1. Unit 11: Stress, Coping, & Health

3. How and Why Do We Experience Stress? The human stress response to perceived threat activates thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physiological arousal that normally promote adaptation and survival

4. What is Stress? Stress – – A physical and mental response to a challenging or threatening situation – Pattern of specific and nonspecific responses that disturb equilibrium

5. What is Stress? Stressor – – a stressful stimulus, a condition demanding adaptation

6. A Model of Stress

7. Stress: An Everyday Event Major Stressors vs. Routine Hassles – Cumulative nature of stress – Cognitive appraisals

8. Types of Stress - General Acute Stress – Clear onset and offset patterns Chronic Stress – Continuous state of arousal – Demands are greater than available resources

9. Major Types of Stress Frustration: blocked goal Conflict: incompatible motivations – Approach-Approach – Approach-Avoidance – Avoidance-Avoidance

10. Motives in Conflict Approach-approach Conflict – A conflict in which one must choose between two equally attractive options Approach-avoidance Conflict – A conflict in which there are both appealing and negative aspects to the decision to be made

11. Motives in Conflict Avoidance-avoidance Conflict – A conflict in which one must choose between two equally unattractive options

12. Figure 13.2 Types of conflict

13. Major Types of Stress Change: having to adapt – Social Readjustment Rating Scale – Life Change Units Pressure – Perform/conform

14. Traumatic Stressors Traumatic Stressor – a situation that threatens one’s physical safety, arousing feelings of fear, horror, or helplessness

15. Catastrophe Cohen and Ahearn identified five stages that occur in the wake of natural disasters Psychic Numbness Automatic Action Communal Effort Letdown Recovery

16. Posttraumatic Stress Posttraumatic Stress Disorder – delayed stress reaction in which an individual involuntarily re-experiences emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of past trauma

17. Figure 13.4 Overview of the stress process