Human Adjustment John W. Santrock Chapter 4: Stress McGraw-Hill © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Outline - Chapter 4 What is Stress? Stress and Illness Sources and Mediators of Stress Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

WHAT IS STRESS? Definition of Stress General Adaptation Syndrome Cognitive Appraisal McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Definition of Stress Stress = response of individuals to stressors Stressors = circumstances and events that threaten individuals and tax their coping abilities McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

General Adaptation Syndrome General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) - Selye’s term for common effects on body when stressors persist GAS consists of: alarm resistance exhaustion McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Figure 4.1 Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Figure 4.2 Two Biological Pathways in Stress McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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?) McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Figure 4.3 Lazarus’ Cognitive Appraisal View of Stress McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Review - Learning Goal 1 What is stress? What is the general adaptation syndrome? How does cognitive appraisal influence the response to stress? McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

STRESS AND ILLNESS Stress and the Immune System Stress and Cardiovascular Disease Stress and Cancer McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress and Cardiovascular Disease Chronic stress is associated with high blood pressure heart disease early death Emotional stress contributes to cardiovascular disease McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Stress and Cancer Andersen believes stress and cancer are linked through their effects on: quality of life behavioral factors biological pathways McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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? McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCES AND MEDIATORS OF STRESS Environmental Factors Personality Factors Work-Related Factors Sociocultural Factors McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Life Events and Daily Hassles Hassles for college students include: wasting time being lonely worrying about meeting high achievement standards McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociocultural Factors Sociocultural sources of stress include: gender acculturation poverty Gender Females are more likely to follow a tend-and-befriend strategy than males McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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) McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociocultural Factors - Poverty Poverty can cause considerable stress for individuals and families Poverty is related to threatening and uncontrollable life events McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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? McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Symptoms and Developmental Course of PTSD Stressful Events and PTSD McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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) McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Review - Learning Goal 4 What are the symptoms and typical course of PTSD? What types of stressful events can trigger PTSD? McGraw-Hill ©2006 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.