PSYC 1030H Chapter Notes - Chapter 14: Positive Illusions, Defence Mechanisms, Catecholamine
3 May 2018
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Stress, Coping, and Health
The Nature of Stress
●Stress is a common, everyday event, and even seemingly minor stressors or hassles can
be problematic. To a large degree, stress lies in the eye of the beholder, as appraisals of
stress are highly subjective.
Major Types of Stress
●Major types of stress include frustration, conflict, change and pressure. Frustration occurs
when an obstacle prevents one from attaining some goals. There are three principle types
of conflict;
○Approach-- approach
○Avoidance-- avoidance
○Approach -- avoidance
●A large number of studies with the same SRRS suggest that change is stressful. Although
this may be true, it is now clear that the SRRS is a measure of general stress rather than
just change-related stress. Two kinds of pressure (to perform and to conform) also appear
to be stressful.
Responding to Stress
●Emotional reactions to stress typically include anger, fear, and sadness, although positive
emotions may also occur. Emotional arousal may interfere with coping. The optimal level
of arousal on a task depends on the complexity of the task.
●Physiological arousal in response to stress was originally called the fight or flight
response by Cannon. Selye’s general adaptation syndrome describes three stages in
physiological reactions to stress
○Alarm
○Resistance
○Exhaustion
●There are two major pathways along which the brain send signals to the endocrine system
in response to stress. Actions along these paths, release two sets of hormones
(catecholamines and corticosteroids) into the bloodstream.
●Some coping responses are less than optimal. Among these are giving up, blaming
oneself, and striking out at others with acts of aggressions. Indulging oneself is another
coping pattern that tends to be of limited value. Defence mechanisms protect against
emotional distress through self-deception. Small positive illusions about oneself may
sometime be adaptive.
Document Summary
Stress is a common, everyday event, and even seemingly minor stressors or hassles can be problematic. To a large degree, stress lies in the eye of the beholder, as appraisals of stress are highly subjective. Major types of stress include frustration, conflict, change and pressure. Frustration occurs when an obstacle prevents one from attaining some goals. A large number of studies with the same srrs suggest that change is stressful. Although this may be true, it is now clear that the srrs is a measure of general stress rather than just change-related stress. Two kinds of pressure (to perform and to conform) also appear to be stressful. Emotional reactions to stress typically include anger, fear, and sadness, although positive emotions may also occur. The optimal level of arousal on a task depends on the complexity of the task. Physiological arousal in response to stress was originally called the fight or flight response by cannon.
