STRESS
- Created by: isystedman
- Created on: 03-06-18 20:39
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Stress
The Characteristics of Stress;
Stress as a physical response;
- Selye did research on rats and found that that stress promotes the release of cortisol and adrenaline. Adrenaline produces the 'fight or flight' and cortisol produces glucose.
- Can cause pain like headaches, backaches. Even heart disease.
Stress as a psychological response;
- Lazarus and Folkman proposed a transactional model of stress.
- It involves a primary appraisal which is whether the stressor is significant and a secondary appraisal which is whether the person believes they have the recourses to cope.
- Weighing up the appraisals determines the stress response.
Different types of stress;
- Acute stress - response to an immediate threat like an exam
- Episodic acute stress - repeated instances of short-term stress like too much work.
- Chronic stress - long periods of time such as poverty, unhappy relationships.
Biological Explanation 1 - Adrenaline and Acute Stress
The Sypathomedullary pathway (SAM)
- The hypothalamus demands a response from the autonomic nervous system, in particular, the sympathetic branch.
- This makes the adrenal medulla release adrenaline and noradrenaline which go to the organs and muscles to make them work faster.
- Once the stressor has passed, the parasympathetic branch will be targeted.
Fight or flight response;
- The changes caused by adrenaline prepare the body to fight or flight.
- Eg, oxygen is moved to essential organs, sweat is produced to cool us down etc.
Link to evolution;
- We may have faced the flight or fight response in the environment of evolutionary adaptiveness (EEA) like when facing a lion.
- Now they are usually a sudden scare which triggers the response but doesn't use it.
Effects on the heart;
- Can cause cardiovascular disorders.
- Causes the growth of muscle around the heart which causes arteries and capillaries to deform.
Evaluation of biological explanation 1
Supporting evidence;
- Leor found that there was an increase in cardio related deaths on the day of the Californian earthquake, showing the effects of an acute stressor.
Stress may not be a causal factor of heart problems;
- Other factors like age, weight and other health issues must be considered before.
Gender differences;
- Taylor points out that it could be the 'tend and befriend' response for women. When looking at the EEA, mothers would have nurtured and looked after their young.
- Maybe a difference in oxytocin and testosterone levels.
Challenge or a threat?
- Research has shown that our body responds differently to the both
- If it is a challenge, the heart beats more powerfully and vessells relax but if it's a threat the heart beats fast and the body produces negative effects.
Biological Explanation 2 - Cortisol and Chronic Stress
The HPA;
- Signals from the hypothalamus cause the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotrophin hormone, this then simulates the secretion of cortisol.
Cortisol;
- Lowers sensitivity to pain and allows us to deal with the stressor for longer.
- Can affect cognitive performance like memory. People recall fewer things with high levels of the hormones, it's like going into an exam and your 'mind going blank'
Effects on health;
- Immunosuppression - stress causes the immune…
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