Psychology: Stress Response and Allostatic Load

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Questions and Answers

What does the Life Events Scale for Students measure?

The occurrence of physical illness

The number of stress situations checked by students (correct)

The appraisal of the environmental situation by students

The degree of stress perceived by students

What is Lazarus's view on stress?

Stress is a one-time event

Stress is a static concept

Stress is only related to physical illness

Stress is a transactional, dynamic complex (correct)

What does the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) emphasize?

The appraisal of the environmental situation

The perception of events rather than the events themselves (correct)

The occurrence of physical illness

The number of stress situations

What is the purpose of the assessment at the beginning of the chapter?

To check the health risks of college students Signup and view all the answers

According to the discussion, what is true about college students who check more stress situations?

They tend to use health services more Signup and view all the answers

What does the original Hassles Scale consist of?

117 items about annoying, irritating, or frustrating situations Signup and view all the answers

What do Lazarus and his associates insist that self-report scales must be able to assess?

Subjective elements such as personal appraisal, beliefs, goals, and commitments Signup and view all the answers

How many items does the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) have?

14 items Signup and view all the answers

What is the term that refers to the body's maintenance of an appropriate level of activation under changing circumstances?

Allostasis Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the sympathetic nervous system's activation during emergencies?

To meet the needs of the situation Signup and view all the answers

What is epinephrine?

A type of hormone Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of short-term activation of the sympathetic nervous system?

It confers a number of health benefits Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system in maintaining allostasis?

To adjust to normal demands Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the action of epinephrine and norepinephrine and neurotransmitters?

Their speed and duration of action Signup and view all the answers

How can the amount of epinephrine secreted be determined?

By assaying a person's urine Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between epinephrine and the adrenomedullary stress response?

Epinephrine is sometimes used as an index of the adrenomedullary stress response Signup and view all the answers

Who defined stress as 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”?

Lazarus and Folkman Signup and view all the answers

What is the major criticism of Selye's view of stress?

It ignores the situational and psychological factors that contribute to stress Signup and view all the answers

What do situational and psychological factors include?

The emotional component and a person's interpretation of stressful events Signup and view all the answers

What is the key role of a person's appraisal of the psychological situation in Lazarus and Folkman's definition of stress?

It influences the relationship between the person and the environment Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of a person appraising a situation as threatening, challenging, or harmful?

The person experiences an increase in stress Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of Selye's view of stress?

The physical response to stress Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Lazarus and Folkman's definition of stress?

It provides a more comprehensive view of stress that includes the interactional view Signup and view all the answers

Who is credited with formulating an alternative model of stress that is more widely accepted among psychologists?

Lazarus Signup and view all the answers

What is a common effect of natural disasters on people?

Symptoms of depression and PTSD Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between natural disasters and intentional acts?

Their intentional or unintentional nature Signup and view all the answers

According to research, what happens to stress associated with intentional acts over time?

It varies greatly between individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is a factor that can exacerbate symptoms of depression and PTSD after a disaster?

Proximity to the destruction Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of cataclysmic events?

They are sudden and without warning Signup and view all the answers

What is a common response required after a cataclysmic event?

Adaptive responses from large numbers of people Signup and view all the answers

What did researchers find about the stress associated with the 9/11 attacks?

It continued to affect people years later Signup and view all the answers

What is a key factor that moderates the effects of disasters on people's mental health?

Feelings of support from others Signup and view all the answers

What approach to stress measurement did Lazarus and his associates pioneer?

Measuring daily hassles rather than life events Signup and view all the answers

What does the Urban Hassles Index measure?

Stressors that commonly affect adolescents in urban environments Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of various self-report stress measures?

To target specific populations and purposes of study Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the scale that measures serious life events?

Social Readjustment Rating Scale Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the Family Daily Hassles Inventory?

Daily stressors experienced by parents Signup and view all the answers

What do researchers have to choose from when measuring stress?

A variety of self-report stress measures Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between daily hassles and life events?

Daily hassles are less serious than life events Signup and view all the answers

Who pioneered an approach to stress measurement that looks at daily hassles rather than life events?

Lazarus and his associates Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Stress Response

Allostasis refers to the body's maintenance of an appropriate level of activation under changing circumstances.
Activation of the sympathetic nervous system is the body's attempt to meet the needs of the situation during emergencies.

Physiology of Stress Response

The stress response begins with the perception of some kind of stress or threat, which triggers a physiological reaction.
Epinephrine and norepinephrine circulate through the bloodstream, causing a slower and more prolonged response compared to neurotransmitters.
The amount of epinephrine secreted can be determined by assaying a person's urine, measuring stress by tapping into the physiology of the stress response.

Criticisms of Selye's View

Selye's view of stress ignores situational and psychological factors that contribute to stress.
Lazarus and Folkman's definition of stress emphasizes the key role of a person's appraisal of the psychological situation.

Psychological Factors

Emotional component and a person's interpretation of stressful events contribute to stress.
Lazarus and Folkman's definition of stress emphasizes the interactional or transactional view of stress, holding that stress refers to a relationship between person and environment.

Measuring Stress

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) emphasizes perception of events rather than the events themselves.
Lazarus and his associates developed an approach to stress measurement that looks at daily hassles rather than life events.
Everyday Hassles Scales, such as the original Hassles Scale and the Urban Hassles Index, measure stressors that commonly affect people in daily life.

Effects of Stress

Natural disasters can be devastating to huge numbers of people, but they cannot be blamed on any single person or group.
Intentional acts, such as bombings, can be more traumatic than natural disasters.
Cataclysmic events can be either intentional or unintentional, with different effects on stress.
Stress associated with traumatic events can dissipate within weeks, but some people may continue to experience negative psychological and physical health effects several years later.

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Description

Understand the concept of allostasis and its relation to the adrenomedullary stress response. Learn how epinephrine secretion is affected and how it can be measured.