Stress and Stressors

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• Chapter 14
• Stress and Stressors

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The Concept of Stress

• Stress
• A physical and psychological response to events
  (stressors) that challenge a persons normal
  functioning (homeostasis)
• Everyone has stress, its a normal part of life

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The Concept of Stress

• Stressors
• Physical
• Examples include injury, physical exertion,
  noise, overcrowding, excessive heat or cold
• Psychological
• Examples include interpersonal conflict,
  isolation, traumatic events, time pressured
  tasks, peer pressure, expectations of others

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Types of Stressors

• Psychological conflicts
• Approach approach
• Two attractive choices
• Avoidance avoidance
• Two unattractive choices
• Approach avoidance
• One choice with both positive and negative
  aspects
• Double approach avoidance
• Two choices each with positive and negative
  features

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Types of Stressors

• Catastrophic Events
• earthquakes, combat stress, floods
• Life Changes
• death of a loved one, divorce, loss of job,
  promotion
• Daily Hassles
• rush hour traffic, long lines, job stress, burnout

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Perceived control

• Stressors are seen as especially stressful when
  we appraise them as both negative and
  uncontrolled
• Executive Rat experiment

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Perceived Control

• Health consequences of a loss of control

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Perceived Control

• Equality and Longevity

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The Stress Response

• Physiological response
• Cerebral cortex perceives and interprets a
  stressor (appraisal)
• Sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine
  and norepinephrine (adrenaline)
• Adrenal glands release cortisol

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The Stress Response

• Psychological response
• Appraisal of stress
• Primary appraisal Is this a threat or
  challenge?
• Secondary appraisal What should I do?

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Stress Appraisal
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The Stress Response

• Psychological response
• Appraisal of stress
• Primary appraisal
• Secondary appraisal
• Walter Cannon fight or flight

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• Increases heart rate and respiration
• Diverts blood from digestion to skeletal muscles
• Dulls pain
• Releases sugar and fat from the bodys stores

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The Stress Response

• Psychological response
• Appraisal of stress
• Primary appraisal
• Secondary appraisal
• Walter Cannon fight or flight
• Hans Selye General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

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General Adaptation Syndrome Hans Selye