©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007 Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e) AP Psychology Chapter 3: Stress and Health Psychology

©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007 Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

AP Psychology

Chapter 3: Stress and

Health Psychology


Understanding Stress

What is Stress?

– A nonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it;

– The arousal, both physical and mental, to situations or events that we perceive as threatening or challenging.


Sources of Stress


Does This Cause Stress?


Sources of Stress

Cataclysmic Events: stressors that occur suddenly and generally affect many people simultaneously



Significant Life Changes

Happy life events such as getting engaged or married.

Moving, leaving home, losing a job, getting divorced, having a loved one die.

Young adults typically report higher stress levels than much older adults.



Sources of Stress

Chronic Stressors: ongoing, long lasting, unpleasant events


Sources of Stress

Life Changes:

life events that require some adjustment in behavior or lifestyle


Sources of Stress

Hassles::

small, everyday problems that accumulate to become source of stress


Hassles



Fight or Flight!!!!


Fight or Flight Response

1. Heart rate increases2. Blood pressure increases3. Respiration becomes rapid and shallow4. Live releases stores of glycogen, thus raising the

blood sugar level.5. Digestive system shuts down and blood reroutes

to muscles & pupils dilate.6. Hair stands up on end.7. Excitatory hormones secreted 8. Muscles tense


Fight-Or-Flight!!


Is This Guy Coping Well With Stress?


Is This You?


Sources of Stress

Occupation Burnout: state of psychological and physical exhaustion resulting from chronic exposure to high levels of stress and little personal control


Sources of Stress

Frustration unpleasant tension resulting from a blocked goal

Conflict forced choice between two or more incompatible goals or impulses


Sources of Stress

Three Types of Conflict• Approach-Approach: forced choice

between two or more desirable alternatives• Avoidance-Avoidance: forced choice

between two or more undesirable alternatives• Approach-Avoidance: forced choice

between two or more alternatives both having desirable and undesirable results


Sources of Stress

If this man is interested in one of the three women on the couch, is he experiencing an approach-approach, approach-avoidance, or avoidance-avoidance conflict?


Irrational Assumptions:These Can Cause Stress!

1. Unhappiness is inevitable.

2. I must do everything to perfection.

3. Everyone must approve of what I do.

4. The world should b fair and just.

5. I should not question authorities of social beliefs.


Ever Felt This Way?


Agree or Disagree?



Effects of Stress


Effects of Stress

Stress and the HPA Axis:

Prolonged elevation of cortisol is related to: increased depression, memory problems, etc. impaired immune system, which leaves the

body vulnerable to disease.


This Wouldn’t Cause You Any Harm At All, Would it?


Effects of Stress

Stress and the Immune System

Psychoneuroimmunology: interdisciplinary field that studies the effect of psychological factors on the immune system


Effects of Stress

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

1. Alarm

2. Resistance

3. Exhaustion


Would This Help?


Stress In Your Life—RIGHT NOWAttending college (or getting ready to)Job satisfaction—do I like my work now or

the work I will do in the future.Women & men= does an income gap exists

between the two?Career changes—impacts those a bit older

than you, but you are now competing with older adults for work due to the economy. Also many of you will change careers several times.


Optimism vs. Pessimism

Optimists—anticipation of positive outcomes, they are people who expect the best and believe their efforts will lead to good things.

Pessimists—anticipate negative outcomes. They are people who expect the worst and doubt their goals will ever be achieved.




RealismBeing realistically anxious over possible

failures can actually motivate people.


Which Are You?


Stress and IllnessCancer: related to hereditary disposition and environmental factors

Cardiovascular Disorders: contributing factors include stress hormones, certain personality types, and certain behaviors

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): anxiety disorder following exposure to extraordinary stress

Gastric Ulcers: caused by bacteria or stress?


Stress and Illness


Mental Tension Situation #1Brian, an ambitious high school senior,

fails his final exam in American Government. He is terrified that his chances of not only graduating, but getting into college have been ruined, and a day or two later he develops a severe skin rash.


Mental Tension Situation #2Jenny, Brian’s friend from class, learns

that her parents cannot afford to pay her tuition for her first year of college; her friends wonder why she has suddenly become so bad tempered.


Mental Tension Situation #3Annie gets her first leading role in a high

school play; while running outside to call her boyfriend, she realizes that she cannot remember the phone number.


Discussion Questions

1. What causes stress?2. In your experience, are people who dislike

change better equipped to cope with stress than people who claim to welcome change in their lives?

3. Why are life changes sources of stress?4. How is stress necessary for survival?5. What happens during the resistance stage

of stress?


Discussion Questions

6. What is post-traumatic stress disorder and whom does it effect?

7. What effect does the fight-or flight response have on your immune system?

8. Have you ever witnessed “road rage”? Describe the incident.

9. Would you feel more stressed about a scheduled exam or a pop quiz? Why?

10. How does social support reduce stress?


Road Rage

1. Involves a desire to retaliate and punish another driver.

2. It can result in criminal behavior, such as violence or threatened violence.

3. Psychologists believe road rage reflects a driver’s anger and lack of self-control.


Tips to Avoid “Road Rage”1. Do not retaliate against another driver2. Before you react to another driver, consider if this

is incident really worth risking your life.3. Be polite and courteous, even when others are

not.4. If you are harassed by another driver and are

being followed, proceed to the nearest police station.

5. Slow down and relax!!6. Allow enough travel time to your destination.7. Although you can’t control the behavior of other

drivers, you can control your own behavior.


Gender Differences & Stress1. Who has the higher stress levels—men or

women?2. Women more likely than men in the USA to live in

poverty, experience discrimination and to be abused.

3. Psychologists argue the traditional roles of women as primary caretakers and wives place them in positions in which anxiety and depression are more likely.

4. Example—mothers are often made to feel responsible for events that they have little control over, such as the illness of a child or accidents in the home.


Stress at Work

1. Jobs requiring employees to hide their true feelings and emotions are considered to be the most stressful. Would include: medicine, teaching, social services, customer service, fire/rescue, law enforcement.

2. Occupations that typically deal with customer complaints on a daily basis are also very high in stress. These include occupations in: information technology, engineering, sales, finance, operations, production & clerical work.


Most Stressful Jobs

1. Inner city high school teacher2. Police officer3. Miner4. Air traffic controller5. ER Doctor 6. Stockbroker7. Journalist8. Customer service worker9. Secretary10. Waiter/waitress


Least Stressful Jobs

1. Forester2. Bookbinder3. Telephone line worker4. Toolmaker5. Mill worker6. Repairperson7. Civil engineer8. Therapist9. Natural scientist10. Sale representative


Most Stressful Cities/Metro Areas1. Seattle/Tacoma, WA2. Miami, FL3. New Orleans, LA4. Las Vegas, NV5. New York, NY6. Portland,OR/Vancouver, WA7. Mobile, AL8. Stockton-Lodi, CA9. Detroit, MI10. Dallas, TX


Least Stressful Cities/Metro Areas1. Albany-Schenectady, NY2. Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA3. Orange County, CA4. Nassau-Suffolk Counties, NY5. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI6. Ann Arbor, MI7. Omaha, NE8. Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA-9. Honolulu, HI10. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC


Life Changing “Most” Stressful Events1. Death of spouse of child2. Death of a parent3. Getting fired4. Death of a brother/sister5. Getting a divorce6. Pregnancy7. Decreased income8. Loan or mortgage foreclosure9. Job demotion10. Marital separation


Life Changing “Least” Stressful Events1. Child leaving for college2. Major change in eating habits3. Going on Vacation4. Job promotion5. Major change in sleeping habits6. New romantic relationship7. Breaking up8. Troubles with co-workers9. Changing jobs10. Major change in living conditions


Health Psychology in Action Health Psychology: studies how biological,

psychological, and social factors affect health and illness

Major Health Risks:1. Tobacco2. Alcohol and Binge Drinking3. Chronic Pain (lasting over 6 months)


Health Psychology in ActionDoes this graph surprise you? Smokers often overestimate their risk of dying from homicide and traffic accidents, and greatly underestimate the risk from smoking.


Health and Stress Management Two major approaches to coping

with stress:

1. Emotion-focused (changing one's perception of stressful situations)

2. Problem-focused (using problem-solving strategies to decrease or eliminate the source of stress)


Health and Stress Management

Our emotional reaction to stress largely depends on how we interpret it.


Health and Stress Management Resources for Healthy Living

1. Health and Exercise

2. Positive Beliefs

3. Social Skills

4. Social Support

5. Material Resources

6. Control (Internal locus of control)

7. Relaxation


Factors Influencing Reactions to StressAn individual’s personality may make him or

her more vulnerable to stress.Emotional expressiveness can also affect the

strength of a stress reaction.People who deny their emotions tend to

express feelings less frequently.


Finals Week or SAT Perhaps?


Concluding Questions

1. How can stress effect us physically, mentally and emotionally?

2. What (in your view) causes stress?

3. Is there such a thing as “positive stress”?

4. Why are life changes sources of stress?

5. How is stress necessary for survival?

6. What causes you “anxiety?

Documents

©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007 Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e) AP Psychology Chapter 3: Stress and Health Psychology