Psychology 2036A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Allostatic Load, Sphygmomanometer, Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2036A/B
• Professor: Doug Hazlewood

Document Summary

Initially intended to explore effects of sex hormones on physiological functioning: all led to enlarged adrenal cortex, shrinking of thymus & lymph glands & ulceration of stomach. First phase: alarm: organism becomes mobilized to meet the threat, body first reacts to stressor, resistance is low, similar to fight-or-flight response. Second phase: resistance: occurs after continued exposure to stressor, organism makes efforts to cope with the threat, as through confrontation, bodily signs associated with an alarm reaction disappear & resistance rises above normal. If stressor becomes chronic then body adapts and appears normal: resistance is high and balance is maintained until resistance is depleted. Researchers now believe that psychological appraisal of events is important in stress. Limitation is due to the fact that his research was conducted with animals, not humans: assumption that responses to stress are uniform. Evidence that not all stressors produce the same endocrinological responses.