Psychology 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Psychosomatic Medicine, Adrenal Medulla, Parasympathetic Nervous System

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Laura Fazakas-de Hoog

Document Summary

Stressors: micro stressors: daily hassles and annoyances, catastrophic events: natural disasters, war, major negative events: victim of major crime/abuse, loss of a loved one, academic failure. Life event scales: gauge the severity of a stressor by measuring intensity, duration, predictability, controllability, chronicity. General adaptation syndrome (gas: physiological response pattern to strong and prolonged stressors, alarm reaction, rapid increase in physiological arousal. Neuroticism: heightened tendency to experience negative emotions and get into negative situations because of it: psychosomatic disorders: physical symptoms caused by psychological factors, anxiety, subjective distress, physiological activation, avoidance/escape behaviour towards the perceived cause. Stress reduces fat metabolism, increasing artery blockage less, take drugs: cortisol destroys the hippocampus, important in memory. Cognitive protective factors: hardiness, a three part trait, commitment to work/family, perception of control over a situation, viewing the situation as a challenge. In rats, perception of control is the difference between getting ulcers from stress and not. Inactive leisure time pursuits: lack of social support.