01:830:101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sympathetic Nervous System, Acculturation

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:101
• Professor: Foels

Document Summary

Stressors - any environmental demand that creates a sense of tension requires that we adapt and adjust. Stress - state of psychological tension or strain. Any stress response that keeps you from reaching your goal (getting into a car accident) Eustress - positive stress (getting an a on a test) post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) - when a person has the following symptoms for more than 3 months after a traumatic events. Phase 1: alarm - the body becomes energized by activation of the sympathetic nervous system to initiate fight or flight - not sustained over long periods. Phase 2: resistance - the body adjusts to respond to a continued threat, it attempts to reduce or cope with stress, the body is able to replenish some of its resources but arousal levels remain higher than normal. When this recognizes a stimulus as potentially rewarding, it triggers approach behavior. behavioral inhibition system - responsive to cues for punishment, frustration and uncertainty.