Chapter 13 - Stress Health & Coping

any circumstances that threaten or are percieved to threaten one’s well-being and that thereby tax one’s coping abilities

chronic diseases (develop gradually)

(ex. heart disease, cancer, stroke)

significant immediate impact

(ex. divorce, death, new baby)

cumulative impact with significant impact over time

(ex. daily stress at home, work, or school)

the appraisal of the situation

relatively short duration and a clear endpoint

• easier to deal with

long duration and no apparent time limit

• harder to deal with

• frustration

• conflict

• change

• pressure

blocked goal

• occurs in any situation in which the pursuit of some goal is thwarted

• ex. failure, loss of something we are used to having

two or more incompatible motivations

process of going back and forth between options due to indecision

a situation involving a choice between two equally desirable but incompatible alternatives

• ex. deciding whether to eat pizza or spaghetti for dinner

a situation involving a choice between two equally objectionable alternatives

• ex. choosing between unemployment or a bad job

a situation involving a single goal or option that has both desirable and undesirable aspects or consequences

• ex. a date with an attractive person, but chance of rejection

the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)

expectations to behave in certain ways

the importance of doing well on a particular occasion

• typically involves performers who care deeply about what they are doing

influenced by worries about poor performance, balancing perfomance + non-performance commitments, and dealing with expectations (from others and oneself)

• emotional responses

• physiological responses

• behavioural responses

• task performance improves with increased emotional arousal up to a certain point

• after this point, further arousal is disruptive and performance deteriorates

optimal level of arousal

high level of arousal

low level of arousal

involves negative expectations about themselves, the situation they are in, and the potential consequences

the physiological arousal component of pressure (ex. rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, upset stomach, tense muscles)

as arousal increases, attention focus narrows and the narrowing process tends to gate out irrelevant environmental cues first and then, if arousal is high enough, the relevant ones

high arousal narrows our attention field, and we may miss task-relevant information

low arousal lets task-irrelevant information into our attention field

stress is a disease of adaptation

• alarm

• resistance

• exhaustion

recognizing a threat and mobilizing resources to deal with it

arousal stabilizes, but is still above baseline

• prolonged stress

the body’s resources for fighting stress are limited or depleted

the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic division of the ANS, stimulates the adrenal glands to release catechlolamines = mobilize body for action

hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary to secrete corticosteroids = increase energy and inhibit tissue inflammation

efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress

normal people tend to have overly favorable self-images, overestimate the degree to which they control chance events, and display unrealistic optimism about the future

• confronting problems directly

• realistic appraisals

• recognizing disruptive emotional reactions

• self-care

• exhaustion

• cynicism

• reduced self-efficacy

• loss of meaning

physical ailments with a genuine organic basis that are caused in part by psychological factors

physical ailments are viewed as being “all in one’s head” or imagined

• strong competitiveness

• impatience and time urgency

• anger and hostility

leads people to attribute setbacks to temporary situational factors

leads people to blame setbacks on their own personal shortcomings