PSYA2

Topic 1

BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY(STRESS)

⇒ Part 1: Stress as a bodily response

PSPSψψCHOLOGYCHOLOGY

SYLLABUSYou should be able to demonstrate an understanding of…

CONTENTS

Covered in class Revision Notes Exam Practice

1. The Body’s response to stress

⇒ Definition of key terms and examples

⇒ Describe the body’s response to ACUTE (shortTerm) stress – the sympathomedullary Pathway (SAM system)

⇒ Describe the body’s response to CHRONIC (longTerm/ongoing) stress – the pituitary adrenal system (HPA axis)

2. Stress related i l lness and the immune system

⇒ Outline a number of physiological effects ofStress on the immune system (e.g. increasedchance of CHD, reduced immune systemeffectiveness)

⇒ Describe RESEARCH into the stress,Illness and the immune system

⇒ EVALUATE research into stress, illness and the Immune system (including problems with correlations and individual differences)

1.

The BODY’S RESPONSE TO STRESS⇒ Key Terms⇒ Body’s response to ACUTE

stress⇒ Body’s response to

CHRONIC stress

You must be able to...

• Define key terms and give examples of each• Describe the body’s response to acute (short term) stress; i.e.

outline the SAM (sympathomedullary) system. • Describe the body’s response to chronic (long term) stress; i.e.

outline the HPA (pituitary adrenal) axis

Everybody experiences stress! However, of interest to us as psychologists, is not only what aspects in our world cause us stress, but also what physical and psychological effects these have on a person. If we know this, we can offer help by designing techniques and methods that may help people cope with the stress they experience.

In this next topic, we will look at all of these elements in detail. However, we firstly need to familiarise ourselves with some key terminology...

TASK! Define the key terms below...

⇒ STRESS is defined as...

⇒ A STRESSOR is defined as...

⇒ ACUTE stressors are...

⇒ CHRONIC stressors are...

STRESS – Key terms!

For example...

For example...

⇒ A persons response to stress is influenced by INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. This means...

(EXTENSION – mention the terms PRIMARY APPRAISAL and SECONDARY APPRAISAL and explain how these link to stress and individual differences)

⇒ Stress may have EVOLVED as it is ADAPTIVE. This could be because...

NB. Although you do not need to have a detailed understanding of the nervous system, it is useful to understand the mechanisms of this. Before covering the next section, read and make brief notes on the nervous system from page 139 – 145 of your textbook. Pay particular attention to the AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (ANS).

1. APPRAISALFirstly, our body appraises a situation and decides whether or not it is stressful. This decision is made based on sensory input and processing (i.e. the things we see and hear in the situation) and also on stored memories (i.e. what happened the last time we were in a similar situation).

If the situation is appraised as being stressful, the HYPOTHALAMUS (at the base of the brain) is activated. The hypothalamus decides if the stressor is acute or chronic and, depending on this, activates one of two major biological systems – the sympathomedullary pathway (SAM system; activated for acute stress) or the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system (HPA axis; activated for chronic stress)

POINT TO NOTE - In the next few pages, you will look at the HPA and SAM systems in more detail. Be prepared for some serious biological terms, but don’t worry if you can’t remember these straight away – it will come with practise!

The BODY’S RESPONSE to stress

The situation is APPRAISED and is decided to be STRESSFULL...

The HYPOTHALAMUS is alerted

If the Hypothalamus decides the stress is ACUTE, it activates the SAM system...

If the Hypothalamus decides the stress is CHRONIC, it activates the HPA axis...

2. The Body’s response to ACUTE stress (the body’s IMMEDIATE response to stress)

⇒ The SYMPATHOMEDULLARY (SAM) PATHWAY

Situation is appraised and perceived as Stressful

Hypothalamus is alerted. This recognises the stress is ACUTE so it activates the SYMPATHOMEDULLARY (SAM) Pathway

This activates the SYMPATHETIC branch of the ANS.

ANS stands for A__________________

N_______________ S___________

This then stimulates the A_______________

M______________ which is part of the

A________________ G_________________. These are

located just above the K_______________

The A__________________ M__________________

secretes the hormones A_______________________

and N_______________________ into the bloodstream.

This prepares the body for F_____________ or

F____________ and as such causes a number of physical

(bodily) changes, including...

(see next page)

The bodily changes caused by the release of adrenalin include...

(continued from previous page)

Increased ALERTNESS

Increase in

B___________

F_________ (and oxygen)

to M___________

Increase in H________

R_______ and raised

b_______ P__________Increase in R________________ (breathing) R_____

Reduced activity in

Digestive system and to

conserve energy

However, the body cannot maintain this increased level of activity for long periods of time (as it takes too much energy). So, after a few minutes, (or when the stressor has been dealt with) the PARASYMPATHETIC branch of the nervous system is activated.

This is a COUNTERSHOCK response and serves to

return the body back to its N___________________

resting state (e.g it reduces heart rate and breathing

rate, restores activity in the digestive system...)

Pupils D_______________

2. The Body’s response to CHRONIC stress (the body’s LONG TERM response to ONGOING stressors)

⇒ The HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL system (HPA AXIS)

If a person is exposed to a chronic stressor, a different biological system is activated...

Situation is Appraised and perceived as Stressful

H_______________________ is alerted. This

recognises the stress is CHRONIC.

Hypothalamus activates the HPA axis, which is also

known as the P________________________

A____________________ S_______________

This stimulates the P__________________

G_______________ in the brain

The P_______________ G_______________ causes the

release of several hormones, including ACTH, which stands

for A______________________________ hormone

The release of ACTH stimulates the

A______________ C______________ (another

part of the adrenal glands) to release

C______________________, ( a range of

hormones), the key one being C________________

(see next page)

(continued from previous page)

The release of these hormones has a number of PHYSIOLOGICAL

effects on the body. Some of these are positive, whereas some are

negative...

GOOD EFFECTS of these hormones include...

• A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF ENERGY to muscles

BAD EFFECTS of these hormones include...

• SUPPRESSION of the body’s

I_______________

S_______________ as a way

of conserving energy (which

can be directed elsewhere).

(extension)FEEDBACK

Finally, it is worth noting that the HPA system is effective at self regulation. Both the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland have special receptors that monitor circulating cortisol levels. If these rise above normal levels for a significant period (e.g. during chronic stress) they initiate a response which reduces ACTH levels, thus bringing cortisol levels back to normal and restoring the body’s natural resting state

PLENARY CONSOLIDATION TASK!

In your own words, summarise the two ways in which the body responds to stress.

HINTS

• Include ALL key terms

• Include ALL key terms

• Aim for about 150-200 words for each response

• When talking about each response, always mention the PHYSIOLOGICAL changes that it results in

• When talking about the body’s response to acute stress, remember to include reference to the PARASYMPATHETIC REBOUND when the body returns to it’s normal state

1. Outline the body’s immediate response to ACUTE stress

2. Outline how the body responds to CHRONIC stress

EXTENSION TASK!

If you recall, at the beginning of this topic we mentioned that stress may be an EVOLVED response due to its adaptive nature. One of the first theories which considered how and why stress is an adaptive response was proposed by HANS

SELYE and is known as the GENERAL ADAPTION SYNDROME (or GAS for short). This model outlines the basic physiological responses of the body when faced with stress (much the same as we have already done in the previous section) but he also goes on to explain the adaptive benefits of these responses.

Conduct some extra reading on SELYE’S GAS and jot some notes down below (remember to describe AND evaluate). A good, albeit basic, starting point is p147 in your textbook, but you should also look elsewhere.

However, bear in mind that the most important content in terms of the exam is the work on the previous pages!

The GENERAL ADAPTION SYNDROME (Selye)

2.

STRESS RELATED ILLNESS and the IMMUNE SYSTEM

⇒ Which illness are associated with stress?

⇒ What are the effects of stress on the immune system?

⇒ Research into stress, illness ⇒ and the immune system

You must be able to...

• Outline the links between stress and illness• Explain how stress affects immune system functioning• Discuss research in the area (at least 3)

Many pieces of research have found that there is a CORRELATION (a relationship) between stress and certain illnesses.

For example, RILEY (1981) found that for mice, stress (caused by being placed on a rotating turntable above water) resulted in the mice develop large tumours.

Q. WHICH OTHER ILLNESSES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE RELATED TO STRESS? Jot these below

(link to specific research if you can...)

As stress has been found to be related to a number of illnesses, it seems safe to assume that the reason for this is because stress in some way affects the functioning of our IMMUNE SYSTEM

Q. Explain briefly what the immune system is and how it works (2 ways). Be sure to mention invading pathogens!

STRESS, ILLNESS and the IMMUNE SYSTEM

TAKIN IT FURTHER!

If we look at the functioning of the immune system in more detail, we can see that it is actually divided into sub systems.

Perhaps the two most important sub divisions of the immune system are NATURAL IMMUNITY and SPECIFIC IMMUNITY

TASK! See p150 of your textbook. Explain the difference between NATURAL and SPECIFIC immunity. Mention leukocytes (white blood cells) and NK cells when talking about natural immunity and mention lymphocytes when talking about specific immunity

As an extension, you could also mention the TIME PERIOD in which each type of immunity develops

NATURAL IMMUNITY

SPECIFIC IMMUNITY

In the following section we will consider some of the research which has been conducted into stress, illness and the immune system. For your exam, you have to be able to DESCRIBE and EVALUATE this research (I’d say a MINIMUM of three studies, including one which looks specifically at the effects of stress on the immune system).

However, before we look at this research, let us consider some of the general problems with research in this area...

RESEARCH into stress, illness and the immune system

Most research in this area uses CORRELATIONS. This is a problem because it only allows us to establish a relationship between stress and immune system functioning. This is a problem because...

It is difficult to measure stress and we often have to rely on the accounts of participants given in interviews and questionnaires. This is a problem because...

There are also a number of ways to measure immune system functioning. Different studies often use different techniques. This makes it difficult to compare different studies and check the _______________ and ______________ of results and conclusions.

Most research does not take into INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. They assume all people are affected by situations in the same way (e.g. Marucha, 1998, assumed all of his participants experience stress when taking exams). This is a problem because...

Research tends to focus on only ONE EXAMPLE of a stressor (e.g. exam stress; work stress). This is a problem because...

KIECOLT-GLASER, et al (1984) ‘Research into exam stress and NK Cell activity’

AIM –

METHOD and PROCEDURE –

RESULTS –

CONCLUSION – This shows…

EVALUATION

DESCRIPTION

COHEN, et al (1983) - ‘Research into General Life Stress and the Common Cold’

AIM –

METHOD and PROCEDURE –

RESULTS –

CONCLUSION – This shows…

EVALUATION

DESCRIPTION

GLASER (1986) ‘Research into Exam Stress and amount of T Cells’

AIM –

METHOD and PROCEDURE –

RESULTS –

CONCLUSION – This shows…

EVALUATION

DESCRIPTION

MARUCHA, et al (1998) ‘Research into the effects of stress and healing’

AIM –

METHOD and PROCEDURE –

RESULTS –

CONCLUSION – This shows…

EVALUATION

DESCRIPTION

BRADY (1958) ‘Stress and Ulcers – The executive monkey study’

AIM –

METHOD and PROCEDURE –

RESULTS –

CONCLUSION – This shows…

EVALUATION

DESCRIPTION

EVANS, et al (1994) – Stress and sigA antibody

AIM –

METHOD and PROCEDURE –

RESULTS –

CONCLUSION – This shows…

EVALUATION

DESCRIPTION