PSYC 328 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Allostatic Load, Sympathetic Nervous System, Walter Bradford Cannon
Document Summary
Stress is a negative emotional experience accompanied by biochemical, physiological, cognitive, and behavioural changes that are directed either toward altering the stressful event or accommodating its effects. Stressful events are called stressors (e. g. noise, crowding, bad relationships, job interviews, commuting to school, exams) Each of these might be stressful to some people but not to others: how the event it perceived will determine whether it is a stressor. Direct physiological effects: elevated lipids, elevated blood pressure, decreased immunity. Increased smoking, alcohol use: decreased nutrition, decreased sleep. Increased delay in seeking care: decreased compliance, obscured symptom profile, decreased likelihood of seeking care. Stress is the consequence of a person"s appraisal process: the assessment of whether personal resources are sufficient to meet the demands of the environment. Therefore, stress is an interaction of person and context- an ongoing process of evaluating the match between demands and resources.
