Defining and measuring stress

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Defining and measuring stress

• Chapter five

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What is stress?

• Negative emotional experience
• Biochemical changes
• Physiological changes
• Cognitive changes
• Biological changes

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What is a stressor?

• Stressful events
• Noise
• Crowding
• Relationship problems
• Job changes
• Commuting
• Test
• 800 am class

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Stressor

• Each stressful to some, but not all and in
  different amounts
• How event is perceived determines how much of a
  stressor it is

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Figure 5.1Divisions of the human nervous system
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Figure 5.2Autonomic nervous system and target
organs
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Some important endocrine glands
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Figure 5.4Physiological effects of stress
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Fight or Flight

• Walter Cannon (1932)
• Threat Sympathetic ns and endocrine arousal
• Adaptive/maladaptive

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The three stages of Selyes general adaptation
syndrome alarm, resistance, exhaustion and
their consequences
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Person-environment fit(Lazarus)

• Personal Resources sufficient to meet demands
  little stress, can be challenging
• Not sufficient great deal of stress
• Perception of the event more important than event
  itself

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Lazarus

• People harmed by negative event
• Event seen as important
• In a vulnerable state
• Believe they lack ability to cope

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Lazarus Appraisal

• Primary
• Is event potentially harmful?
• Threatening or damaging to self esteem?
• Personally challenging?
• Secondary
• Ability to cope with harm, threat or challenge
• Reappraisal
• Ongoing, constant reevaluation

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Lazarus

• Vulnerability
• Perceived lack of resources to cope with
  situation of personal importance
• Coping
• Constantly changing efforts to mange
  internal/external demands perceived as taxing or
  exceeding resources

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Coping

• Enhanced by resources
• Health
• Energy
• High self-efficacy
• Problem solving skills
• Social skills
• Social support
• Spiritual life

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Measuring stress

• Multiple physiological measures
• Bp
• Heart rate
• GSR
• Cortisol production

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Scales

• Life event scales
• Daily Hassles and Uplifts

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Coping

• Social support quality of social contacts
• Personal control
• Helps even in small amounts

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Personal coping styles

• Problem-focused
• Emotion-focused
• Proactive coping