Psychology of Stress and Theoretical Models

Stress (1)

• Definition: Stress is a general, non-specific reaction of the body to external factors (stressors). It's also a state of tension, unease, or discomfort caused by agents with negative significance.
• Types of Stressors: Stressors can be categorized based on their nature: physical, chemical, biological, or psychological.
• Psychological Stressors: These stressors have specific features: they generate stress only under particular conditions, hold personal meaning, can be abstract or unreal (e.g., anticipating consequences), and have action parameters like intensity.

Theoretical Models of Stress

• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): This model describes stress as a three-stage process: alarm (fight-or-flight response), resistance (maintaining homeostasis), and exhaustion (failure to maintain function).
• Transactional Model: Stress is individually experienced based on how the person evaluates the situation. This involves primary appraisal (relevant/irrelevant/dangerous) and secondary appraisal (ability to adapt/cope).

Stressors

• Life Events: Major life events (traumas) and minor, repeated hassles are important stressors.
• Relativity of Stressors: Stress is experienced when the demands of the environment exceed the available resources and individual coping abilities.
• Stress Perception: The perception of stressors is influenced by factors like personality, cognitive features, coping strategies, and previous life experiences.

Categories of Stressors

• Threat: Anticipation of a perceived danger (acute or chronic). Chronic threats can impact allostatic load, leading to a General Adaptation Syndrome.
• Conflict: Facing two or more demands with opposing motivations.
• Frustration: The level of aspirations exceeds the level of possibilities.
• Overload: Exceeding the limits of cognitive, emotional, and motivational capacity.
• Underload: The level of possibilities exceeds the level of aspirations, potentially causing sensory deprivation or perceived lack of information.

Holmes & Rahe Stress Scale

• This scale measures the stress level associated with life events. Higher scores indicate a greater likelihood of illness.

Hormonal Correlates of Stress

• Stress causes changes in the brain (e.g., serotonin depletion, increased norepinephrine).
• Hormonal responses include changes in endocrine function (e.g., cortisol, DHEA) and the immune system (e.g., NK cell activity).
• Endorphins can have a positive role in reducing stress and pain.

Explore the concepts of stress including its definition, types of stressors, and related theoretical models like General Adaptation Syndrome and the Transactional Model. This quiz assesses your understanding of how stress affects individuals and the frameworks used to analyze it.