Invitation to Psychology

COn

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ept Map

ChapTER 13 Emotion, Stress, and Health 481

Chap

TE

R 13

Emotion, Stress, and

h

ealth

Coping With Stress

Four ways of reducing the physical effects of negative

emotions and stress:

1. meditation and exercise.


2. problem-focused coping rather than emotion-focused coping.


3. rethinking the problem by:

• reappraising the situation or the symptoms of stress.


• learning from the experience.


• comparing yourself to others.

4. drawing on social support or giving it to others, although
   the wrong kind of social support can be detrimental.

Stress and Emotion

Emotional factors that increase the risk of heart disease and

other illness include:

• cynical or antagonistic hostility.


• chronic depression.


• prolonged inhibition of negative emotions.

Two ways of letting go of negative emotions:

1. confession: revealing private thoughts and feelings.


2. forgiveness: coming to terms with an injustice.

Stress and the Body

Hans Selye argued that environ-

mental stressors produce a general

adaptation syndrome, physiologi-

cal reactions that occur in three

phases:

1. Alarm


2. Resistance


3. Exhaustion

The Immune System:

PNI

Psychoneuroimmunol-

ogy (PNI) is the study of

the relationships among

psychology, the nervous

and endocrine systems,

and the immune system,

interacting to protect

health or increase the risk

of illness.

Physical Changes

When a person is under

stress, the hypothalamus

sends messages to the

endocrine glands along two

major pathways to:

• activate the sympathetic
  nervous system for a
  fight-or-flight response.


• initiate activity along the
  HPA axis, which spurs
  production of cortisol and
  other hormones that
  increase energy.

Chronic stressors that affect

the immune system and

increase the risk of illness

include:

• unemployment and
  work-related problems.


• poverty, powerlessness, and
  low status.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors that

can increase a person’s

ability to live with ongoing

problems and recover from

illness include:

• realistic optimism.


• conscientiousness.


• having an internal locus of
  control.

Health and well-being may

depend on a combination of:

• primary control, trying
  to change the stressful
  situation.


• secondary control,
  learning to accept and
  adapt to the stressful
  situation.

The Nature of Stress

Stress

hormones

elevated

Digestion

slows

Muscles

tense

Heart rate

speeds up

Blood flow

increases

3.5

3

2.5

2

1

1.5

0.5

0

Imagery Recovery

Hurt Grudge Empathy Forgiveness 

Beats per minute (change scores)