempt to recognize a connection between the stress response of animals and physically ill patients Believed too much stress leads to breakdowns
Representative Heuristic
A mental shortcut with which we judge the similarity between two things by gauging the extent to which they resemble each other (like goes with like)
Trauma
A stressor that is so sever that it can produce long-term psychological or health consequences
Anger
A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility Anger Types; -Anger In: Depression, self-loathing -Anger Out: Hostility, resentment
Meditation
A variety of practices that train attention and awareness Once regarded as an alternative approach, now appears to be an effective means of reducing stress and has increasingly blended into the spectrum of conventional approaches There is no "right" way to meditate
Proactive Coping
Anticipation of problems and stressful situations that promotes effective coping People tend to perceive stressful circumstances as opportunities for growth
Energy Medicine
Based on the idea that disruptions in our body's energy field can be mapped and treated
Inoculation
Build up "psychological immunity" to a stressor -Learn to cope with less intense versions of a stressor Example: public speaking programs
Basic Stress-Response Process
Demanding Events (stressors) The 3 Stress Response Process -Cognitive Appraisal -Copping Efforts -Strain Health, Well-being, and Performance outcomes
Connecting Stress to Physical Health
Demands create allostatic load High allostatic load creates wear and tear on the body (i.e., strain)
Fallacy of Uniform Efficacy
Describes the assumption that certain ways of coping and regulating emotion are consistently beneficial The ability to adjust coping strategies as the situation demands is critical to contending with many stressful situations Those who are better at flexibly controlling their emotions by suppressing or expressing them on demand on a laboratory task reported less distress
Crisis Debriefing
Designed to ward off PTSD among people exposed to trauma Single session procedure, typically conducted in groups, that last 3-4 hours This is not an effective method for trauma reactions It may increase the risk of PTSD among people exposed to trauma because it gets in the way of people's natural coping strategies
Catharsis
Disclosing painful feelings This can be harmful Rarely reduce long term stress, though they make us feel slightly better for a few moments
Secondary Cognitive Appraisal
Do I have the resources to cope with the event? What options do I have? What internal & external resources are available to me? How should I respond?
Heavy Episodic Drinking (Binge Drinking)
Drinking five or more drinks on one occasion -Men: 5 or more drinks -Women: 4 or more drinks There is no evidence of a reduced risk of mortality for moderate drinkers Any amount of alcohol is unsure to be safe
Spirituality & Religious Involvement
Encourages healthy lifestyle Provides social support network Stimulates positive emotions
Appraisal
Evaluation of an event This is the most critical factor influence whether we experience an event as stressful
Tips for Achieving a Healthy Weight
Fad treatments are entirely devoid of scientific support -The diets people experience from dramatic weight loss will gradually return to their initial weight; "yo-yo effect" Crash Diets: Diets in which people severally restrict calories -These diets aren't likely to result in long-term weight loss and are unhealthy
Biofeedback
Feedback by a device that provides almost an immediate output of a biological function, such as heart rate or skin temperature Patients can use feedback to change their physiological responses associated with stress or illness Relaxation training and biofeedback are about equally effective in reducing stress and treating anxiety, insomnia, and the side effects of chemo therapy
Healthy Psychology
Field of psychology, also called behavioral medicine, that integrates the behavioral sciences with the practice of medicine Help patients break the grip of unhealthy habits
Positive reappraisal
Focus on positive aspects or silver lining in current difficult situation
Stressor As Stimuli
Focuses on identifying different types of stressful events, and people who are most susceptible to stress following different events
Ruminating:
Focusing on how bad we feel and endlessly analyzing the causes and consequences of our problems Women have higher rates of and more frequent bouts of depression compared with men because they ruminate more Men are most likely to focus on pleasurable or distracting activities Both sexes can benefit from cutting down on rumination and instead, confronting their problems head-on
Cardiovascular disease & Type A Personality
Friedman & Rosenman (1957) Tracked 83 Type A & 83 Type B Men 69% of men with heart attacks were Type A 0 % of "pure" Type B had heart attacks Stress response facilitates more cardiovascular risks and poor health outcomes
Alternative Medicine
Healthcare practices and products used in place of conventional medicine (real medicine); replaces real medicine with "fake" medicine (stuff real health providers would not use). Whereas there is actual medicine for which there's solid evidence of safety and effectiveness
Complementary Medicine or Integrative Health Medicine
Healthcare practices and products used together with conventional medicine Together, both forms of medicine are known as CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) What unites them is that they've not yet been shown to be safe and effective using scientific standards
Primary Cognitive Appraisal
How threatening/demanding is the event? Is it relevant to me? Is it threatening? Serious physical or psychological threat?
Immunosuppression
In short run, glucocorticoids (e.g., cortisol) are produced to energize the body (fight or flight) and fight off infection Under chronic stress, glucocorticoids disturb: -Functioning of existing lymphocytes -Growth of new lymphocytes Under conditions of chronic stress over time: -Increased stress response = decreased immune system response -Increased risk of common cold, cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc. Short-term defenses make you sick in the long run
Primary Appraisal
Initial decision regarding whether an event is harmful
Natural Commonplace
Just because it's natural doesn't mean that it's necessarily safe or healthy for us
Stress as Demands & Resources
Life events create demands Demands require an adaptive response Increased resources to: -Attention (narrows & focuses on stressor) -Physical & emotional arousal (devoted to coping) -Immune system (increases in functioning) Decreased resources to: -Sexual drive -Digestive system -Pain response
Creation of positive events
Making ordinary events into something wonderful - noticing a sunset
Hassles Scale
Measures how stressful events impact our adjustment When we compare hassles to major life events, hassles are a better predictor of subsequent psychological health
Gender Based Differences In Reading Emotions
Men did well "reading" other men's emotions, but had more difficulty reading women's emotions Women were equally good at reading emotions on men and women's faces
Hassles
Minor annoyance or nuisance that strains our ability to cope
Life Events and Health Risks Model/Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
Objective Approach to Stress by Holmes & Rahe by rating The first to measure life events systematically Assumes that stress reflects exposure to stressful events Measures stress as number of events experienced Assumption of one event "value" is universal Recognition that events can be stressful
Delusional Infestation
Scientists believed that patients falsely believed that they were infest by parasites Physical symptoms don't have a medical basis, and are probably the product of a fervent imaginations, they can be stressful to the point that they interfere with everyday life
Spirituality
Search for the sacred, which may or may not extend to belief in God Those who say they believe in God have better health
Stress and Physical Health
Selye's (1930s) Rat Studies Rats developed symptoms from sex hormones that were non-specific stress.
Hardiness
Set of attitudes marked by a sense of control over events, commitment to life and work, and courage and motivation to confront stressful events Those with high stress but low levels of illness were more oriented to challenge, higher in their sense of control over events, and felt a deep sense of involvement in their work and social lives
Catharsis & Anger
Sigmund Freud's belief suggests that it's better to express anger Dr. Bushman findings suggest otherwise that; -Venting 🡪 Aggression -Venting 🡪 more anger -Similar for men & women Dr. Bushman says better strategies include: -Delaying before responding; Count to 10 -Relaxation; Take some deep breadths -Distract; Read or watch something else -Incompatible; laugh
Meridians
Specific spots which believe channel a subtle energy or life force called qi ("chee") It's impossible to prove if qi is that effective of a mechanism
Biopsychosocial Perspective on Coping
Standard stress response: Fight or flight Taylor's Tend & Befriend Model; -Evolution shaped gender differences in social roles -Prehistoric men filled combat and hunting roles -Prehistoric women filled child-rearing & care-taking roles -Quieting infants and hiding could be more adaptive than fight or flight responses -Women evolved to seek & provide more social support than men
Corticosteroid
Stress hormone that activates the body and prepares us to respond to stressful circumstances
Cognitive Control
The ability to think differently about negative emotions that arise in response to stress-provoking events Includes emotion-focused coping; a strategy to adjust to uncertain situations or aversive events we can't control or change
Availability Heuristic
The mental shortcut by which we judge the likelihood of an event by the ease with which it comes to mind -Why we underestimate certain diseases is because the lack of social media features -Heart disease is less news story worthy because it's common and less scary -People are aware of the healthy risks, but don't take them to heart -Others rationalize their lifestyle choices
Posttraumatic Growth
The perception of beneficial change or personal transformation in the struggle to overcome adversity How it is Measured: -Positive Relationships -Gratitude -Life Satisfaction -Meaning of Life People reinterpret their lives in a positive self-protective coping strategy The effects of highly aversive events are often temporary -Though people who have preexisting psychological problem or prior trauma exposure have the most negative after effects
Stress Response Process
The psychological & physical mechanisms through which demanding events affect health, well-being, and performance.
Stress
The tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that arise when a situation, called a stressor ( a type of stimulus) strains our ability to cope effectively Stress-producing events are widespread among all sectors of society; not just urban or rural
Stress and the Immune System
Those reporting high levels of stress developed the worst cold symptoms
Stressors
Threatening or demanding events Requires an adaptive response
Autoimmune diseases
When the immune system is overactive, it can launch an attack on various organs of the body Arthritis
essica has always heard that it's best to get stress "out of her system," so whenever she feels stressed she throws things. Jessica's coping behavior is a _______________ idea, because research evidence shows that _______________.
bad; "getting it [anger] out of your system" can actually increase anger and stress
Clemente sees each of life's hassles as a challenge that he can master and overcome. Clemente is likely to have a strong sense of
hardiness
Behavioral control can be ____________, whereas cognitive control can be ____________
problem-focused; emotion-focused
According to the text, chiropractic manipulation is most likely effective due to
the attention, support, and advice the patient receives from the chiropractor
Ulcers provide an example of
the interaction of a bacterium interacting with stress to result in illness.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
-Consuming supplements of gracinia cambogia; a substance derived from the tamarind rind, to lose weight -Placing thin needles in the external ear to relieve nausea following an operation -Manipulating the spine to treat pain and prevent disease They all have an alternative or nonstandard treatment that falls outside the mainstream of modern medicine
Berry Beyerstein's Questions to ask the before trying an alternative approach
1. Does it lack a scientific rationale or contradict well-accepted scientific laws or principles? 2. Do carefully done studies show that the product or treatment is less effective than conventional approaches?
Healthy Behaviors
1. Stop smoking -It is the leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide 2. Curb Alcohol Consumption 3. Achieve a Healthy Weight -The more inactive we are and the more time we spend on technology, the more likely we are to be obese -"Spare Tires"; the fat around the abdomen have higher health problems than fat distributed else where -Overweight people also suffer from social and emotional problems too 4. Exercise -No matter what physical activity of 30 minutes, whether pain or not pain, can lead to improved fitness and health
Coping Strategies
Adaptive response = coping Emotion-Focused Problem-Focused; -Generate potential alternative solutions -Focus on long-term change Behavior; -Removing the source of stress, leaving the situation -Finding help with stressors -Taking steps to boost physical resistance Affect; -Managing emotional reactions -Expressing emotions Cognition; Changing perceptions of situation (reappraisal)
Emotional Brain
Amygdala, Hypothalamus, and Hippocampus Dubbed as the limbic system
Acupuncture
Ancient Chinese practice of inserting thin needles into one or more 2,000 point in the body to alter energy forces believed to run through the body
CAM Treatments
CAM remains popular for these reasons: -People assume natural products like herbs and megavitamins improve their health because they perceive no adverse effects to counter this belief -The symptoms of many physical disorders come and go, so consumers attribute symptom relief to the treatment, rather than to changes in the natural course of the illness -When CAM treatments accompany conventional treatments, people may attribute their improvement to the CAM treatment, rather than to the less dramatic or interesting conventional treatment -The problem may be misdiagnosed in the first place, so the condition isn't as severe as was initially believed They've failed to demonstrate that they're more effective than placebos or fake treatments
Forms of Stress
Chronic Stressors are more than 6 months Acute Stressors are less than 6 months
Negative Effects of Stress
Cognitive Dysfunction; -Concentration -Memory -Decision Making Affective Dysfunction; -Hostility -Anxiety -Depression -Fear Physical Dysfunction -Immune System -Cardiovascular -Gastrointestinal System -Endocrine System Behavioral Dysfunction; -Substance abuse -Role withdrawal -Role Performance
Basic Hypothesis
Cognitive appraisals affect reactions to potentially stressful events
Type A
Competitive Impatient/Restless Aggressive/Hostile Time-pressured Workaholics Achievement striving + Cynical Hostility Less access to social support Less healthy behavior Hostility is more harmful than achievement striving and has a higher incidence of heart disease
Problem-Focused Coping
Coping strategy by which we problem solve and tackle life's challenges head on We're least likely to do this if we believe we can't cope
Emotion-Focused Coping
Coping strategy that features a positive outlook on feelings or situation accompanied by behaviors that reduce painful emotions We're most likely to adopt this when situations arise that we can't avoid or control
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Damage to the heart from the complete or partial blockage of the arteries that provide oxygen to the heart Stress and personality traits are key risk factors to this disease
Psychosomatic
Deep seated conflicts and emotional reaction were culprits of certain illness and disorders
Immune System
Our body's defense system against invading bacteria, viruses, and other potentially illness-producing organisms and substances
Personal Inertia
Our unwillingness to try something new -It's easier to "let things be" because our self destructive habits relieve stress and don't create an imminent health threat
Distraction Strategies
Passive approach - clear your mind of any thought of stress (e.g., look away, close eyes) Active approach - Competing tasks (e.g., count dots on the ceiling, squeeze someone's hand) Active approach tends to work better. Limited long term effectiveness.
Stress As A Response
People's psychological and physical reactions to stressful circumstances.
Implications
Perceptions are at least as important as objective danger
Cognitive Appraisal
Perceptions of stressfulness of event
Secondary Appraisal
Perceptions regarding our ability to cope with an event that follow primary appraisal
Why most people do not take the advice of healthy professionals despite knowing the bad habits that can endanger their health?
Personal Inertia Misestimating Risk Feeling Powerless
Blood Cells
Phagocytes; First as the scene of an infection and engulf the invader T Cells; Move through the body and attach to proteins on the surface of virus and cancer infected cells, popping them B Cells; Produce antibodies, which stick to the surface of invaders, slow their progress, and attract other proteins that destroy the foreign organisms
Strain
Physical and psychological "loads" created by stressful events Strain creates problems when demands overwhelm resources
Yoga
Physical, mental, and spiritual practices that include postures, meditation, breathing techniques, mental concentration, visualization or guided imagery, and relaxation exercises It is a more effective than the much simpler procedures of relaxation and other types of exercise
Allostatic load
Physiological consequences of high stress -Stress carried by body to maintain homeostasis -As intensity of stress increases, allostatic load increases
Eustress
Positive stress that provides opportunities for personal growth
Critique
Potential to "blame the victim" for stress
Clinician's Illusion
Practicing psychologists overestimating people's fragility and underestimate people's resilience Even when facing traumatic events, people are still resilient and become psychologically healthy adults
Prevention Programs
Programs that focus on using coping skills and managing stress generally show better treatment and prevention outcomes Should begin in adolescence DARE is a bad example because it backfired
Social Support
Reflects number of friends & family who are "there for you" -Healthy network of interpersonal relationships -Family, friends, coworkers, etc. -Social connections encourage healthy behavior Under stress, your support network provides: -Information to solve problems -Destress you -Distract you
Type B
Relaxed/laid-back Forgiving Non-competitive Team players Enjoy vacations & leisure
Homeopathic Medicine
Remedies that feature a small does of an illness-inducing substance to activate the body's own natural defenses An example of a representativeness heuristic Believes that the memory of the substance is enough to stimulate the body's defenses is an extraordinary claim that makes no sense from a scientific perspective Have not been shown to be effective
Psychoneuroimmunology
Study of the relationship between the immune system and central nervous system Important not to fall prey to exaggerated claims
Cognitive Appraisal & Stress
Subjective Approach to Stress Research by (R. Lazarus) Individual differences in how people perceive events based on experience, personality, skills, etc. Event 🡪 Cognitive Appraisal 🡪 Stress Response
Tend and Befriend Model of Coping
Testosterone; -Helps regulate fight or flight response -Lower in Women Oxytocin; -Associated with maternal & social behavior, relaxation, etc. -Women tend to show greater levels in response to stress. -Men who are about to become parents show higher levels -People who sniff an oxytocin inhaler are more trusting. -Oxytocin reduces Male hormones -Oxytocin amplify it's effects to Female hormones
Behavioral Control
The ability to step up and do something to reduce the impact of a stressful situation or prevent its recurrence It is problem focused More effective than avoidance-oriented coping; avoiding action to solve our problems or giving up hope
Emotional Control
The ability to suppress and express emotions
Diets, portion control, and exercise all play a role in weight control. In reality, however, studies suggest that
about 50% of the predisposition to obesity appears to be genetic
JoBeth finds the loss of her home following a hurricane is a major loss to her; but she can rebuild, and is grateful to be alive to do so. JoBeth has engaged in looking at stress
as a transaction