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