PSYCH 202 1st Edition Lecture 4 Stress is objective AND subjective Objective stressors 2 classes Major life events Holmes and Rahe SRRS Death of spouse Divorce Jail prison term Death of close family member Marriage Loss of job Daily hassles People with large s of hassles are more emotionally distressed Stressful life events affect us through the daily hassles they produce Stressful life events produce daily hassles Stress objectively affects physiology also Objective physiology of stress in 3rd graders Epinephrine adrenaline Cortisol Both are higher in noisy environments Hypothalamus works with pituitary gland CRF hypothalamus releases CRF to anterior pituitary CRF corticotrophin releasing factor ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone Too much cortisol leads to Lower immune system Lowers hippocampal neurogenesis Increases visceral fat can lead to diabetes and cancer Increases arterial plaque can lead to heart disease and stroke Stress is an objective response or set of responses Physiological and psychological stress responses stress reactions develop in relation to challenging events stressors experienced by individuals These stress reactions often become chronically present and may include Physiological production of stress hormones adrenaline cortisol Negative cognitive appraisals perception of harm and threat Behavioral habits non conducive to health patterns of sleep eating drug and alcohol use physical activity maladaptive recruitment of social support Emotional habits tendencies toward emotional instability neuroticism over reactivity chronic irritability anger guilt worry And subjectivity matters also the impact of major life events depends on individual differences in Appraisal Coping problem solving approaches style of emotional coping Consider different persons responses to Divorce sudden unemployment Disease onset All life events represent potential stressors and are appraised 3 kinds of appraisal are possible to challenge Harm a damaging event has occurred Threat a potential future harm is appraised as approaching Challenges events appraised as opportunities rather than threats harm and threat appraisals induce psychological stress Perception appraisal emotions coping Coping and negative emotions and stressreactivity depend heavily on The personality cognitive style and trait organization of the perceiver The non personality produced mental and behavioral habits of the perceiver stressmanagement styles and skills People can learn to respond to stress stressmanagement Stress is both a response and a process of adjustment Stress reactions are not static They are continually dynamically produced as functions of cognitive re appraisal behavioral coping and emotional re processing We appraise all events and in so appraising we express core personality traits Levels of optimism self efficacy hardiness neuroticism agreeableness stress reactivity Personality traits that create vulnerability to stressreactions low self efficacy low optimism high pessimism high neuroticism high stress reactivity can be modulated with concentrated focus on behavioral and emotional health Balanced living through exercise and intake healthy relationships consistent efforts to examine and modify negative mental habits of appraisal and emotional processing Practicing seeing events as challenges and the self as capable of managing ability to cope reduce stress Psychotherapy and meditation target re appraisal of our experiences along with developing new coping skills Therapy and stress management target positive emotional modulation So stress management targets the positive modulation of personality dispositions Remember personality dispositions were defined earlier as individual s distinct and relatively enduring pattern of thoughts feelings motives and behaviors Appraisal modulates stress thru thoughts and emotions Coping modulates stress through behaviors and emotions Can happiness be developed Sukha Suhka a state of flourishing that arises from mental balance and insight into the nature of reality Rather than a fleeting emotion or mood aroused by sensory and conceptual stimuli suhka is an enduring trait that arised from a mind in a state of equilibrium and entails a conceptually unstructured and unfiltered awareness of the true nature of reality Many Buddhist contemplatives claim to have experiences sukha which increases as a result of sustained training The ideal here is not simply to achieve one s own individual happiness in isolation from others but to incorporate the recognition of one s deep kinship with all beings who share the same yearning to be free of suffering and to find a lasting state of well being The target is afflictive emotions and personality Craving Hatred Delusions of independent selfhood ego What builds the trait of enduring happiness Attending to states of afflictive emotion Of pleasure and unpleasure Developing equanimity and compassion Decreasing neuroticism and disagreeableness