1. 11.1 to 11.3 - Stress and stressors
1.1. 11.1 - The relationship between stress and stressors
1.1.1. Stress is the physical, emotional and behavioral responses that occur when events are identified as threatening or challenging
1.1.2. Stressors are events that cause a stress reaction
1.1.3. Stress that has a negative impact is called distress
1.1.4. Eustress is the optimal amount of stress that people need to function well
1.2. 11.2 - Environmental stressors
1.2.1. Catastrophes are events such as floods or crashes that can result in high levels of stress
1.2.2. Major life changes create stress by requiring adjustments. Major life changes have an impact on chronic health problems and risk of accidents
1.2.2.1. Social readjustment rating scale (SSRS) measures amount of stress in a person's life over a 1-year period resulting from major life changes
1.2.3. Hassles are the daily frustrations and irritations that have an impact on day-to-day health
1.2.3.1. This is where the majority of the stress we perceive actually comes from
1.3. 11.3 - Psychological stressors
1.3.1. There are several sources of stress
1.3.1.1. Pressure
1.3.1.1.1. Can have negative impact on people's ability to be creative
1.3.1.2. Uncontrollability
1.3.1.2.1. The less control a person has, the more stress they have as well
1.3.1.3. Frustration
1.3.1.3.1. This can be internal or external and may result in:
1.3.1.4. Conflict
1.3.1.4.1. Happens whenever you find yourself torn between 2 or more competing and incompatible desires, goals or action. There are different form of conflict:
2. 11.10 to 11.13 - Coping with stress
2.1. 11.10 - Coping strategies
2.1.1. Problem-focused coping is used when the problem can be eliminated or changed so that it is no longer stressful or so that the impact of the stressor is reduced
2.1.2. Emotion-focused coping is often used with problem-focused coping and involves changing one's emotional reactions to a stressor
2.1.3. Meditation can produce a state of relaxation and reduce the physical reactions common to stressful situations
2.1.3.1. Concentrative meditation involves focusing inward on some repetitive stimulus, such as one's breathin
2.2. 11.11 - How social support affects coping
2.2.1. A social-support system is the network of friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers and others who can offer help to a person in need. Having a social-support system has been shown to reduce stress, help prevent illness, and aid people in coping more effectively with stressors
2.2.2. There is also a theory suggesting gender makes a difference and that men are more likely to implement a fight or flight and women are more likely to implement a tend or befriend approach
2.3. 11.12 - How culture affects coping
2.3.1. Different cultures perceive stressors differently, and coping strategies will also vary from culture to culture
2.4. 11.13 - How religion affects coping
2.4.1. People with religious beliefs also have been found to cope better with stressful events
3. 11.4 to 11.9 - Physiological factors: stress and health
3.1. 11.4 - The general adaption syndrome
3.1.1. The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic system, which responds to stressful events, and the parasympathetic system, which restores the body to normal functioning after the stress has ceased
3.1.2. The general adaption syndrome is the body's reaction to stress and includes three stages:
3.1.2.1. Alarm: when body first reacts to stressor and sympathetic nervous system is activated to increase heart rate, etc.
3.1.2.2. Resistance: body settles into sympathetic division activity
3.1.2.3. Exhaustion: occurs when body's resources are gone. Parasympathetic division activates and body tries to replenish its resources
3.2. 11.5 - The immune system and stress
3.2.1. Stress causes the immune system to react as though an illness or invading organism has been detected, increasing the functioning of the nervous system
3.2.2. As the stress continues to increase, the immune system can begin to fail.
3.2.3. The body also protects itself through allostasis, dynamically adapting and adjusting in response to stress, through activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, along with changes in heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism and the immune system
3.3. 11.6 - Health psychology
3.3.1. Health psychology focuses on the impact of physical and social activities as well as psychological traits on health and rates of illness
3.3.2. Clinical health psychology is a subfield in which knowledge is gained by researchers to promote health and wellness
3.4. 11.7 - Cognitive factors in stress
3.4.1. Lazarus's cognitive appraisal approach states that how people think about a stressor determines, at least in part, how stressful that stressor will become
3.4.1.1. The first step in appraising a stressor is called primary appraisal, in which the person determines whether an event is threatening, challenging or of no consequence. Threatening events are more stressful that those seen as challenging
3.4.1.2. The second step is secondary appraisal, in which the person assesses the resources available to deal with the stressor, such as time, money and social support
3.4.1.3. Cognitive reappraisal approach is a process of reappraising your arousal while experiencing a stressor, which helps shift the negative effects of stress arousal to more positive effects
3.4.2. Yerkes-Dodson law: stating that when tasks are simple, a higher level of arousal leads to better performance; when tasks are difficult, lower levels of arousal lead to better performance
3.5. 11.8 - Personality factors in stress
3.5.1. There are four different personality types:
3.5.1.1. Type A: these personalities are ambitious, time-conscious, hostile, and angry workaholics who are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, primarily due to their anger and hostility
3.5.1.1.1. Hardy people are hard workers who lack the anger and hostility of the Type A personality, instead seeming to thrive on stress
3.5.1.2. Type B: these personalities are relaxed and easygoing and have 1/3 the risk of CHD as do type A personalities if male and 1/4 the risk if female and working outside the home
3.5.1.3. Type C: these personalities are pleasant but repressed, internalizing their negative emotions
3.5.1.4. Type D: these personalities are distressed, and marked by negative emotions, which they tend not to disclose in social situations due to fear of rejection or disapproval
3.5.2. Optimists look for positive outcomes and experience far less stress than pessimists, who take a more negative view
3.6. 11.9 - Social and cultural factors in stress
3.6.1. Several social factors can be a source of stress or increase the effects of stress: poverty, stresses on the job or in the workplace, and entering a majority culture that is different from the one's culture of origin
3.6.2. Burnout is a condition that occurs when job stress is so great that the person develops negative thoughts, emotions and behavior, as well as an extreme dissatisfaction with the job and a desire to quit
3.6.3. Four methods of acculturation:
3.6.3.1. Integration: remains part of old culture and adapts to new culture --> this results in the least acculturative stress
3.6.3.2. Assimilation: Not remaining part of old culture but adopting new culture, moderate stress
3.6.3.3. Separation: Remaining part of old culture but not adapting to new culture, moderate level of stress
3.6.3.4. Marginalization: Not remaining part of old culture but also not adapting to old culture, highest level of stress
3.6.4. Social-support systems are important in helping people cope with stress