Stress and Health

Which of the following examples best illustrates frustration? (A) A basketball coach loses his temper when his team loses a game they should have won. (B) Two wolves fight to become the leader of the pack. (C) A child starts crying when his mother says good-bye to him in preschool. (D) A spider eats a fly. (E) A farmer kills a chicken to eat for dinner.

(A) Frustration is defined as the feeling that results when a person's attempt to reach a goal is blocked. In this scenario, the coach's goal of winning the game was blocked, causing frustration to occur. Choices (B), (D), and (E) could be examples of aggression but not necessarily frustration.

Just before her solo at her chorus concert, Charlene's heart begins to race and her face becomes flushed. According to Hans Selye, Charlene is in what stage of stress? (A) Alarm (B) Resistance (C) Exhaustion (D) Primary (E) Psychosomatic

(A) The alarm stage is the initial reaction to stress. is is when the fight- flight response is activated. In this case, Charlene is entering the initial alarm stage just before the chorus concert starts.

Which of the following statements is true regarding the fight- flight response? (A) It can be triggered by physical stimuli that threaten our survival. (B) It directs a great source of energy from the brain to the muscles. (C) It calms the body down after the response to a stress stimuli has occurred. (D) It stimulates the thyroid gland to release a stress hormone called adrenaline. (E) It automatically reduces physiological stress triggers by slowing down the heart rate.

(A) The fight- flight response directs a great amount of energy to the muscles and brain, therefore eliminating choice (B). reatening physical stimuli trigger the fight- flight response. Choice (C) is incorrect because it does not solely calm the body down. Choice (D) is incorrect because the fight- flight sequence stimulates the pituitary gland, not the thyroid gland. Choice (E) is incorrect because the heart rate is increased first by the fight- flight sequence.

Stress is best defined as: (A) A subjective evaluation of a situation that we believe to be overwhelming (B) A threatening feeling that comes when we interpret a situation as more than our psychological or physiological resources can handle (C) A potentially harmful situation from which we can potentially sustain some harm or damage (D) Asituationthatweseeasachallengetoourpsyche (E) A measure of how much we can handle a potentially threatening situation

(B) Choice (B) is the de nition of the term stress. e other choices are all examples of stress but do not give the actual definition.

Lamar was asked to give blood. He has a terrible fear of doing so.He automatically thinks this will have negative effects on his well-being. is is an example of what type of appraisal? (A) Harm/loss (B) Challenge (C) Threat (D) Stress (E) Negative

(C) A threat appraisal is when the harm or loss has not yet occurred but the indi- vidual knows it will happen in the future. Choice (A) occurs when an individual has already sustained some damage or injury. Choice (B) occurs when there is potential for gain or personal growth but it is necessary to mobilize resources in order to achieve success.

What are the three stages of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS)? (A) Alarm, fight, relaxation (B) Alarm, control, exhaustion (C) Resistance, alarm, homeostasis (D)Alarm, resistance, exhaustion (E) Resistance, exhaustion, relaxation

(D) Hans Selye called his theory the general adaptation syndrome. This theory describes the body's reaction to stressful situations. The alarm stage is the initial reaction to stress. The resistance stage is the body's reaction to continued stress. The exhaustion stage is the body's reaction to continuous and long-term stress.

Which of the following is not an example of a major source of stress? (A) Hassles (B) Change (C) Pressure (D) Frustration (E) Fear

(E) Choices (A), (B), (C), and (D) are all examples of the most common triggers of stress. Although fear can cause stress, it is not the major cause of stress for most people.

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

3 phases, phase 1: alarm, phase 2: resistance, phase 3: Exhaustion

Immune system activity is affected by

Age, Nutrition, Genetics and Body Temperature

Four Types of Cells are active in the search and destroy missions of the immune systems

B and T lymphocytes, Macrophages and NK cells

Underreaction

Bacterial infection flare-up, dormant virus eruption, cancer cells multiplying

Chronic Stress

Continuous state of arousal where demands are perceived as greater than resources available

Stessors

Events or situations that are perceived as harmful, threatening or challenging and thus triggering stress response

the relative deprivation principle

Happiness is relative to others' success is

adaptation-level phenomenon

Happiness is relative to our own experiences

Macrophages

Identify, pursue and ingest harmful invaders and worn-out cells

Stress and Colds

People with the highest life stress scores were also the most vulnerable when exposed to cold virus

Feel-good, do-good phenomenon

People's tendency to be helpful when already in a good mood.

Optimism Versus Pessimism

Pessimists: Expect things to go badly; blame themselves, others or situations beyond their control Optimists: Expect to have control, work well under stress, and enjoy good health

Stress

Process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we find threatening or challenging

Overreaction

Self-Attacking, some forms of arthritis, allergic reaction

How does stress make us more vulnerable to disease?

Stress diverts energy from the immune system, inhibiting the activities of its B and T lymphocytes, macrophages, and NK cells

Learned Helplessness

The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Internal Versus External Locus of Control

Those who have an external locus of control believe that chance or outside forces control their fate. Those who have an internal locus of control believe they control their own destiny.

Walter Cannon

Viewed the stress response as a united mind-body fight-or-flight system

Hans Selye

extended Cannon's findings proposing a general three-phase general adaptation syndrome (GAS)...prolonged stress can damage it

B lymphocytes

mature in the bone marrow and release antibodies that fight bacterial infections

T lymphocytes

mature in the thymus and other lymphatic tissue and attack cancer cells, viruses and foreign substances

Hassles

minor problems in daily life can add up to be a major stressor

Burnout

physical, mental and emotional exhaustion from persistent hassles

Natural killer Cells (NK cells)

pursue diseased cells (such as those infected by viruses or cancer)