Psychology 110-04 Lecture 13 Stress, Coping and Health (2)

  1. Stress Effects on Psychological Function
    1. Impaired task performance
      1. Baumeister (84) pressure ->self-consciousness -> disrupted attention
        1. Winning at home is tougher
    2. Burnout physical, mental, emotional exhaustion attributable to long term emotional situations
      1. Pines (93) says it occurs when belief structure fails
    3. Posttraumatic Stress Disorders, psychological disturbance after major trauma
      1. Side effect of war, other significant emotional events
      2. Survivors & rescuers
      3. Social support mitigates King et al. (98)
    4. Psychological Problems & Disorders
      1. Trigger major depressions, schizophrenia, anxiety, eating
  2. Stress and Physical Health
    1. Psychosomatic diseases - real physical ailments caused in part by psychological or emotional factors
      1. Includes hypertension, ulcers, asthma, skin disorders, migraines
    2. Type A Behavior and Heart Disease
      1. Disease is arteriosclerosis, hardening of arteries
      2. Type A Personalities
        1. Strong competitive orientation
        2. Impatience & time urgency
        3. Anger and hostility
      3. Type B Personality
        1. Relaxed, patient, easygoing, amicable
      4. Miller (91) Type As have double risk of type Bs
    3. Connection
      1. Type A reactions stress circulatory system
      2. Self generate stress
      3. Social ramifications of competitiveness and hostility
      4. Cynicism and impatience leads to self destructive behaviors
    4. Mechanisms of disease
      1. Tax heart by strong emotional responses, sympathetic/parasympathetic high/low
      2. Immune functioning, stress impairs
      3. Lists diseases tied to 29 diseases, cold study
    5. Correlations of .2-.3 which means 4-9% of the variance, part of a greater complex of causes
  3. Moderators of Stress Impact
    1. Social Support- types of aid and succor provided by social network
      1. Reduce risk by strong social support
    2. Attitude, optimism and conscientiousness
      1. Reduce stress, improve chances
    3. Autonomic Reactivity
      1. Individual differences in stress responses predispose people to health problems
  4. Health-Impairing Behavior
    1. Smoking, increased risk of death, multiple diseases, passive smoking,
    2. Poor Nutrition, dietary effects take many routes
    3. Lack of Exercise, tied to cancer, respiratory, diabetes, reduces physiological effects of stress
    4. Alcohol and Drugs, constellation of diseases, impaired driving
    5. Aids development and behaviors,
      1. Infection to AIDS driven by behavior factors in part
      2. Transmission & Prevention
  5. Reactions to Illness
    1. Decision to seek treatment, approach-avoidance conflicts
    2. Hypocondriasis
    3. Ease of access to health providers
    4. Following advice
  6. Coping Strategies
    1. Ellis Rational thinking
      1. Rational-emotive therapy, alter irrational thinking to reduce maladaptive emotions/behavior
      2. Activating event, belief system, consequences
    2. Humor as a stress reducer
      1. Reduces feelings of stress
    3. Catharsis
      1. Express rather than let stress affect you
    4. Relaxation
      1. Meditation, hobbies, diversions
    5. Reduced Physiological Vulnerability
      1. Sleep, nutrition, exercise, diversion