Stress &
Stressors
Stressors
For example, a bear, an exam, an upcoming presentation, etc.
What is a stressor?
The body's acute, adaptive response to stressors, activates SAM system.
What is fight or flight?
What are some harmful effects of chronic stress? (Name 3)
Increased blood pressure, stress hormones, drug use, and delay in seeking medical care
Decreased immune function, sleep, nutrition, healthcare use, and compliance with medical advice
Is problem or emotion focused coping better?
Depends on the nature of the stressful event, and they often work together
What are three factors that affect coping? (There are 5 total)
Hardiness (resilience), explanatory style (optimist vs pessimist), personality type, personal control and choice, and social support
What are the three kinds of stressors?
Daily hassles, personal stressors, and cataclysmic events
Three stage pattern of stress response developed by Hans Selye
What is General Adaptation Syndrome?
What are three factors affecting an appraisal of an event? (There are 6 total)
Duration, valence, control, predictability, clarity, and centrality
Seeking solace or support from others for emotional reasons
What is emotion focused coping?
Women have a stronger ____ response, which may help explain differences in coronary disease
Glucocorticoid (cortisol)
This part of the nervous system works with the endocrine system to produce arousal and fear reactions
What is the autonomic or sympathetic nervous system?
Has two appraisals to judge the event and our ability to cope with the event
What is the Cognitive Appraisal Model?
What does Diathesis mean in the diathesis-stress model of disease?
Biological or psychological predisposition to an illness
An individual will seek information and address the issue or problem
What is problem focused coping?
Men have a stronger ___ reactivity to stressors, and thus may reflect a tendency to be more hostile
catecholamine (epi/norepi)
What is the pathway for the HPAC response?
2nd, delayed response: Stressor > Hypothalamus > CRH > Pituitary > ACTH > Adrenal CORTEX > Cortisol
The ability to achieve stability through change, maintaining homeostasis through the adaptive change of the organism's internal environment to meet perceived and anticipated demands
What is Allostasis?
What model of stress suggests that heredity and environment are complementary processes, and their interaction has an effect on biological structures and functions?
The Diathesis-Stress model
A withdrawal from the problem or a denial of its existence, the least effective strategy
What is disengagement coping?
May mitigate stress indirectly through the use of more effective coping strategies (ex: Supportive partner)
What is the buffering hypothesis?
What is the pathway for the SAM response?
Stressor > Hypothalamus > CRH > Pituitary > ACTH > Adrenal Medulla > Epi/Norepi
In which stage of General Adaptation Syndrome does the SAM system become less active and the HPAC system kicks in?
Resistance
When can stressful life experiences cause new physiological illnesses?
Vulnerable to illnesses already
This type of coping includes both problem solving and emotional support
What are the three types of social support?
Informational (understanding the event better), instrumental (ex: money, driving), and emotional (warmth and nurturance)