Psychology - Chapter 14

Eustress

(from the Greek eu = "good"), is a good kind of stress associated with positive feelings, optimal health, and performance. A moderate amount of stress can be beneficial in challenging situations.

Distress

(from the Latin dis = "bad"). People who reach this level of stress feel burned out; they are fatigued, exhausted, and their performance begins to decline. If the stress remains excessive, health may begin to erode as well.

Fight-or-Flight Response

A physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived threat. During the fight-or-flight response, the body is rapidly aroused by activation of both the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system.

Stress

A process whereby an individual perceives and responds to events that he appraises as overwhelming or threatening to his well-being. A critical element of this definition is that it emphasizes the importance of how we appraise—that is, judge—demanding or threatening events (often referred to as stressors); these appraisals, in turn, influence our reactions to such events.

Exhaustion

At this stage, the person is no longer able to adapt to the stressor: the body's ability to resist becomes depleted as physical wear takes its toll on the body's tissues and organs. As a result, illness, disease, and other permanent damage to the body—even death—may occur.

Alarm Reaction

Describes the body's immediate reaction upon facing a threatening situation or emergency, and it is roughly analogous to the fight-or-flight response described by Cannon.

Resistance

During this stage, the initial shock of alarm reaction has worn off and the body has adapted to the stressor. Nevertheless, the body also remains on alert and is prepared to respond as it did during the alarm reaction, although with less intensity.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis (Cortisol)

In response to stress, the hypothalamus (one of the limbic structures in the brain) releases corticotrophin-releasing factor, a hormone that causes the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The ACTH then activates the adrenal glands to secrete a number of hormones into the bloodstream; an important one is cortisol, which can affect virtually every organ within the body. Cortisol is commonly known as a stress hormone and helps provide that boost of energy when we first encounter a stressor, preparing us to run away or fight. However, sustained elevated levels of cortisol weaken the immune system.

Secondary Appraisal

Judgment of the options available to cope with a stressor, as well as perceptions of how effective such options will be.

Traumatic Events

Situations in which a person is exposed to actual or threatened death or serious injury.

General Adaptation Syndrome

The body's response to stress. There are three components to it: - Alarm reaction - Resistance - Exhaustion

(Daily) Hassles

The minor irritations and annoyances that are part of our everyday lives (e.g., rush hour traffic, lost keys, obnoxious coworkers, inclement weather, arguments with friends or family)—can build on one another and leave us just as stressed as life change events. Researchers have demonstrated that the frequency of daily hassles is actually a better predictor of both physical and psychological health than are life change units.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The physiological mechanisms of stress are extremely complex, but they generally involve the work of two systems—the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When a person first perceives something as stressful (Selye's alarm reaction), the sympathetic nervous system triggers arousal via the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands. Release of these hormones activates the fight-or-flight responses to stress, such as accelerated heart rate and respiration.

Primary Appraisal

involves judgment about the degree of potential harm or threat to well-being that a stressor might entail.