Psychology of Stress Responses

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Questions and Answers

Which source of stress is associated with the pressure of adapting to a new culture?

Daily hassles

Chronic stress

Acculturative stress (correct)

Burnout

What is the primary focus of health psychologists?

Focusing solely on therapeutic techniques for stress management

Exploring the relationship between stress and chronic diseases only

Studying the impact of daily hassles on physical fitness

Examining factors influencing health, illness, and treatment (correct)

What model did Richard Lazarus develop concerning the psychological response to stress?

General adaptation syndrome

Biopsychosocial model

Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Cognitive appraisal model (correct)

Which stage is NOT part of Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome?

Recovery Signup and view all the answers

What effect does chronic stress have on telomeres?

Shortens the length of telomeres Signup and view all the answers

Which endocrine pathway was identified by Walter Cannon in response to acute stress?

Sympathetic Nervous System Signup and view all the answers

What is a common outcome of social and cultural sources of stress?

Racial and cultural discrimination Signup and view all the answers

Psychoneuroimmunology primarily studies the interactions between which systems?

Nervous, endocrine, and immune systems Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'daily hassles'?

Minor events that annoy and upset people Signup and view all the answers

Which gland is part of the endocrine pathway associated with stress response as noted by Hans Selye?

Pituitary Gland Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior pattern is associated with an increased risk of heart disease?

Type A Behavior Pattern Signup and view all the answers

How does a sense of control affect the impact of stressors?

It reduces the impact of stressors. Signup and view all the answers

What are the characteristics of a pessimistic explanatory style?

Internal, stable, and global explanations Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential negative consequence of social support?

Increased vulnerability to stress contagion Signup and view all the answers

Which emotional coping mechanism involves avoiding or distancing from stressors?

Escape-avoidance Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of problem-focused coping?

Aims to alter the stressful situation Signup and view all the answers

Which culture tends to emphasize emotion-focused coping strategies?

Collectivistic Cultures Signup and view all the answers

Chronic negative emotions can lead to which of the following?

Development of chronic diseases Signup and view all the answers

Among men, what is a notable difference in response to negative events outside their family compared to women?

Men are less likely to be upset by those events. Signup and view all the answers

What type of coping includes distancing and denial?

Emotion-focused coping Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Individual Factors That Influence the Response to Stress

Stress response is influenced by individual factors such as personality traits, coping mechanisms, and social support.
Type A behavior pattern is linked to heart disease, with hostility being a significant factor.
Personal control over a situation reduces the impact of stressors.
Explanatory style impacts how people interpret negative events.
- Optimistic individuals use external, unstable, and specific explanations.
- Pessimistic individuals use internal, stable, and global explanations.
Social support can improve health and stress management, but can also create stress when inappropriate.
- Women tend to provide more social support but are more susceptible to the stress contagion effect.
- Men are less likely to be upset by negative events outside their immediate family.
Chronic negative emotions lead to increased stress and contribute to chronic diseases.

Coping Mechanisms

Coping mechanisms are strategies used to change circumstances or interpretations to make them more favorable.
Emotion-focused coping aims to alter emotional reactions to stressors, including:
- Escape-avoidance
- Seeking social support
- Distancing
- Denial
- Positive reappraisal
Problem-focused coping focuses on changing the stressful situation, including:
- Confrontative coping
- Planful problem-solving
Cultural influences on coping vary:
- Individualistic cultures favor problem-focused strategies.
- Collectivistic cultures favor emotion-focused strategies.

Stress, Health, and Coping

Stress is defined as a negative emotional state caused by events perceived as taxing or exceeding resources
Stressors can be categorized as:
- Social and cultural sources: Poverty, low social status, racism, and discrimination, acculturative stress
- Daily hassles: Minor, everyday annoyances and upsets
- Burnout: Prolonged work stress leading to exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy
Health psychologists study stress and its impact on health, illness, and treatment, using the biopsychosocial model.
Life events approach considers stressors as events requiring adaptation.
- The Social Readjustment Rating Scale measures the impact of life events.

Cognitive Appraisal Model and Daily Hassles

Richard Lazarus proposed the cognitive appraisal model of stress, highlighting the importance of how individuals interpret and evaluate stressors.
He established the importance of daily hassles in contributing to stress.

Physical Effects of Stress

Walter Cannon identified the endocrine pathway involved in the flight-or-fight response to acute stress.
- Sympathetic nervous system and release of catecholamines from the adrenal medulla are involved.
Hans Selye identified the endocrine pathway involved in the three-stage general adaptation syndrome (GAS) response to prolonged stress.
- The roles of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and release of corticosteroids from the adrenal cortex are involved.
Chronic stress can lead to:
- Premature aging and disease
- Telomere shortening, protective caps on the ends of chromosomes.

Psychoneuroimmunology

Psychoneuroimmunology examines the interplay of psychological processes, nervous and endocrine systems, and the immune system.
Lymphocytes, specialized white blood cells, are crucial for fighting viruses and bacteria.

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Description

This quiz explores individual factors that influence how we respond to stress, including personality traits, coping mechanisms, and social support. It delves into concepts like the Type A behavior pattern and how explanatory styles shape our interpretation of events. Test your understanding of these critical psychological concepts related to stress management.