Stress - Psychology

Acculturative stress, explain?

Acculturative stress o The stress people experience in trying to adapt to a new culture when living in it for a considerable period of time. E.g people willingly relocate or flee as a refugee or asylum seeker. Due to this -may experience language difficulties -ethnic discrimination -lower socioeconomic status and loneliness -homesickness due to separation from family and friends

Approach coping strategies?

Approach coping strategies involve efforts to confront a stressor and deal directly with it and its effects. Activity is focused towards the stressor, its causes and a solution that will address the underlying problem, issue or concern and minimise or eliminate its impact. E.g - loss of job - search for new job

Avoidant coping strategies?

Avoidant coping strategies involve efforts that evade a stressor and deal indirectly with it and its effects. Activity is focused away from the stressor and there is no attempt to actively confront the stressor and its causes. E.g. - loss of job - not tell anyone and not think about it.

How does exercise help an individual?

By using up the stress hormones that were released. Increasing the efficiency of the cardiovascular system and increases strength, flexibility and stamina. Experiencing short term psychological benefits...promotes relaxation and provides relief. Producing chemical changes in the body that can improve psychological health e.g. Endorphins Providing an opportunity for distraction or timeout from a stressor. Interacting with others and having social support.

What is a catastrophes?

Catastrophes (cataclysmic event or disaster) o An unpredictable event that causes widespread damage or suffering. o Usually occurs suddenly, affects many people simultaneously and is completely out of their control. o E.g. natural disasters, terrorist attacks, hazardous material incidents.

What is Coping flexibility?

Coping flexibility Refers to the ability to effectively modify or adjust one's coping strategies according to the demands of different stressful situations. In includes the ability to: -Recognise whether the use of a flexible coping approach is appropriate for a specific situation -Select a coping strategy that suits the situational circumstances -Recognise when the coping strategy being used is ineffective -Discontinue an ineffective coping strategy Produce and implement an alternative coping strategy when required

Explain daily pressures?

Daily Pressures (or hassles) o Little problems of everyday living that are irritants - events that annoy us and can make us upset or angry. o E.g having an argument with a friend, looking for keys in a hurry, having too many things to do at once....

What is Exercise? Difference between Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise?

Exercise Is a physical activity that is usually planned and performed to improve or maintain one's physical condition. E.g. going for a walk or run to improve fitness. Aerobic exercise - activity that exercises the heart and lungs. Anaerobic exercise - involves short bursts of muscle activity to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility.

What does this have on the fight-flight reactions?

Fight-flight reactions o All energy is directed from non-essential body systems to those systems that will help us either 'outrun' or 'outfight' the threat. Both reactions are initiated by the sympathetic nervous system and involves changes such as: o Redistribution of blood supply from the skin and intestines to the muscles o Increased glucose o Increased breathing rate

How is the freeze reaction activated?

Freeze Reactions o Body movement and vocalisation stop, the racing heart slows significantly, blood pressure drops very quickly and tense muscles collapse and become still. o When the freeze reaction is initiated, the energy conserving parasympathetic nervous system dominate over the existing effects of the sympathetic nervous system activation. o This leaves the organism in a high arousal state of both the sympathetic and parasympathic systems. o E.g. one for on accelerator (SNS) and one foot on brake (PSNS).

Difference between HIGH COPING FLEXIBILITY AND LOW COPING FLEXIBILITY

High coping flexibility: individuals adjust their coping strategies if a particular strategy they are using is ineffective. They use different types of coping strategies across a variety of stressful situations. Low coping flexibility: individuals consistently use the same type of coping strategy across different stressful situations.

o What is coping strategy?

Is a specific method, behavioural or psychological, that people use to manage or reduce the stress produced by a stressor.

What is Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?

Is a three stage physiological response to stress that occurs regardless of the stressors that is encountered.

Explain life events?

Life Events o It involves a change that forces us to adapt to new circumstances. o E.g beginning a new career, changing schools, the loss of a significant relationship.... o They include choices we make, not just things that happen to us. o Such events (pleasant or unpleasant) typically have immediate consequences and also require long term adjustment. For example, most people choose to get married but many report that marriage is a stressful event.

What is Major stress?

Major Stressors o An event that is extraordinarily stressful or disturbing for almost everyone who experiences it. o It may be a single, one off event, such as being the victim of a violent crime, or it may be ongoing, such as a terminal illness. o The event does not have to be directly experienced. For example, witnessing the event as it occurs to someone else. -described as psychologically traumatic because they typically involve experiences that are life threatening, or where there is a significant threat to the individual's physical or psychological wellbeing

What is a stressor ?

Stimuli that cause or produce stress and challenge our ability to cope are known as stressors.

o What happens in In primary appraisal?

We evaluate, or judge the significance of the event. o Is it irrelevant? - Has no significance for the person o Is it benign-positive? - Good or desirable o Is it stressful? - Harmful/threatening/challenging

What does it focus on? (Transactional Model of Stress and Coping)

What does it focus on? model focuses on two key psychological factors that determine the extent to which an event (or situation) is experienced as stressful: o The meaning of the event to the individual o The individual's judgement of their ability to cope with it

How is the fight flight reaction activated in response to stress ?

When a threat is perceived, a signal is sent to the hypothalamus (via the amygdala). The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system and plays a vital role in monitoring and adjusting bodily processes (homeostasis). The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal medulla (inner part of the adrenal gland), which secretes hormones called catecholmines (adrenaline and noradrenaline) into the bloodstream. These stress hormones characterise the fight flight reactions

What is Context-specific effectiveness?

o A coping strategy is considered to have context-specific effectiveness when there is a match or 'good fit' between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation. o E.g when experiencing stress about exams, a coping strategy that focuses on taking positive action, such planning, time management and study would be suitable for many students. Whereas coping strategies such as wishful thinking and mental distancing are detrimental.

What are the Strengths of GAS?

o Developed awareness and understanding of the links between stress and disease. o Identifies biological processes associated with the body's stress response. o Influential through its description and explanation of the potentially detrimental effects of the 3 stage adaptation process following a persistent stressor.

What is distress?

o Distress is a negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of negative psychological such as anger, anxiety, nervousness or tension. - short term, but for some stressors it can persist if not addressed and managed properly. -serious and debilitating consequences for our physical and mental health. E.g being in a long queue when in a hurry, losing an important sports match, financial pressures, relationship problems....

Strengths of the Lazarus and Folkman model

o Focuses on psychological influences on how we react to a stressor. o It emphasises the personal nature and individuality of the human stress response. o Development of the model involved observations of people. o Views stress as involving an interaction with the environment in which the individual has an active rather than passive role. o Involves personal appraisals of a situation or an event that may be a stressor - from the individual's perspective. o Allows for much more variability in the human stress response & helps explain why different individuals respond in different ways to the same types of stressors.

What happens after primary appraisal how is stress further determined ?

o Harm/loss - involves an assessment of how much damage has already occurred (e.g. 'I have lost my job.') o Threat - involves an assessment of harm/loss that may not have yet occurred but could occur in the future (e.g 'I might not be able to afford the rent.') o Challenge - involves an assessment of the potential for personal gain or growth from the situation (e.g ' I'll get any other job I can and will learn to budget and save money.')

What is Stage 2: Resistance?

o If the source of the stressor is not dealt with, the state of stress continues and the body's resistance to the stressor rises above normal. o The physiological arousal remains at a level above normal, all unnecessary physiological processes are shut down such as digestion, growth and sex drive. o Corticosteriods are released into the bloodstream to further energise the body and help repair any damage that may have occurred. However, abnormally high levels of cortisol interferes with the bodies ability to fight disease and protect itself against further damage. o The ability to deal with the effects of the initial stressor increases, resistance to other stressors (illness or disease), may decline. o If the effort to deal with the initial stressor is successful, the body returns to a homeostatic state of functioning.

What is Stage 3: Exhaustion?

o If the stressor is not dealt with, the organism enters the exhaustion stage. o During this stage, some of the alarm reactions may reappear, but the body cannot sustain its resistance and the effects of the stressor can no longer be dealt with. o The organisms resources are depleted and its resistance to disease is very weak and it becomes more vulnerable to physical and mental disorders. o This stage brings on signs of physical wear and tear and is charcterised by extreme fatigue, high levels of anxiety. o In extreme cases, if the stress continues further, the organism may even die.

What is the Role of Cortisol? Why do we need it?

o If we need to deal with a stressor over time, additional resources are required as the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline do not last long. o The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal, or HPA axis puts into motion a slower but long lasting chain of reactions that includes the release of cortisol (second wave response). o The main effect of cortisol is to energise the body by increasing energy supplies such as blood sugar and enhancing metabolism. o Unlike the fight-flight-freeze, the HPA axis takes significantly longer (seconds to minutes) to exert its influences and persists for a longer time (minutes to hours). o Prolonged activation of our stress response systems can be harmful to our physical and mental health.

What is Stage 1: Alarm reaction?

o Involves initial response which occurs when the person (or animal) first becomes aware of the stressor. o At first, the body goes into a temporary state of shock, and its ability to deal with the stressor falls below its normal level. Physiological the body reacts as if it were injured; for example, blood pressure and body temperature drop. o Then the body rebounds from this level with a reaction called countershock. This is where the sympathetic nervous system is activated and the body's resistance to the stressor increases. o The response is a fight-flight response, becomes highly aroused and alert as it prepares to deal with the stressor. o This initial stage is defensive in nature and results in a state of tension and alertness, and a readiness to respond to the stressor.

What are the Weakness of GAS?

o One size fits all model o Tends to understate the roles of bodily systems other than the endocrine system in the stress response and overlooks our psychological response to different types of stressors. o Not all people experience the same physiological reactions to chronic stress o Selye's description of the GAS as a non-specific stress response may also be limited. o Criticised for being primarily based on the results of research with animals and therefore maybe of limited relevance to the human stress response.

Effect of major stresses on physical, cognitibe, behavioral and emotional impact?

o Physical: hypervigilance (i.E. Excessive alertness, on the lookout for signs of danger); easily startled; fatigue/exhaustion; disturbed sleep; general aches and pains o Cognitive: intrusive thoughts and recurring memories of the event; visual images of the event; nightmares; poor concentration and memory; disorientation; confusion o Behavioural: avoidance of places or activities that are reminders of the event; social withdrawal and isolation; loss of interest in normal activities o Emotional: fear; numbness and detachment; depression; guilt; anger and irritability; anxiety and panic.

Limitations of the Lazarus and Folkman model

o Primary and secondary appraisals can interact simultaneously - difficult to isolate for study as separate variables. o There is some doubt that we need to appraise something as causing stress in order to have a stress response. o Individuals may not always be conscious of, or able to label all the factors that are causing them to experience a stress response o It overlooks physiological responses to stressors.

What is the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping? What does it focus on?

o Proposes that stress involves an encounter ('transaction') between an individual & their external environment, and that a stress response depends upon the individual's interpretation ('appraisal') of the stressor & their ability to cope with it.

What is stress? What is it considered as?

o Stress is a state of physiological (biological) and psychological arousal produced by internal and external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope. o Stress is considered to be a psychobiological process. Note: Stress is subjective and therefore depends on our personal interpretation.

What is the fight-flight-freeze response?

o The fight-flight-freeze response is an involuntary, physical response to a sudden and immediate threat (or stressor) in readiness to : o Fight - confronting and fighting of the threat o Flight - escaping by running away to safety o Freeze - keeping absolutely still and silent, avoiding detection

What models are used to describe physiological responses to a stressor?

o Two models for describing and explaining physiological responses to a stressor are called fight-flight-freeze response and the General Adaptation Syndrome.

What is eustress?

oEustress is a positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of positive psychological states such as feeling enthusiastic and motivated, excited, active and alert. -short term and can provide the energy or motivation needed to achieve a goal. -Not considered harmful or damaging to the body. E.g first date, 18th birthday, meeting a celebrity.....

o What happens in secondary appraisal?

we evaluate our coping options and resources and out options for dealing with the event. o Coping options & resources may be internal (e.g strength & determination) or external (e.g. money and support from family). o If coping demands are far greater than resources, we are likely to experience a stress response. o This may trigger a search for additional or new resources that can be used to cope with the stress.