Stress

• What is GAS
• The three stages of the general adaptation syndrome are alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
• 1. What is Alarm Reaction


  A stressor is percieved then bodily responses are activated SAM or HPA in preparation for the 'fight or flight' response
• What is Resistance?

  Body tries to adapt by resisting stressor

  individual appears to be coping but body is being fraained of resources.

  BODY TRIeS TO repAIr itSELF AFTEr iNITIAL SHOCK
• What is exhaution?

  Adaptation is falining

  symptoms of stress emerge

  adrenal glands may get damaged

  immune system fails

  body is exhausted
• Outline the SAM pathway

  Stressful situation

  hypothalamus is alerted

  stress is acute

  activates sam pathway

  activates sympathetic branch

  ANS stimulates adrenal medulla

  this will secrete adrenaline and noradrenaline into blood

  Prepares for flight or fight

  causes physical bodily changes
• HPA CHRONIC STRESS

  situation is appraised and percieved as stressful

  hypothalamus is alerted

  recognises the stress is chronic

  produces CRF detected by pituitary

  hypothalamus activates HPA axis

  stimulates adrenal cortex

  this releases corticosteroids

  key one being cortisol.
• Outline the Pituuitary adrenal system?

  hypothalamus communicates with the pituitary gland

  causes release of ACTH

  this hormone is then detected in the blood stream by the adrenal cortex and corticosterone

  the corticcosteroids cause liver to release glucose
• What is the parasympathetic branch

  This is a counter shock response

  returns body to its normal resting state.
• GAS EVAL


  selye subjected rats to extreme cold and surgical injury

  found they responded the same way no matter the stressor

  found it was a general respons

  not unique to a particular stressor

  tracked it through the stages

  this matters as it supports the theory that the bodys response to stress is a physiological one

  doesnt change according to stressor
• GAS EVAL (2)

  Evidence to support specific response to certain stimuli

  MASON (1971) replicated study with mokeys

  found the effects on the body varied depending on stressor

  e.g extreme cold led to increase in urinary cortisol

  extreme heat reduced it

  This matters as it challenges the concept of the responses which undermines the validity of selyes explanation
• EVALUATION physiology of stress

  Addisions disease is a rare disorder which means they are unable to produce cortisol

  body cannot mobilise energy to deal with stressor

  lack of cortisol can be life threatening

  (mental confusion, abnormal heart rhythm)

  revolutionised treatments

  individuals can self administer cortisol

  They should be aware of when they might need an injection or hydrocotrisone

  therfore improved the lives of many.
• What does stress do to our immune system?

  increases the bodys svulnerability to infectious agents by immunosuppression which is the temporary reduction of immune system functioning.

  
  

  Immunosuppression:

  
  

  Kiecolt Glaser investigated the effects of two chronic stressors preparing for exams and looking after relatives who are ill.
• Cardiovascular disorders


  refer to any disorder of the heart and strokes

  evidence suggess stress can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disorders such as heart disease and strokes.

  stess can have short and long term effects
• Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
• The production of adrenaline and noradrenaline is led to by stress.
• High levels of adrenaline can lead to an increased heart rate, which over time, can cause the heart to work harder and wear away.
• The constriction of blood vessels due to high levels of adrenaline can increase blood pressure, putting tension on the blood vessels and potentially causing them to wear away over time.
• High levels of adrenaline can dislodge plaques on the walls of blood vessels, leading to blocked arteries (atherosclerosis) which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
• SNS arousal is closely linked with cardiovascular disorders.
• Williams et al (2000) conducted a study to investigate if anger is linked to heart disease as it is often linked to stress and the activation of the SNS.
• 13,000 participants completed a 10-question anger scale.
• Participants were asked whether they felt like hitting someone when angry, or whether they got annoyed when not recognised for doing good work.
• After six years, the health of participants was checked and it was found 256 had experienced heart attacks.
• The participants that had scored highest on the anger scale were over 2.5 times more likely to have had a heart attack than those with the lowest ratings.
• Participants that scored moderately in the anger ratings were 35% more likely to experience a coronary event compare to those with lower ratings.
• None of the participants were identified as suffering from heart disease at the outset of the study.
• Eval role of stress in illnes (data)

  data is based on self-reports such as questionnaires which may be subjective in nature. 

  if an individual has a tendency towards negative perceptions and remembering unpleasant events over pleasant ones

  lead to exaggerated scores on both measures. 

   which results in an unjustified link between higher perceived stress and cardiovascular symptoms.
• Eval role of stress in illnes

  Firdaus Dharbhar (2008) demonstrated that stress can have an immune-enhancing effect. 

  Rats were subjected to mild stressors and this was found to stimulate a substantial immune response with lymphocytes flooding the blood stream and body tissues in preparation for physical damage. 

  demonstrated that while chronic stressors may be dangerous due to their immunosuppressive effect, acute stressors do not act on the immune system in the same way. 

  acute stressors stimulate the immune system to give it protection against short-term stress. 
• • What are the sources of stress

  Life changes

  Daily Hassles

  Workplace stress
• How are life changes a source of stress:

  Life changes refer to significant and relatively infrequent events in a persons life that can cause stress. 

  Death of a relative

  Divorce

  Moving house

  Considered stressful because the individual often has to expend significant psychological energy coping with changed circumstances.
• How to measure stressful life events? Who proposed thihs?

  Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale
• What is on the SSRS?

  43 stressful life events that are believed to contribute to illness and scores events in terms of life change units
• Eval Life changes as a source of stress

  Raija Lietzén et al. (2011) used data from the Health and Social Support Study

  followed over 160,000 who did not have asthma at the beginning of the study.

  found that a high level of life change stress was a strong predictor for the onset of asthma in participants 

  found a robust and significant correlation between the stress of life changes
• EVAL life changed (individual)

  individual differences are ignored.

  Stress does affect everyone in the same way

  example, getting pregnant can either be a positive or negative

  Bryan and Whyte (1980) found that predicting heart attacks on the basis of life change scores only worked if the participants subjective interpretations were taken into account.

  Does not consider individuals perceptions which reduces its validity
• Daily Hassles as a Source of Stress


  Everyday irritations and annoyances one experiences throughout a typical day. 

  Examples might include queuing at the shop, being stuck at traffic or having a disagreement with a colleague.
• What did Lazarus propose?

  Accumulation of minor daily stressors create persistent irritations, frustrations and hassles that lead to more significant stress related outcomes such as anxiety and depression.
• Outline Kanner et al experiment

  Allen Kanner and Richard Lazarus looked to test if daily hassles may be a better predictor for illness than the life changes approach.
• What are daily hassles

  minor events that arise in the course of a normal day. Adverse effects can be offset by corresponding daily uplifts.
• Who decised the Hassles and Uplifts scale?

  Kanner et al