AP Psychology
Stress and Coping
Health Psychology
• Looks at the relationship between
psychological behavior (thoughts, feelings,
actions) and physical health
Stress
• Psychological and physiologic reactions to
stressors, situations, events or stimuli that
produce uncomfortable feelings or anxiety
• A stressor is a trigger that prompts a stressful
reaction
• Stress is a process
Stressor
• Stimuli such as heat, cold, pain, mild shock, etc. that
we perceive as endangering our well-being
• Acute Stressor - response to a terrifying or traumatic
event
– Examples -- relationship breaking up, starting new school,
separation, divorce, death of spouse, victim of crime,
natural disaster
• Chronic Stressor - response to emotional pressure
suffered for a prolonged period over which an
individual perceives he or she has no control
– Examples -- unsafe neighborhood, continuing marital
discord, unemployment, homelessness, ongoing abuse,
captivity
Stressful life events include…
1. Catastrophes – unpredictable, large-scale
disasters that threaten us (Ex. Sept 11, 2001)
2. Significant life events – stressful changes in
lives (Ex. Death of loved one, marriage,
starting college)
3. Daily Hassles – everyday annoyances that
together can raise our blood pressure, cause
headaches, lower immunity
Social Readjustment Rating Scale
• Holmes and Rahe
• Rates stressful event in our lives
• The higher our score on the scale, the greater
the probability you face a major health event
within the next year (disease, illness, etc)
• Example…
– 100 – death of spouse (highest)
– 50 – getting marries
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_s
tress_scale
Conflict
• Occurs when a person is forced to choose
between two or more opposing goals or
desires
• Approach-approach conflict
• Avoidance-avoidance conflict
• Approach-avoidance conflict
Approach-approach conflict
• Occurs when you are forced to choose
between two or more desirable alternatives
that both lead to positive results
• Example…
– You receive letters of acceptance from your top
two colleges / both have academic and social
advantages that make them equally attractive
– Which college will you choose to attend?
• While stressful, this ultimately leads to a choice
between two desirable options
Avoidance-avoidance conflict
• Occurs when you are forced to choose
between two undesirable alternatives that will
both lead to negative results
• Example…
– You are rejected by all of the colleges to which
you applied / you must now choose between
getting a job or joining the military
– Which option will you choose?
• Stressful because both options are undesirable
Approach-avoidance conflict
• Occurs when you are forced to choose an
alternative that will have both desirable and
undesirable results
• Example…
– You receive a letter of acceptance from your top
college / you want to attend this college, but it is
very expensive
– Will you choose this college or one that is less
expensive?
• Stressful because we experience both good and bad
results regardless of what we decide
Hans Selye’s General Adaptation
Syndrome
• Hans Selye (1907-1982)
• Physiologist renowned for studies of stress
• Identified three progressive stages of stress
that collectively form what is called general
adaptation syndrome (ARE a GAS)
– The Alarm Stage
– The Resistance Stage
– The Exhaustion Stage
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome
The Alarm Stage
• You confront a stress-producing event
• Your body responds to the stressor by
mobilizing internal physical resources
• Sympathetic nervous systems
– “Fight or Flight”
– Example…during the alarm stage, your body
produces adrenaline to bring about the flight-orflight response
The Alarm Stage
The Alarm Stage
The Resistance Stage
• Coping stage
• Although intense arousal of the alarm stage
diminishes, physiological arousal remains higher
than normal (Examples…raised temp, heart rate,
blood pressure, respiration, adrenalin)
• Resources are gradually depleted since the body
cannot indefinitely maintain a heightened state of
arousal
• This stage can lead to diseases of adaptation,
including ulcers and high blood pressure
The Exhaustion Stage
• Prolonged exposure to the stressor depletes
the body’s resources
• Exhaustion leads to physical disorders (toxic
stress – Ex…MPD, DID, Schiz) , vulnerability to
illness (suppressed immune system) ,
psychophysiological illness (Ex…hypertension,
headaches), depression, ulcers and even
death
Personalities and Health
Type A
• High achievers
• Competitive
• Impatient
• Multi-tasker
• Walk, talk, ear quickly
• Type A more likely to have a
heart attack and physical
ailments due to stress!
Anger, hostility, cynical
Type B
• Relaxed
• Calm approach to life
Coping strategies…
• Def – active efforts to reduce or tolerate
perceived levels of stress
• Maladaptive (-) vs. Adaptive (+)
Maladaptive
• Aggression; indulging ourselves by eating,
drinking, smoking, using drugs, spending
money or sleeping too much; or using defense
mechanisms (unconscious, deceptive
reactions – Examples…
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/15common-defense-mechanisms/ )
Adaptive
• Aerobic exercise, problem solving, seeking
support of friends, accepting the problem
• Relaxation, visualization, meditation and
biofeedback can help lessen the effects of stress
and boost our immune system
• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_manag
ement_relief_coping.htm
• Hardy – the characteristic of someone who
reframes obstacles as challenges, and maintains
an optimistic view in spite of stressors
Learned Optimism
• can combat stress
• idea in positive psychology that a talent for joy,
like any other, can be cultivated
• done by consciously challenging any negative self
talk
• Opposite of learned helplessness (Martin
Seligman)
– condition of a human or animal that has learned to
behave helplessly
– that clinical depression and related mental illnesses
may result from a perceived absence of control over
the outcome of a situation
Stress Vocab
• http://quizlet.com/1623772/ap-psychologychapter-13-stress-coping-and-health-flashcards/