PSYC121 Study Notes
Week 1&2 – Stress, coping and health The nature of stress
- Stress is a threat to: physical safety, self-esteem, peace of mind, etc.
- Minor stresses don’t mean minor effects.
- Stress is cumulative.
- Richard Lazarus created a measure of stress scale for everyday stresses.
- Potentially stressful event > cognitive appraisal > response Cognitive appraisal – Lazarus & Folkman 1984
- Primary appraisal
Is the situation relevant and threatening? (Need secondary appraisal)
Relevant but not threatening?
Is it irrelevant and harmless? (no stress) - Secondary appraisal
Evaluation of coping resources and options for dealing with stress - Individual differences
Stressful events for one person may be routine for another Major types of stress
- Frustration
Occurs as a result of thwarting.
- Conflict - related to indecision/ 2 or more incompatible motivations compete.
Types described by Kurt Lewin and studied by Neal Miller
Approach-approach conflict – choice between 2 attractive goals
Avoidance-avoidance conflict – choice between 2 unattractive goals
Approach-avoidance conflict – choice about whether to pursue a goal that has attractive and unattractive aspects.
- Pressure
Involves expectations or demands that one behave in a certain way (conform/perform)
- Change
The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes & Rahe) measures stress of certain life events.
Any notable alterations in one’s living circumstances that require readjustment Emotional response
- Common emotions
Annoyance, anger, apprehension, sadness, grief
Positive emotions – terrorism and renewed love for family and friends - Broaden and build theory – Fredrickson 2001
Positive emotions broaden attention – increasing creativity and problem solving
Positive emotions correlated with enhanced immune response.
Negative emotions narrow attention Physiological response
- The term “stress” coined by Selye. General adaption syndrome.
- Emotional arousal
Stress = increase in physiological arousal - The inverted U hypothesis
Performance increases up to a point with emotional arousal.
As a task increases complexity = the optimal level of arousal increases.
- The general adaption syndrome – Selye 1956
Phase 1 – alarm
Phase 2 – resistance
Phase 3 – exhaustion
- Overuse of stress response can lead to “diseases of adaption”
- Hormonal response (hypothalamus connects the two pathways; automatic nervous system and endocrine system)
Cortisol levels increase with stress
Increases energy and inhibits tissue inflammation (in case of injury)
Men have greater stress responses than women (linked to oestrogen) Stress and physical health
- Heart disease accounts for 30% of deaths in the US
Risk factors – smoking, sedentary behaviour, high cholesterol, blood pressure
Type A personality (impatience, anger, hostility) and type B personality (patient, relaxed, easygoing) – Friedman, Rosenman.
Depressive symptoms correlative with heart disease – causality?
Depression found to double chances of getting heart disease
Emotional outbursts can tax the heart.
- Smokers face a much greater risk of premature death (13-14 years)
Primarily lung cancer and heart disease - Physical activity is declining
Causes 1.9 deaths globally per year.
Reduce susceptibility to cardiovascular disease
Act as a buffer to the damaging (physical) effects of stress (Kodama 2009 mortality and physical activity study)
- Genetic influence on exercise (twin studies)
Heritability of exercise participation between 48% and 72%
When young environmental factors have influence, when older genes largely influence.
- Critical focus – watching sport and heart attacks
Admissions in hospitals for heart attacks increased on days of big sport events
Similar findings in other high stress findings like earthquakes.