1. Human Adjustment John W. Santrock
Chapter 4:
Stress
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2. Outline - Chapter 4 What is Stress? Stress and Illness
Sources and Mediators of Stress
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
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3. Learning Goals - Chapter 4
1. Explain what stress is and describe its major components
2. Discuss the links between stress and illness
3. Identify key sources and buffers of stress
4. Characterize post-traumatic stress disorder
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4. WHAT IS STRESS? Definition of Stress General Adaptation Syndrome
Cognitive Appraisal
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5. Definition of Stress Stress = response of individuals to stressors
Stressors = circumstances and events that threaten individuals and tax their coping abilities
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6. General Adaptation Syndrome
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) - Selye’s term for common effects on body when stressors persist
GAS consists of:
alarm
resistance
exhaustion
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7. General Adaptation Syndrome
Alarm Stage
Body’s resources are mobilized to prepare organism to deal with threat
Resistance Stage
Body adapts to the continued presence of the stressor
Exhaustion Stage
If the threat and the body’s response continues, possible irreversible damage to the body, or even death, may occur
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8. Figure 4.1 Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
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9. Pathways in Body’s Response to Stressors
Two main pathways are involved in the body’s response to stressors:
neuroendocrine-immune pathway
sympathetic nervous system pathway
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10. Figure 4.2 Two Biological Pathways in Stress
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11. Cognitive Appraisal
Cognitive appraisal - Richard Lazarus’ term for individual’s interpretation of events in their lives, and their determination of whether they have the resources to effectively cope with the events
Cognitive appraisal consists of:
Primary appraisal (Is the stressful event harmful, threatening, or challenging?)
Secondary appraisal (What resources do I have to cope with the stressful event?)
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12. Figure 4.3 Lazarus’ Cognitive Appraisal View of Stress
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13. Review - Learning Goal 1 What is stress?
What is the general adaptation syndrome?
How does cognitive appraisal influence the response to stress?
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14. STRESS AND ILLNESS Stress and the Immune System
Stress and Cardiovascular Disease
Stress and Cancer
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15. Stress and the Immune System
Psychoneuroimmunology is the field that explores connections among psychological factors, the nervous system, and the immune system
Acute stressors can produce immunological changes in healthy individuals
Chronic stressors are associated with a decrease in immune system functioning
Positive social life and low stress are associated with increased ability to fight cancer
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16. Stress and Cardiovascular Disease
Chronic stress is associated with
high blood pressure
heart disease
early death
Emotional stress contributes to cardiovascular disease
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17. Stress and Cancer
Andersen believes stress and cancer are linked through their effects on:
quality of life
behavioral factors
biological pathways
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18. Review - Learning Goal 2
What is psychoneuroimmunology, and what has it revealed about the immune system?
How is stress linked with cardiovascular disease?
What is the connection between stress and cancer?
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19. SOURCES AND MEDIATORS OF STRESS
Environmental Factors
Personality Factors
Work-Related Factors
Sociocultural Factors
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20. Environmental Factors
Environmental factors that can be sources of stress include:
significant life events (such as major changes)
daily hassles (ongoing daily annoyances)
conflict
overload
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21. Life Events and Daily Hassles
People who experience clusters of major life events (loss of close relative, loss of job) tend to become ill
Daily hassles (ongoing daily annoyances) can also produce health-sapping stress
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22. Life Events and Daily Hassles
Hassles for college students include:
wasting time
being lonely
worrying about meeting high
achievement standards
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23. Life Events and Daily Hassles
Daily uplifts of college students include:
having fun
laughing
going to movies
getting along well with friends
completing a task
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24. Conflict Three types of conflict are:
Approach/approach conflict - conflict in which the individual must choose between two attractive stimuli or circumstances (least stressful)
Avoidance/Avoidance conflict - conflict in which the individual must choose between two unattractive stimuli or circumstances
Approach/avoidance conflict - conflict involving a single stimulus or circumstance that has both positive and negative characteristics
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25. Overload
Daily hassles can result in overload, which can lead to burnout
Burnout = state of physical and emotional exhaustion that includes a hopeless feeling, chronic fatigue, and low energy
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26. Adjustment Strategies for Avoiding Burnout
1. Take inventory of what is causing stress
2. Pare down some of your commitments
3. Do things you enjoy
4. Recognize when to seek outside help
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27. Personality Factors - Type A / Type B
Type A behavior pattern = cluster of characteristics related to incidence of heart disease
Type A behavior pattern:
excessively competitive
hard-driven
impatient
hostile
Type B behavior pattern - relaxed and easygoing personality
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28. Personality Factors - Type A / Type B
Personality factors can either increase the chances that a person will experience stress or provide a buffer against stressors
Hostility is most consistently related to heart disease
Hostile and angry persons appear to have an increased risk of suffering the effects of stress
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29. Adjustment Strategies For Reducing Anger
1. Wait when angry
2. Relax with deep breathing and imagery
3. Change the way you think
4. Solve problems that cause anger
5. Help others
6. Change your perspective
7. Join a self-help group
8. Seek counseling if anger is out of control
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30. Hardiness Hardiness - personality style characterized by:
sense of commitment (rather than alienation)
sense of control (rather than powerlessness)
perception of problems as challenges (rather than threats)
The perception that one can control or reduce stressors is also a buffer
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31. Personal Control Over Stressful Events
A sense of personal control over stressful events has been related to:
emotional well-being
successful coping with a stressful event
behavior change that can promote good health
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32. Work-Related Stress The stress level of workers increases when:
they have little control over their work
job demands are high
their jobs do not meet their expectations
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33. Sociocultural Factors
Sociocultural sources of stress include:
gender
acculturation
poverty
Gender
Females are more likely to follow a tend-and-befriend strategy than males
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34. Sociocultural Factors - Acculturation
Acculturative stress - negative consequences which result from contact between two distinctive cultural groups
People can adapt to cultural change through:
assimilation (fully adopt identity of larger society)
integration (move into larger culture but maintain distinctive cultural identity)
separation (self-imposed withdrawal from larger culture)
marginalization (lose contact with both traditional society and dominant society)
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35. Sociocultural Factors - Poverty
Poverty can cause considerable stress for individuals and families
Poverty is related to threatening and uncontrollable life events
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36. Review - Learning Goal 3
What are some major environmental sources of stress?
What role do personality characteristics play in stress?
When is work most likely to be stressful?
How do sociocultural factors influence stress?
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37. POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Symptoms and Developmental Course of PTSD
Stressful Events and PTSD
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38. Symptoms and Developmental Course of PTSD
periods of symptoms increase, followed by remission or periods of symptom decrease
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) = anxiety disorder that develops through exposure to traumatic events, severely oppressive situations, abuse, and natural and unnatural disasters
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39. Symptoms of PTSD Symptoms of PTSD include: Symptoms may: flashbacks
constricted ability to feel emotions
excessive arousal
difficulties with memory and concentration
feelings of apprehension
impulsive outbursts of behavior
Symptoms may:
immediately follow the trauma
be delayed by months or even years
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40. Stressful Events and PTSD
Types of events that can trigger PTSD include:
combat and war-related traumas
abuse (including abuse by a spouse, the sexual abuse of rape or incest, and emotional abuse)
natural disasters (such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires)
unnatural disasters (such as terrorist attacks)
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41. Adjustment Strategies for Coping with a Terrorist Attack
1. Identify feelings you might be experiencing
2. Remember you have overcome adversity in the past
3. Talk to others about your fears
4. Make an effort to maintain your usual routine
5. Think positively
6. Recognize that terrorist attacks create fears and uncertainty about the future
7. Know our government is taking actions to combat terrorism and restore safety and security
8. Limit exposure to media coverage
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42. Review - Learning Goal 4
What are the symptoms and typical course of PTSD?
What types of stressful events can trigger PTSD?
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