Psychology2016

Stress and Health 455

Chapter Summary

Stress and Stressors

11. 1 Distinguish between distress and eustress.

• Stress is the physical, emotional, and behavioral responses that
  occur when events are identified as threatening or challenging.


• Stress that has a negative impact is called “distress.” Eustress is
  the optimal amount of stress that people need to function well.

11. 2 Identify three types of external events that can
    cause stress.

• Catastrophes are events such as floods or crashes that can result
  in high levels of stress.


• Major life changes create stress by requiring adjustments. Major
  life changes have an impact on chronic health problems and risk
  of accidents.


• Hassles are the daily frustrations and irritations that have an
  impact on day-to-day health.

11. 3 Identify psychological factors in stress.

• Four sources of stress are pressure, uncontrollability, frustration,
  and conflict.


• Frustration, which can be internal or external, may result in per-
  sistence, aggression, displaced aggression, or withdrawal.

Physiological Factors: Stress and Health

11. 4 Describe the stages of the general adaptation
    syndrome.

• The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic sys-
  tem, which responds to stressful events, and the parasympa-
  thetic system, which restores the body to normal functioning
  after the stress has ceased.


• The general adaptation syndrome is the body’s reaction to stress
  and includes three stages of reaction: alarm, resistance, and
  exhaustion.

11. 5 Explain how the immune system is impacted by
    stress.

• Stress causes the immune system to react as though an illness or
  invading organism has been detected, increasing the function-
  ing of the immune system.
  
  
  • As the stress continues or increases, the immune system can
    begin to fail.
  
  
  
  

   11. 6 Describe the branch of psychology known as
  
   health psychology.
  
   - Health psychology focuses on the impact of physical and social
  
      activities as well as psychological traits on health and rates of
  
      illness.
  
   - Clinical health psychology is a subfield in which knowledge is
  
      gained by researchers to promote health and wellness.
  
   11. 7 Summarize Lazarus’s cognitive appraisal approach
  
   to stress.
  
   - The cognitive appraisal approach states that how people think
  
      about a stressor determines, at least in part, how stressful that
  
      stressor will become.
  
   - The first step in appraising a stressor is called primary appraisal,
  
      in which the person determines whether an event is threatening,
  
      challenging, or of no consequence. Threatening events are more
  
      stressful than those seen as challenging.
  
   - The second step is secondary appraisal, in which the person
  
      assesses the resources available to deal with the stressor, such as
  
      time, money, and social support.
  
   11. 8 Explain how personality types and attitudes can
  
   influence people’s reaction to stress.
  
   - Type A personalities are ambitious, time-conscious, hostile, and
  
      angry workaholics who are at increased risk of coronary heart
  
      disease, primarily due to their anger and hostility.
  
   - Type B personalities are relaxed and easygoing and have one
  
      third the risk of coronary heart disease as do Type A personal-
  
      ities if male and one fourth the risk if female and working out-
  
      side the home.
  
   - Type C personalities are pleasant but repressed, internalizing
  
      their negative emotions.
  
   - Hardy people are hard workers who lack the anger and hos-
  
      tility of the Type A personality, instead seeming to thrive on
  
      stress.
  
   - Optimists look for positive outcomes and experience far less
  
      stress than pessimists, who take a more negative view.

  
  

focusing on the breathing. Not only does the breathing give you something on which to

focus, it also relaxes you.

Typically short periods are best at first: 10 minutes of practice in this technique a day.

As you get better at being aware of just what is going on at this moment in time, you’ll

become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and actions at that moment.

Questions for Further Discussion

1. What other benefits might there be from focusing on regular, rhythmic breathing?


2. What is the advantage to focusing on your own body’s actions rather than an object
   or chant (such as a mantra)?