stressors > fight-flight-freeze, acute & chronic stress.

    Cards (15)

    • stress?
      physiological and psychological responses that a person experiences when confronted with a situation that is threatening or challenging.
    • stressors?
      a person, object, or event that is challenging or threatening.
    • distress?
      a form of stress characterised by a negative psychological state
    • eustress?
      a form of stress characterised by a positive psychological state
    • acute stress?
      a state of brief but intense physiological arousal in response to an immediate perceived psychological stressor that normally has no long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing
    • chronic stress?
      a state of prolonged physiological arousal in response to a persistent stressor that negatively affects health and wellbeing
    • fight - flight - freeze response?
      an involuntary and automatic response to a threat that takes the form of either escaping it, confronting it, or freezing in the face of it
    • reaction in fight response?
      • Confront the threat.
      • Activation of the Sympathetic NS
      • Adrenaline energises the body
      • Increase in heart rate
      • Dilation of pupils
    • reaction in flight response?
      • Flee from the source of danger.
      • Escaping is perceived as the safest option.
      • Activation of the sympathetic NS
      • Increase in heart rate
      • Dilation of pupils
    • reaction in freeze response?
      • automatic reaction to threat
      • brief activation of parasympathetic NS
      • immobility and shock
      • decrease in heart rate
    • cortisol?
      primary stress hormone secreted into the bloodstream
    • role of cortisol short - term?
      • cortisol provides an immediate burst of energy to respond to a stressor.
      • prepares body for action
    • role of cortisol long - term?
      • increase in cortisol suppresses the immune system (reduces the body’s ability to fight illness and infection)
      • increase fatigue
      • sleep disturbances
      • emotional hypersensitivity, anxiety, and mild depression
    • internal stressors?
      biological or psychological factors that originate within a person
      e.g.  physical health/illness,
    • external stressors?
      factors that originate outside the body
      e.g. deadlines for school
    See similar decks