Defining, Measuring, and Managing Stress
The nervous system
Neurons
Neurotransmitters
Synaptic cleft (gap)
Two major divisions of nervous system
• Central nervous system
• Peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system
• Brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
• Somatic nervous system– Skeletal muscles
• Autonomic nervous system– Sympathetic
• “Fight or flight”• Mobilizes resources
– Heart speeds up– Blood vessels in skin contract– Breathing increases
– Parasympathetic• Relaxation and normal functioning
– Increasing one, decreases the other
Theories of stress
• General Adaptation Syndrome
• Lazarus’s view
General adaptation syndrome (GAS)
• 1. Alarm– Sympathetic nervous system starts
• Prepares for “Fight or flight”
• 2. Resistance– Adapts to stressor– Diseases of adaptation
• Ulcers• Hypertension• Cardiovascular disease• Bronchial asthma
• 3. Exhaustion
Lazarus’s View
• Interpretation (cognitive mediation) of event is more important than the event itself
• Person’s perception of the situation is critical– Potential harm– Threats– Person’s ability to cope with them
Lazarus’s View
• Events do not produce stress - The person’s view of the situation produces the stress
• The “Definition of the situation”
Measurement of stress
• Physiological– Blood pressure– Heart rate– Galvanic skin response– Respiration rate
• Self-report– Used by most health psychologists
Sources of stress
• Cataclysmic events– PTSD - Posttraumatic stress disorder
• In 1/4 to 1/3 of individuals experiencing cataclysmic events
• Irrational events create more stress than natural disasters
Daily hassles
• High demands & low control = stress
• Executive rat
Coping with stress
• Social support– Durkheim’s suicide study
• Personal control– Internal locus of control
• Adopt best to stress
– External locus of control– More personal control = better health
Personal coping strategies
• Problem-focused coping– Reduce stressor (change the situation)– Best for good health
• Emotion-focused coping– Manage emotions
Personal coping strategies
• Social coping– Support from others
• Meaning-focused coping– Create personal and spiritual meaning
• Proactive coping– Anticipating a problem and taking steps to
avoid it
Managing stress
• Relaxation training– Progressive muscle relaxation
• Explanation = tense muscles• Breathe deeply & exhale slowly• Deep muscle relaxation exercises
– E.g. Tense and relax
– Can be used with biofeedback and hypnotic therapies
Managing stress
• Cognitive behavior therapy– Changing attitudes and behavior
• Beliefs• Attitudes• Thoughts
– Skills to change behavior
Cognitive behavior therapy
• 1. Conceptualization stage– Identify problems
• Educational
• 2. Skills acquisition and rehearsal stage• Educational and behavior• Increase coping skills
– E.g. assertiveness
• Practice• Monitor “self-talk”
• 3.Application and follow-through– Put skills into practice
Emotional Disclosure
• James Pennebaker• Writing or talking about traumatic events helps• Emotional self-disclosure improves
psychological and physical health– E.g. writing letter
• Emotional disclosure vs. emotional expression– Emotional disclosure
• Self- reflection
– Emotional expression• Crying
