Stress and Stressors:Stress: the physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to threatening or challenging events.What are some of the ways that stress can manifest (show) itself?physical: sweat, headacheemotional/behavioral: depression, inability to concentrate, withdrawal, eating too littleStressors: events that cause a stress reaction.What is the difference between distress and eustress?Distress- the effect of undesirable stressorsEustress- the effect of positive eventsExternal Events:Catastrophes: An unpredictable event that creates a tremendous need to adapt and adjust as well as overwhelming feelings of threat.Life Changes:Positivemarriagegoing to collegenew jobNegativeloss of a loved onedivorceforeclosureWhat are some of the consequences of significant levels of “life stress”?-Physical/mental illnessAccidents: distractions/inability to concentrateHassles: daily annoyances of everyday life.-Have the least impact—highest frequencyWhat are some of the greatest hassles reported by individuals at different developmental stages?Preschool—teasing6-10 yrs.—bad gradesEarly adolescence (11-15 yrs.)—pressure to use drugs15-20s—trouble at school & workAdults—fighting among family membersElderly—lack of moneyPsychological Stressors:Pressure: URGENT demands or EXPECTATIONS from an outside source.(school, parents, causing you to have to work harder, faster, do more to meet these expectations)Perception, something you feelUncontrllability: how much control one has over a situation, less control you have over a situation relates to greater sense of stressFrustration: response when a desired GOAL or a perceived need is BLOCKED.What are some typical responses to frustration?PERSISTANCE: find ways to get around problem, alternate solution, keep going onAGGRESSION: frustration aggression hypothesis, frustration always leads to aggression, modified frustration creates a readiness to become aggressive but alternate factors effect thisDISPLACED AGGRESSION: taking our frustration on a less threatening sourceESCAPE OR WITHDRAWAL: physically, actually withdrawing from a relationship or a class, psychological, drug use or alcohol useConflict: a pull toward two desires or GOALS, only one of which can be attained.Approach-Approach Conflict: win-win situation, desire for 2 goals, both are attractive options, both positive options, stress: comes from having to decide from between the two.Ex) been accepted to 2 great colleges and have to choose 1Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: caught between a rock and a hard place, choice between two or more goals that are both unpleasant and have generally negative overtones, stress: choose between negative eventsEx) are not happy with job: choices are to stay with current job that you are unhappy with or go to another job that has less payApproach-Avoidance Conflict: 1 goal instead of 2, that goal has both negative and positive aspects, develop a pro con list, most stressful of types of situationsEx) coming to college, but having to take on significant loan debt weigh positives and negatives, what will degree do for you?Ex) offered great job 1000 miles away from your family takes you away from family and friendsPhysiological Factors: Stress and Health:Remember the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system (Chapter 2)? Which is involved in the reaction to stress?Sympathetic: fight or flight response system (involved in stress)helps us to manage and deal with stressAcute stressors: very intense but short livedEx) fire fighter: highly stressful but time limitedLong term: during course of semester stressors one feels can last a long timeIf stress lasts too long, parasympathetic kicks in and shuts down systems to protect bodyReaction to the exhaustion caused by stressGeneral adaptation syndrome (GAS): three stages of the body’s PHYSICAL reaction to stress.Stage 1: Alarmwhen some threat is identified or realized, the body’s response system is in a state of alarm, sympathetic system activated, flow of hormones, stress hormones to help body fight stress, begin to prepare, build up resources we will needStage 2: Resistancepeople start to feel pretty good, if stressor persists into this stage, the body will come up with some means to cope with stressStage 3: Exhaustionbody’s ways to deal with stress are being depleted, one is unable to deal with stress and function, if stressor does not leave during this system, the immune system will not function and bodily functions will be impaired, everything is used upCan think of this about an intense stressor that happens over a short timeCan think of this as a smaller stressor over a long period of time, several life changes, end result is same with body though in stagesHow does stress impact immune functioning and problems like heart disease and cancer?~Cells/organs/chemicals that respond to disease, infection, and injury negatively affected by stress~Stress can mimic same response that and infection can cause colds, ulcers, diabetes, trouble with digestive system, cardiovascular system~this is not automatic only related in some ways~One’s risk for having a heart attack is increased as well complex relationshipstressors stress physiological reactions (compromising functions of body) unhealthy behaviors (eating badly, not exercising) coronary heart disease-not a direct relationship-not only physical functioning-similar links to stress and diabetes~immune system is responsible for fighting off cancer cells stress can higher risk of developing cancer-connects stress to physical healthPersonality Factors in Stress: Certain personality factors can have an impact of how long someone livesMeyer FreedmanCoined type A and type BResearch was interested in personality factors and how they relate to heart diseaseType A: workaholics, ambitious, time conscious, competitive, achievement oriented, hardworking, often hostile, always on edge, easily annoyed, easily frustrated, can become hostile, constant sense of pressure, very successful but not always satisfied with success, easily aroused to anger and hostilityMen: 3 times Higher risk for heart disease than type BWomen: women who work outside of home, with type A are at 4 times risk of heart disease than type B womenType B: easy going, relaxed, less competitive, more content, slow to anger, opposite of AMen: lesser risk for heart diseaseType C: pleasant, repressed, do not want conflict, difficult
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