Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 MASTERING THE WORLD OF PSYCHOLOGY 4e Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood, Denise Boyd 10
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Links to Learning Objectives SOURCES OF STRESS 10.1 How does the life events approach describe stress?How does the life events approach describe stress? 10.2 What do hassles, uplifts, and choices contribute to stress?What do hassles, uplifts, and choices contribute to stress? 10.3 What variables contribute to workers’ comfort zone?What variables contribute to workers’ comfort zone? 10.4 What are some social sources of stress?What are some social sources of stress? THE HEALTH-STRESS CONNECTION 10.5 How does the biopsychosocial model approach health and illness?How does the biopsychosocial model approach health and illness? 10.6 How does the fight-or-fight response affect health?How does the fight-or-fight response affect health? 10.7 How do theorists explain physiological and psychological responses to stress?How do theorists explain physiological and psychological responses to stress? 10.8 What factors promote resilience in the face of stress?What factors promote resilience in the face of stress?
Sources of Stress
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 The Life Events Approach Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS): Assesses stress in terms of major life events, positive or negative, that necessitate change and adaptation Ranks 43 life events from most to least stressful and assigns a point value to each LO 10.1 How does the life events approach describe stress? STRESS
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 The Life Events Approach Catastrophic events: People respond differently. Some develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is often characterized by: –Flashbacks –Nightmares –Intrusive memories of the traumatic event
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Everyday Stressors Richard Lazarus: Hassles can cause more stress than major life changes do. Uplifts may neutralize the effects of many hassles. LO 10.2 What do hassles, uplifts, and choices contribute to stress?
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Everyday Stressors Choices are another source of stress in everyday life. Approach-Approach Conflicts GOAL #1GOAL #2 Approach-Avoidance Conflicts GOAL Avoidance-Avoidance Conflicts GOAL #1GOAL #2
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Stress in the Workplace Nine variables that should fall within a worker’s comfort zone: 1.Workload 2.Clarity of job description and evaluation criteria 3.Physical variables 4.Job status 5.Accountability 6.Task variety 7.Human contact 8.Physical challenge 9.Mental challenge LO 10.3 What variables contribute to workers’ comfort zone?
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 People of low socioeconomic status have more stress-related health problems than those of higher status. Some researchers propose: The higher incidence of high blood pressure among African Americans is attributable to stress associated with historical racism. Racism Socioeconomic Status Social Sources of Stress LO 10.4 What are some social sources of stress?
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Adjusting to life in a new culture can be extremely stressful. People who lose their jobs suffer more stress-related illnesses in the months following job loss than peers who are still employed. Unemployment Social Sources of Stress
The Health-Stress Connection
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Illness Biopsychosocial model: Health and illness are determined by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Biomedical model: Explains illness solely in terms of biological factors. LO 10.5 How does the biopsychosocial model approach health and illness? social Biopsycho Biopsychosocial Model
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Illness Source: Green & Shellenberger (1990).
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 The Physiology of the Health-Stress Connection LO 10.6 How does the fight-or-fight response affect health? Stress causes the body to try to maintain the fight-or-flight response over a long period of time, which influences health in two ways: Biochemicals associated with the response can make the body more vulnerable to illness through their direct actions on tissues. The response influences health indirectly because it suppresses the immune system.
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 The General Adaptation Syndrome LO 10.7 How do theorists explain physiological and psychological responses to stress? Stage 1: Alarm Stage 2: Resistance Stage 3: Exhaustion
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Lazarus’s Cognitive Theory of Stress Source: Folkman (1984).
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Risk and Resilience: Coping Strategies Emotion-focused coping: A response involving reappraisal of a stressor to reduce its emotional impact Problem-focused coping: A direct response aimed at reducing, modifying, or eliminating a source of stress Proactive coping: Active measures taken in advance of a potentially stressful situation in order to prevent its occurrence or to minimize its consequences LO 10.8 What factors promote resilience in the face of stress?
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Risk and Resilience: Optimism Optimists: Tend to cope more effectively with stress, which may reduce their risk of illness
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Risk and Resilience: Hardiness Hardiness: Combination of three psychological qualities shared by people who can handle high levels of stress and remain healthy 1.Commitment 2.Control 3.Challenge
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Risk and Resilience: Religious and Social Involvement Religious involvement: Positively associated with measures of physical health
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Risk and Resilience: Social Support Tangible and/or emotional support provided in time of need by family members, friends, and others The feeling of being loved, valued, and cared for by those toward whom we feel a similar obligation Social Support
Copyright © Pearson Education 2011 Risk and Resilience: Perceived Control Perceived control: Belief that one has some degree of control over stressors