Chapter 3: Stress and Stress Moderators

1. Chapter 3: Stress and Stress Moderators Dr. M. Davis-Brantley

2. Stress • Stress is an event that exerts physical and psychological force or pressure on a person • An organism is required to adjust, adapt, or cope when a stressor is applied • Eustress is healthy and helpful stress • Bad stress is too taxing and can lead to poor mood, impair our ability to experience pleasure, and harm our bodies

3. Physiology of Stress • Fight or Flight Response • A survival mechanism in humans and most animals which prepares us to deal with physical danger • Importance of Homeostasis

4. Fight or Flight Response

5. Fight or Flight Limitations • System should only be elicited in the event of actual physical danger • Daily stressor begins to elicit an autonomic response • Heart rate increases when boss calls you into their office • Past stressors used to have a clear beginning and end this is not the case currently

6. Sources of Stress: Daily Hassles Daily hassles is the term for routine sources of annoyance or aggravation that have a negative impact on health • Household hassles (meals, shopping) • Health (illness, medication) • Time pressure (having too many things to do) • Inner concern (being lonely & fearful of confrontation) • Environmental (crime, neighborhood deterioration) • Financial responsibility (mortgage, bills) • Work (job dissatisfaction, problems with coworkers) • Future security (concerns about job security, investments, retirement)

7. Sources of Stress: Life Changes • Getting married, moving to a new town, getting a new job, divorce, death, etc… • Unlike hassles, life changes can be positive • These require adjustment but too much too soon can lead to health problems • Holmes and Rahe (1967) found that those with too many life changes in one year were at greater risk for health problems • 8 out of 10 would develop health problems vs. 1 out of 3 without so many life changes

8. Acculturative Stress • Acculturative Stress feelings of tension and anxiety that accompany efforts to adapt to or adopt the orientation and values of the dominant culture • This type of stress has been connected with feeling of anxiety and physical health problems (hypertension) • Racism is also connected to feeling of being marginal, alienated, role confusion, and poor self-concept

9. Frustration • Frustration is described as the thwarting of a motive to obtain a goal • Being an adolescent and unable to drive, go out, wear make-up • This age barrier requires them to delay gratification • Frustration--work • Frustration at work—Part 2 • Tolerance for frustration is the learned ability to delay gratification, to maintain self-control when a motive is thwarted • Ex: Grocery store lines during the hurricane

10. Conflict • Conflict is characterized by opposing motives, in which gratification of one motive prevents gratification of the other • Ex: Should I eat dessert or stick to my diet • Psychology: It is the feeling of being pulled in 2 or more different directions • Conflict is frustrating and stressful

11. Types of Conflict • Approach-approach conflict involves 2 positive but mutually exclusive goals (least stressful) • Ex: Choosing where to go for vacation • Avoidance-Avoidance conflict involves 2 negative goals • Avoidance of one requires approach of the other • Ex: Going to the dentist vs. allowing teeth to decay • Approach-Avoidance conflict involves positive and negative features • Ex: eating dessert vs. staying on diet • Multiple approach-avoidance conflict involves 2 or more goals, each of which has positive and negative aspects • Ex: Studying for a test vs. going to the movies vs. failing

12. Irrational Beliefs • Concept developed by psychologist Albert Ellis • Believed that events don’t stress us out, but our perception of them contribute to stress • Irrational beliefs create or compound stress • Ex: Doing poorly on a test • ABC Model • (A)Activating event, (B) Belief, (C) Consequence • (A)=low grade on test (B) ??? (C) ??? • Catashtrophizing is to make into a catastrophe or interpret an event as being catastrophic when it is not

13. Type A Behavior Pattern • Stress-producing behavior characterized by: • aggressiveness • perfectionism • unwillingness to relinquish control • hold a sense of time urgency • Stressed when others don’t work as fast they do • Reluctant to delegate authority • Find it difficult to give up control or share power • Type B behavior patterns include more relaxed, focus more on the quality of life • Less ambitious , less impatient

14. Moderators of Stress • Self-efficacy expectations are beliefs to the effect that one can handle a task or manage stress • Research show that high self efficacy expectations contribute to lower adrenaline levels in the blood stream • How does this contribute to fight or flight response? • Psychological Hardiness is a set of traits that buffer stress and are characterized by commitment, challenge, and control • Researcher Kobasa (1990) fond that those who are psychologically hardy have these characteristics • Commitment to their goals and feel involved in their lives • Challenge is viewed as normal and see it as a way to grow • Control over their lives where they feel that they can prepare for the challenges

15. Moderators of Stress • Those who are psychologically hardy also see themselves as having an internal locus of control • Control allows us to feel that we are not at the mercy of randomness and that we can influence our lives • Internals are those who believe that they can exercise the control necessary to obtain reinforcement • Externals are those who believe that other people or the situation exercises control • Social support is also vital

16. Moderators of Stress • Social support is also vital in moderating stress and acting as a buffer against the effects of stress • Sources of social support include the following: • Emotional Concern—listening to the problems of others and expressing feelings of empathy • Instrumental Aid—having material support and services available to help (after hurricane, the government provides resources) • Information—Guidance and advice that enhances people’s ability to cope • Appraisal—feedback from others about how one is doing to make sense of what has happened • Socializing—simple conversation or recreation with another

17. Cognitive Reframing • “It’s not the problem that’s the problem, but how we see the problem that is the problem” • Aaron Beck—Cognitive Restructuring in response to Cognitive distortions such as catastrophizing