Stress

• Who proposed the idea of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?

  Selye
• What does the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) suggest about stress?

  It helps us to adapt to new situations through three stages.
• What is the first stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome?

  The 'alarm reaction', which describes the immediate physiological response to a stressor.
• What physiological changes occur during the 'alarm reaction' stage?

  Increased activity of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.
• What does the 'resistance' stage of GAS involve?

  The body tries to resist the stressor by rapidly consuming its energy resources.
• What happens during the 'exhaustion' stage of GAS?

  The body's energy resources become drained, leading to immunosuppression and diseases of adaptation.
• What are some examples of diseases of adaptation mentioned in the study material?

  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension.
• What evidence supports the three stages of stress responses?

  Animal studies by Selye showed that rats responded similarly to stressors in the same way.
• What physiological differences exist between rats and humans regarding stress responses?

  Differences in the complexity of nervous systems and cortisol hormone concentrations.
• What are the two types of physiological responses to stress?

  Acute and chronic.
• What characterizes acute stress?

  The body perceives an immediate stressor and triggers a physiological response.
• What is the role of the hypothalamus in acute stress?

  It triggers increased activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system.
• What is the sympathomedullary pathway?

  A pathway that produces physiological arousal needed for the fight or flight response.
• What happens once the stressor is no longer an immediate threat?

  The parasympathetic branch increases activity to decrease the physiological responses.
• What characterizes chronic stress?

  It involves prolonged activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system.
• What is released by the pituitary gland during chronic stress?

  ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone).
• What is the role of cortisol in the stress response?

  Cortisol is released by the adrenal cortex and maintains the fight or flight response for a longer time.
• How are cortisol levels reduced in the body?

  Through a negative feedback system that reduces output of ACTH and CRF.
• What is a beta bias in psychological research?

  Minimizing the differences between males and females in research findings.
• What alternative response to fight or flight has been proposed for females?

  The 'tend and befriend' approach.
• What is Addison's Disease?


  A condition characterized by an inability of the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol.
• How does chronic stress affect health?

  It results in immunosuppression and increases the risk of illness.
• What did Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1984) find regarding medical students and stress?

  They found a reduction in natural killer cells and T killer cells during exams.
• What did Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1991) discover about caregivers of Alzheimer's patients?

  They reported higher susceptibility to EBV and increased rates of depression.
• What did Wilbert-Lampen et al (2008) find regarding chronic stress and myocardial infarction?

  They reported a 2.66 increase in the likelihood of myocardial infarction during the World Cup.
• How does chronic stress compare to obesity in terms of risk for myocardial infarction?

  Chronic stress may be a more serious risk factor than obesity.
• What did Dharbhar (2008) find about acute stressors and immune functioning?

  Acute stressors may benefit immune functioning by increasing T lymphocytes.
• What did Pereira et al (2003) suggest about stress and disease progression?

  Stress may play a role in the progression of diseases like HIV.
• What are the practical implications of understanding stress responses?

  It may lead to guidelines for lowering stress and reducing disease progression.
• What is a methodological issue with stress research?

  Much research is based on non-human animals, which may lack ecological validity.
• What is the cumulative effect of life changes?

  It refers to the accumulation of stress from multiple life changes.
• How can stress associated with life changes be measured?

  Using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS).
• What did Holmes and Rahe (1967) find regarding LCU scores?

  They found a positive correlation between increasing LCU scores and likelihood of developing illness.
• What did Rahe et al (1970) discover about US Navy personnel and stress?


  Personnel who experienced stressful life events were more likely to become ill during deployment.
• What is a limitation of quantifying stress from life changes?

  It may ignore individual differences in stress responses.
• What is a methodological issue with correlational studies in stress research?

  They cannot demonstrate cause and effect relationships.
• What distinction did DeLongis et al (1988) make regarding sources of stress?

  They distinguished between life changes and daily hassles.
• What did Kanner et al (1981) find about daily hassles compared to major life changes?

  Daily hassles were significantly more stressful than major life changes.
• How are daily hassles characterized compared to life changes?

  Daily hassles are frequent and predictable, while life changes are unexpected and rare.
• What are primary and secondary appraisals in the context of daily hassles?

  Primary appraisal assesses the severity of the hassle, while secondary appraisal considers coping ability.