PSYC 235 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Stress (Biology), Robert Sapolsky, Cortisol
10 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Behavioural medicine: application of psychology to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical disorders. Health psychology: role of stress and psychological factors on physical illness. Higher stress response to events that are beyond our control. Natural disasters, accidents, illnesses, job loss, financial collapse. Higher stress responses to events that are unpredictable; we can"t prepare ourselves for them. Marriage, exams, new relationships, a tough new job, starting university. More stress during times of change and transition. Fight or flight - we either run away (flight) or fight back (fight) Increase cardiovascular response - shorter rapid breathing, increased heart rate. Next to the hypothalamus, sensitive to cortisol. Helps turn stress response off - when stimulated by cortisol. Experimental and control groups experienced similar negative effects. The ulcers and atrophies were caused by stress rather than the chemical reactions themselves. Results in significant health problems including ulcers and atrophy of immune system. Various stages of a long-term stress response (image below)
