CUMULATIVE EXAM REVIEW

CUMULATIVE EXAM REVIEW WHAT SPECIFIC TOPICS HAVE WE COVERED THIS SEMESTER?

What is psychology?

Ch 2: Research methods

Ch 8: Memory

What are the different types of psychology?

Ch 3: Biological processes

Ch 9: Language, problemsolving/decision making

What topics are studied by psychologists?

Ch 13: Social psychology

How do different types of psychologists view the same topic?

Ch 4: Human development Ch 5: Sensation & Perception

Ch 12: Personality

Ch 6: Attention; Sleep

Ch 14: Psychological disorders

Ch 7: Learning

Ch 15: Therapy

What are the research questions?

How can what you’ve learned be applied to you (career, relationships, life)?

STRESS AND HEALTH

Concerned about the class keeping on top of the material

POP QUIZ! • Put away your text books • NO CHEATING!

CHAPTER 16

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1. Describe your physical state right now. 2. Describe your cognitive state.

EXPERIENCING STRESS

HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY

The term stress means different things to different people • Lay person – tension and unpleasant feelings • Business – work load and time pressure Psychologists use different definitions and measure it in different ways • Significant (major) life events

Health psychology (part of behavioral medicine) is interested in: How various factors (biological, psychological, and social) are related to the development and maintenance of disease, as well as the promotion of health.

• Holmes & Rahe’s (1967) social readjustment scale (p523)

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• Daily hassles • Environmental factors • Biological measures Textbook definition: “physical and psychological reaction to demanding situations”

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YERKES-DODSON RULE

DEFINITIONS OF STRESS

TYPES OF STRESSORS

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STRESS VS. PERFORMANCE

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Stressor: situation or stimulus producing stress Stress as a physical force • Most simplistic view • Emphasis on external events • Need to simply resist external pressure Stress as an internal tension • Way mentally deal with stressor • Internal war to cope with the overwhelming • May eventually lead to disease Stress as body arousal • Medical research shows that people react physiologically the same way regardless of type of stress

WHY DO WE HAVE STRESS? Is stress a positive or negative emotion?

Acute stress versus chronic stress Chronic = bad!

PHYSICAL STRESS RESPONSE General Adaptation Syndrome: changes in physiology in response to a stressor – Alarm reaction: fast but short response – Release of steroid hormones, increase BP – Resistance Stage: chronic response – Reduction hormone levels, continue shift energy to stress, body adapted to stress – Exhaustion: depletion of resources – Increase in hormone levels, dangerously low levels of immune system, increased sensitivity to stressor

Evolutionary benefit • “Fight or Flight” survival mechanism • Our stress response is an adaptive response to that environment Models of stress: General Adaptation Syndrome • Selyé (1930s) • Examined link between stress and disease

• General and non-specific response to the stressors

MODEL OF STRESS

SELE’S GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (GAS)

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Catastrophes: war, natural disaster, trauma Societal: pressures of social, cultural, and economic environment Hassles: minor annoyances or frustrations • Usually involves blocking of a goal Any changes in the status quo Social Readjustment Rating Scale > 300 = 70% chance of stress-related illness

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STRESS ACTIVATED HORMONES HPA axis:

Neurons provide short-term acute activation of the sympathetic nervous system -> fight or flight

Hypothalamus and Pituitary stimulate the Adrenal cortex to release cortisol Cortisol stimulates the body to elevate the blood glucose level & increase basal metabolism

Hormones provide chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system

IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Natural killer cells (lymphocytes) search out foreign antigens and destroy them Stress steals the energy needed to maintain normal levels of natural killer cells

STRESS & RECOVERY FROM INJURY

Glucocorticoid receptors are found on almost every cell in the body

IMPACT OF STRESS ON GENERAL HEALTH Chronic stress increases the risk of developing hypertension Air traffic controllers have a high rate of burnout and hypertension: High stress airports Low stress airports

STRESS AND DISEASE

Stress takes energy away from recovery processes in the body

Are exams dangerous to your health?

Healing of a wound following a biopsy

Not everyone gets sick

- Control group vs Caregivers of elderly family members

Physiological Change

After exam cold or flu? • Exposure ≠ Contraction • Contraction ≠ Symptoms or illness

Stressor

Stress Reactivity Stress Recovery Allostatic Load Stress Resistance

Illness

Behavioral change

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HORMONES & STRESS

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STRESS & THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Method: Ss given nasal spray containing a cold virus

STRESS & THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Method: Ss kept a 12-week record of daily events

How does chronic stress impact the immune system?

Results: 3-5 days prior to upper respiratory infection there was increase in undesirable with decrease in desirable events

Finding: Reported levels of stress positively correlated with increased probability of contracting cold

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

PTSD - TREATMENT

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – delayed stress reaction to a major stressor

Medically treat the individual symptoms • Sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression Cognitive & Behavioral Therapies

• Flashbacks of trauma (hallucinations) • Avoidance of stimuli associated with trauma • Chronic arousal

• Exposure / Desensitization procedures • PTSD = Type of conditioning – so use extinction

• Physical symptoms: sleep loss, weight loss, exaggerated startle response • Pain-control system may become constantly activated

• Provide coping methods • Cognitive thought patterns – rationalization of the traumatic event

• Involves diminished pleasure • Alienation from other people (guilt, fear)

COPING WITH STRESS

COPING WITH STRESS

Coping definition

Social Support

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• Push (constant support) versus Pull (demand from others) • Informational support: Others who have had similar experiences provide information • Emotional support: Warmth and nurturance, single confidant, more important for men • Appraisal support: Helping others understand and identify coping strategies • Tangible support: Provision of material support, services, financial assistance, or goods 23

Constantly changing efforts to manage the specific demands that are appraised as exceeding the resources of the individual Approach versus Avoidance • Approach: Confronting problem, gathering information, taking direct action • Avoidance: Minimize importance of event Problem-focused versus Emotion-focused • Problem-focused: proactive attempt to reduce demands, increase resources • Emotion-focused: Manage emotions evoked by event

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CONTROL AND STRESS

CONTROL AND STRESS

Attributions of control over the environment are important in the experience of stress

Perceived control predicts amount of stress experienced Langer and Rodin (1976)

Andy Baum and Three Mile Island

ROLE OF PERSONALITY TYPES

Type A – intense, aggressive, competitive, impatient Type B – relaxed, laidback, unmotivated, patient

Ineffective use of coping mechanisms may prolong stress response Prolonged stress increases susceptibility to disease and illness So, personality can play an indirect role in your susceptibility to disease

Detroit, MI Jacksonville, FL Riverside, CA Bakersfield, CA Memphis, TN Birmingham, AL St. Petersburg, FL Las Vegas, NV St. Louis, MO Charleston, WV

• • • •

Gain control over your environment Need to find ways to decrease stress after it happens Time management Relaxation techniques • • • •

Progressive muscle relaxation Autogenic relaxation Meditation Biofeedback

• Exercise, Don’t smoke, Nutrition, Avoid risky behavior •

Aerobic exercise is very effective in improving mood and decreasing stress

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Detroit, MI Jacksonville, FL Riverside, CA Bakersfield, CA Memphis, TN Birmingham, AL St. Petersburg, FL Las Vegas, NV St. Louis, MO Charleston, WV

Orlando, FL St. Petersburg, FL Detroit, MI Baltimore, MD Nashville, TN Wilmington, DE Miami, FL Memphis, TN Jacksonville, FL St. Louis, MO

Worst Cities for Women’s Health (Women’s Health 2010) St. Petersburg, FL Birmingham, AL Modesto, CA Cleveland, OH Detroit, MI Charleston, WV Toledo, OH Memphis, TN St. Louis, MO Bakersfield, CA

What to do about stress?

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Orlando, FL St. Petersburg, FL Detroit, MI Baltimore, MD Nashville, TN Wilmington, DE Miami, FL Memphis, TN Jacksonville, FL St. Louis, MO

Worst Cities for Women’s Health (Women’s Health 2010) St. Petersburg, FL Birmingham, AL Modesto, CA Cleveland, OH Detroit, MI Charleston, WV Toledo, OH Memphis, TN St. Louis, MO Bakersfield, CA

Worst Cities for Men’s Health (Men’s Health, 2010)

STRESS MANAGEMENT

PERSONALITY AND STRESS Worst Cities for Men’s Health (Men’s Health, 2010)

Angriest Cities (Men’s Health, 2006)

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PERSONALITY AND STRESS

Personality influences response to stressor and use of coping mechanisms

Angriest Cities (Men’s Health, 2006)

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• Nursing home residents • One group was given more control: move furniture, choose menu items, sit with different people, take care of a plant • Control group: no change in routine, were given a plant but were not asked to care for it • Overall results showed that having more control and more responsibility was very beneficial for the first group • Results were maintained for 18 months after the study 25

• Three Mile Island was a nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, PA that had a core meltdown in 1979 • Many people started to report illnesses and moved away from Harrisburg • Health effects or lack of control? • Compared people with radon gas in basement to people who stayed near the power plant • More stress with TMI accident compared with people who were exposed to radon gas

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STRESS MANAGEMENT

STRESS & HEALTH http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/2012112819571 5-75054000-the-conscious-lifestyle-facing-your-stress

Ongoing study in Alameda County CA (Berkley) Identified health related behaviors (More the better, >6) • • • •

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night Breakfast Rarely eat between meals Drinking moderate amounts of wine •

1 drink a day better than 0 and more than 2

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• No smoking • Exercise regularly • Maintain healthy weight

CUMULATIVE EXAM REVIEW Example topic: stress and health Different perspectives on topic by a • • • • • • •

Biological psychologist (neuroscientist) Behavioral psychologist (learning chapter) Developmental psychologist Cognitive psychologist Social psychologist Personality psychologist Clinical psychologist

Other example topics: • Cell phone use • Obesity • Love

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