Discuss physiological, psychological, and social aspects of stress (22 marks)
Command term
“DISCUSS”- a considered and balanced review, including a range of arguments, factors, or hypotheses. Any conclusions are presented clearly, supported by appropriate evidence.
Stress is a negative emotional experience accompanied by various physical, cognitive, and behavioural changes
Body both consciously and subconsciously reacts to stressors
Beliefs and expectations of a situation play a role on the intensity of the person’s coping method
Failure to respond appropriately to emotional / physical threats
Stress is caused by stressors
THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT THEORY - Canon
The “fight or flight” response is believed to be an evolutionary response to acute stress
The hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis (H-P-A Axis) is the process of creating the response
The stressor is acknowledged by the hypothalamus
The pituitary gland activates the endocrine system
At the end of the H-P-A Axis the paths split:
Adrenal medulla - autonomic nervous system
Adrenal cortex - secretes cortisol
Adrenaline increases heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating
Cortisol increases blood sugar and lowers digestion and immune functioning
GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS) - Selye
States that there are 3 stages in the stress process
Initial stage: alarm stage - equivalent of flight or fight response;
adrenaline and cortisol surge - increase in heart rate and blood pressure
energy reserves are mobilised
Second stage: resistance stage - coping, attempting to reverse effects of alarm stage;
Third stage: exhaustion - reached after the individual is no longer able to further cope;
body cannot maintain nomal functioning
autonomic nervous system may reactivate, increasing sweating and heart rate
Immune system deteriorates
May result in illness - ulcers, depression etc.
The exhaustion stage explains the fatigue that people feel after long-term stress
This model does present one weakness - psychological (and not solely physiological) factors play a minor role in the model
STUDY: Cohen et al. (1993)
AIM: To find out if stress effects the immune system
PROCEDURE
- Patients were infected with a cold virus and underwent different levels of stress
FINDINGS
- Participants were more likely to develop other illnesses when experiencing high levels of stress
- The longer the duration of stress, the higher the risk of this
CONCLUSION
- They were in the exhaustion stage of GAS
- The stress lowered their immune system’s ability to function
- Explains Holmes and Rahe's findings
EVALUATION
- Everyone has different levels of resistance
- Caused physical harm - infected them with virus
- Ethnocentric
- Can’t establish cause and effect
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF STRESS
Cognitive processes determine whether an event is perceived as being stressful or not
If it is not, then it is unlikely that there will be a physiological stress response
Lazarus’s Theory of Appraisal
An appraisal must be made in order for emotions to happen
Emotions are influenced by personal characteristics and how these characteristics affect the appraisal
Then they act according to the interpretation / appraisal
Their reaction will be what they suppose to be the best response to the situation
An evaluation of the nature of the situation
Is it relevant to my goals?
Is it favourable to my situation?
Who is responsible for it?
Evaluation of ways of coping with the situation
Changing it by making it less threatening
How capable am I of coping with this?
STUDY: Speisman et al. - Audio track interfering with emotion
AIM: to prove the Lazarus’s theory that appraisal can interfere with emotions
PROCEDURE
- Participants were shown an unpleasant documentary of a traditional coming-of-age ritual of performing a circumcision on boys
- Three groups:
1. Trauma group
~ Shown the documentary with a soundtrack emphasising the pain
2. Denial group
~ With a soundtrack that suggested the ritual was joyful - the boys anticipated entering manhood
3. Intellectualisation group
~ With an anthropological interpretation that ignored the pain
FINDINGS
- Participants reacted more emotionally in the trauma group compared to other two
CONCLUSION
- Because they evaluated the situation as being painful through the soundtrack
- Thought it was appropriate to display more negative emotions - as the situation showed potential harm
- Shows that through appraising the situation, different emotional responses can be displayed to the same stimuli
HIV-positive patients with more pessimistic expectations developed HIV-related symptoms faster
Expectations also seem to predict some of the immune changes associated with HIV
Humans are social animals
We can be affected by social stressors like unemployment, homelessness, lack of education, financial troubles, domestic violence
Holmes and Rahe’s social readjustment rating scale
Evans and Kim - long-term exposure to poverty in children lead to increased cortisol levels. This lead to higher chances of heart problems
romaincrisis
turnnoffyourmind
snowghoul
jacobvanloon
