Defining, Measuring, and
Managing Stress
The nervous system
Neurons
Synaptic Gap
Neurotransmitters
What are neurons?

How do they transmit information?
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Neurons


Nerve cells
◦ Basic building
blocks of the
body’s information
processing
system.
Made up of
◦ Dendrites
◦ Axons
5
Dendrites

Receive information
6
Axon fibers

Transmit information
to other
 Neurons
 Muscles
 Glands
7
How do neurons communicate
to other cells to influence our
behavior?
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Synapse (Synaptic gap)


Chemical messengers (neurotransmitters)
bridge the gap
Rats in an enriched environment will
increase their synapses.
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Neurotransmitters

Enable
communication
between
neurons
10
Two major divisions of
nervous system


Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
What are the parts of your
nervous system?

What do these parts do?
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Nervous system


Central nervous system
 Brain and spinal column
Peripheral nervous system
 Links central nervous system (spinal
cord) to sense receptors, muscles and
glands
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Central Nervous system



Brain and spinal column
Severed spinal cord E.g.
E.g. -Sally - knee jerk reaction without
sensation of a tap on the knee
 Bill - No genital sensations, but has
an erection when stimulated.
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Peripheral Nervous System


Sympathetic
nervous system
(Arousing)
◦ Increases
heartbeat &
blood pressure
Parasympatheti
c nervous
system
(Calming)
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Peripheral nervous system

Somatic nervous system


Skeletal muscles
Autonomic nervous system

Sympathetic


“Fight or flight”
Mobilizes resources




Parasympathetic


Heart speeds up
Blood vessels in skin contract
Breathing increases
Relaxation and normal functioning
Increasing one, decreases the other
Theories of stress


General Adaptation Syndrome
Lazarus’s view
General adaptation syndrome
(GAS)

1. Alarm

Sympathetic nervous system starts


2. Resistance


Adapts to stressor
Diseases of adaptation





Prepares for “Fight or flight”
Ulcers
Hypertension
Cardiovascular disease
Bronchial asthma
3. Exhaustion
Lazarus’s View


Interpretation (cognitive mediation) of
event is more important than the event
itself
Person’s perception of the situation is
critical



Potential harm
Threats
Person’s ability to cope with them
Lazarus’s View



Stressor + Cognitive mediation = Stress
Events do not produce stress - The
person’s view of the situation produces
the stress
The “Definition of the situation”
Measurement of stress

Physiological





Blood pressure
Heart rate
Galvanic skin response
Respiration rate
Self-report

Used by most health psychologists
Sources of stress

Cataclysmic events

PTSD - Posttraumatic stress disorder


In 1/4 to 1/3 of individuals experiencing
cataclysmic events
Irrational events create more stress
than natural disasters
Sources of stress

Occupation

High demands & low control = stress

Executive rat
Strategies for coping with
stress

Social support


Durkheim’s suicide study
Personal control

Internal locus of control



Adopt best to stress
External locus of control
More personal control = better health
Strategies for coping with
stress

Problem-focused coping



Reduce stressor (change the situation)
Best for good health
Proactive coping

Anticipating a problem and taking steps to
avoid it
Strategies for coping with
stress

Emotion-focused coping


Manage emotions
Meaning-focused coping

Create personal and spiritual meaning
Managing stress

Relaxation training

Progressive muscle relaxation



Explanation = tense muscles
Breathe deeply & exhale slowly
Deep muscle relaxation exercises


E.g. Tense and relax
Can be used with biofeedback and
hypnotic therapies
Managing stress

Cognitive behavior therapy

Changing attitudes and behavior




Beliefs
Attitudes
Thoughts
Skills to change behavior
Cognitive behavior therapy

1. Conceptualization stage

Identify problems


Educational
2. Skills acquisition and rehearsal stage


Educational and behavior
Increase coping skills




E.g. assertiveness
Practice
Monitor “self-talk”
3.Application and follow-through

Put skills into practice
Emotional Disclosure



James Pennebaker
Writing or talking about traumatic events
helps
Emotional self-disclosure improves
psychological and physical health


E.g. writing letter
Emotional disclosure vs. emotional
expression

Emotional disclosure


Self- reflection
Emotional expression

Crying