FAD3432 Exam One Intro to the book 02 09 2016 Stress is a ubiquitous part of family life Multiple disciplines offer different yet compatible information about stress and coping in families Purpose to bring together research from a wide variety of disciplines to examine family interaction during time of stress Types of stress Physical cancer can kill you Worryful exams work Symptoms play with hair o Stress in the Body and Mind Physiological definition o Sweating elevated heart rate bite nails hungry no appetite Psychological definition o Stress is our bodies reaction to some change or challenge in our environment o Can be positive or negative ex Pedro sweating praying on plane is negative and child cheering is positive o a particular relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding his or her resources and endangering his or her well being ex Pedro appraised situation that he would die and his o Physiological Stress Response body reacted to that General Adaptation Syndrome GAS o 3 stages of physiological changes stage 1 alarm reaction stage 2 resistance or adaptation stage 3 exhaustion Autonomous Nervous System ANS governs the functioning of the heart lungs stomach blood vessels and glands that operate automatically without conscious thought o Sympathetic Nervous System SNS Engages during times of stress o Parasympathetic Nervous System PNS Engages during recovery Human Stress Response ex Video of baby kidnap prank o Threatening event fight or flight stress circuit activated threat removed body slowed down body returned to normal o Stress circuit activated Cortisol adrenaline and Noradrenaline release Heart rate breathing perspiration increased Immune system suppressed Cognitive Appraisal Process ex Mexican earth quake the process we go through when evaluating a stressful encounter o Primary determine if the encounter is irrelevant benign positive or stressful o Secondary determine what coping options are available if any and the likelihood that we can take action ex run downstairs get out of building The interaction between primary and secondary appraisals shapes the degree of stress experienced and our emotional reaction The Cognitive Appraisal Process can be activated in the instance of hurtful messages in families o The appraisal of the messages can determine emotions experienced and coping strategies o Ex Being told you are fat over and over you will develop some kind of trauma cope by not listening or asking opinions The Cognitive Appraisal Process Model o event message appraisal threat to self esteem intentionally said emotions hurt and anger coping vent or lash out o Appraisal Threat to Self Esteem Intentionally Said Event Message Emotions Hurt and Coping Vent Lash Anger Out o different types of stressors reactions to stress depends on our appraisal of the stressor o appraisals can be conscious and deliberate or at a lower level of consciousness 2 dimensions of stressors o 1 Valence eustress vs distress eustress roller coaster promotion distress death in family divorce o 2 Duration discrete vs continuous Continuous school discrete childbirth Valence o Eustress known as good stress or healthy stress eustress enhances our ability to function during times of need Helps us to feel safe Helps us reach higher goals Can leave us with a sense of excitement Ex Buying first home car getting married new job o Negative or positive psychological value assigned by a person to another person event goal job object outcome based on its attractiveness to him her o Distress Known as bad stress distress occurs when we experience a certain level of stress frequent stress or stress that lasts too long Stress pile up Occurs when stressors happen at the same time and combine causing additional distress A negative psychological response to a stress we believe the situation exceeds our ability to cope with stress Unmanaged distress can lead to Serious health issues Interferences in our close personal relationships o Stress and human physiology o o Duration Discrete o This type of stressor involves sudden changes that occur in a short period of time requiring readjustments o Discrete stressors have identifiable start and finish or onset and offset o Discrete or acute stressors may have long lasting negative stressful effects after the onset of the event potentially causing a cascade of additional stressors o Continuous stressors are ongoing problems that permeate our Chronic daily lives o Readjustments are required over a prolonged period of time Chronic stressors often result from o Individual sources o Environmental sources o Occupational sources o Relational sources o Sociological sources Chronic stressors differ in terms of magnitude in one of two ways o 1 Hassles happen over the course of a day to disrupt daily life and require only small adjustments o 2 Chronic strains larger in magnitude and often drain our coping resources leaving us more vulnerable to the negative effects of stress Chapter 2 Stress and the Family o defining family o family a self defined group of intimates who create and maintain themselves through their own interactions and their interactions with others o Dr Levy family was first necessary for financial survival reasons o essential characteristics of a family o intimacy formed by elements such as bond trust love connection o a sense of group identity ex polygamist video face obstacles together o interaction ex Brother Husbands video o Intimacy implies that the family members are interdependent and o Intimacy committed o Ex Polyamorous parents video two women one man all have relations together o Interdependent and behaviors o Committed o Sense of a group identity o Group identity Meaning that they influence one another s thoughts feelings The continuation of the family bond into the future Creates boundaries that delineate who is a member of a family and who is not often negotiated through discussions of norms values goals and culture Pros can help families cope with stress by having a shared sense of purpose and pooling resources survival of species Cons can stifle individual family members and may prevent turning to outside resources feel claustrophobic not free control issues Adds conflicting ideas I miss you but I need my space o Change through history o Family from early 1900s works together sewing clothing many families of that era had little time for anything but work o Today most paying work takes place