Stress & Conflict

Sources of Stress  Viewed differently by researchers.  Considered an event, response or perception by various researchers  Stress – a person’s reaction to his or her inability to cope with a certain tense event or situation  Anxious or threatening feeling resulting from our appraisal of a situation & our reaction to demands placed upon us.

Components of Stress  Stressor – a stress producing event or situation  Not all events or situations are stressors to all people as people react differently  Stress reaction – the body’s response to a stressor

Two Types of Stress  Distress – negative stress that stems from acute anxiety or pressure  Eustress – positive stress, which results from motivating strivings and challenges  Stress is a normal essential part of life that goes with facing challenges and working towards goals.  Cannot escape stress  “Complete freedom from stress is death!”

Conflict Situations  Conflict Situations – when a person must choose between two or more options that tend to result from opposing motives  4 types –Approach-Approach –Avoidance-Avoidance –Approach-Avoidance –Double Approach-Avoidance

Conflict Situations  Approach-Approach – you must choose between two attractive options  Mall or dance, two colleges  Usually does not cause much stress because both alternatives are satisfying

Conflict Situations  Avoidance-Avoidance – you must choose between two disagreeable options  Study for math or English final  Accept a job you don’t really want or continue looking  Can be very stressful

Conflict Situations  Approach-Avoidance – situation that has both enjoyable and disagreeable consequences  Should you ask someone out? (could say no)  Asking for a raise  Resolution of this type of conflict is difficult

Conflict Situations  Double Approach-Avoidance – must choose between multiple options, each of which has pleasurable and disagreeable aspects  Wait for girlfriend or go out with friends  Most common situation

Conflict Situations  Level of personal stress depends on how you appraise a situation.  Primary appraisal – immediate evaluation of a situation  Can be irrelevant, positive or negative (example – pop quiz)  Secondary appraisal – deciding how to deal with a potential stressful situation

Environmental Stressors  Noise and feeling crowded are stressors.  Major life changes are stressors  Hassles – minor, day to day stressors –Losing keys, near smoker, stuck in traffic are examples –Hassles can gradually weaken the body’s defense system –People reporting more hassles had more health problems –Positive events or uplifts can reduce stress

Reactions to Stress  Stress reactions can be physical, psychological, or behavioral.  Human body is a holistic (integrated) organism.

Fight or Flight Response  Body reacts to any stressor with immediate arousal.  Adrenal glands produce hormones to increase blood sugar for more energy.  Adrenaline is also produced to allow the body to use energy more quickly.  Prepares a person for fight-or-flight response to prepare you for dangerous situations.  Excess stress can use up body’s resources and in extreme cases lead to death.

General Adaptation Syndrome  Selye – alarm, resistance and exhaustion  Alarm – heart & breathing rate quicken, pupils dilate, muscles tense and hormones are secreted to make one exceptionally alert  Resistance – enables a person to cope with and ward off stressors  Exhaustion – continued exposure to stressors causes body to reach breaking point

Emotional & Cognitive Responses  Most common response to a sudden & powerful stressor is anxiety (feeling of imminent and unclear threat)  Anger – the irate reaction likely to result from frustration  Fear – the usual reaction when a stressor involves real or imagined danger

Emotional & Cognitive Responses  Cognitive responses include difficulty in concentrating or thinking clearly, recurring thoughts, and poor decision making.  Continued frustration can lead to burnout.  Burnout can lead to other mental & physical illnesses

Behavioral Reactions  Nervous habits (smoke, drink, take drugs, feel tired, shaky voice, strained expressions, changes in posture, lost interest in eating, grooming and bathing)  Many people can endure great amounts of stress without behavioral responses while others may be seriously affected.  Severe stress can lead to alcoholism, drug addiction, chronic unemployment, delinquency, aggressiveness and criminal behavior

Physical Reactions  Physical problems related to stress include: health problems, breathing problems, insomnia, migraines, urinary & bowel problems, muscle aches, sweating, dryness of the mouth, ulcers, hypertension, arthritis, asthma, & heart disease

Factors Influencing Reactions to Stress  People’s reactions to stress vary considerably  Personality may make you more vulnerable to stress  Type B – relaxed, patient & do not anger easily  Type A – anger with no object or focus, irritable, & competitive  Most people exhibit Type A personalities at some time but not constantly

Control Over Stressors  Physical disorders are more likely when we do not have control over stressors  People need feedback  Physical and psychological well-being is profoundly influenced by the degree to which we feel a sense of control over our lives

Social Support  Social Support – information that leads someone to believe that he or she is cared for, loved, respected and part of a network of communication and mutual obligation  Social support helps people deal with stress.  Who has more stress – men or women?

Coping with Stress  Stress can smother your life and make you miserable  Coping with stress is an attempt to gain control over part of one’s life.  People cope in many different ways with different strategies having varying success for different people.  Coping strategies may not always be healthy (maladaptive)

Coping with Stress  Cognitive appraisal – the interpretation of an event that helps determine its stress impact.  Denial – a coping mechanism in which a person decides that the event is not really a stressor  Intellectualization – coping mechanism in which the person analyzes a situation from an emotionally detached viewpoint (sawmill video)

Active Coping Strategies  Hardiness – positive, controlled and committed response to a challenge or stressor  Problem solving – evaluate problem or stressor and come up with a rational solution  Relaxation/meditation  Biofeedback – process of learning to control bodily states by monitoring the states to be controlled  Support groups & professional help  Training  Improving interpersonal skills

Stress in Your Life College  Autonomy – ability to take care of oneself and make one’s own decision  Many students approach college with high and unrealistic expectations  College is competitive, diverse, and may challenge your values

Stress in Your Life Work  Each person’s work experience is different and each person reacts differently  Low job satisfaction associated with absenteeism and turnover which leads to lower productivity

Stress in Your Life Work  5 Sources of Work Satisfaction –1.Resources to do the job well –2.Pays well, good benefits & secure –3.Interesting & challenging allowing worker to use skills, talents & abilities –4.Good relations with coworkers –5.Work conditions and environment are attractive

Stress in Your Life Work  Career changes (possibly several times)  Comparable worth – the concept that women and men should receive equal pay for jobs calling for comparable skill and responsibility  Women still face a considerable gap  Equal Pay Act of 1963 – prohibits wage discrimination for jobs requiring equal skills and responsibilities  Civil Rights Act of 1964 – can’t discriminate on basis of race, gender, religion and national origin