Psychological Insights into Stress: Physiology, Health Effects, and Causes
TITLE
Describe what psychologists have discovered about sources of stress (physiology of stress and effects on health and causes of stress).
ESSAY
🌟Sources of Stress in Psychology🌟
🌟Physiology of Stress and Effects on Health: The GAS Model (Selye, 1936)🌟
Physiology of Stress and Effects on Health:
💥 Stress triggers a physiological response controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which stimulates breathing and heart rate, and the endocrine system.
💥 The endocrine system responds to stress signals using hormones, with the sympathetic nervous system activating the 'fight or flight' response in emergencies.
💥 Health effects of stress may include hypertension, atherosclerosis, increased risk of heart attack, and gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcers and IBS.
Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) Model:
💥 Selye's model, demonstrated in rats, proposes a link between stress and illness.
💥 Consists of three phases: alarm reaction (fight or flight), resistance stage (attempt to reduce arousal levels), and exhaustion stage (prolonged arousal leading to breakdown).
💥 Effects of prolonged stress on health can include high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and minor effects like stomach ulcers.
🌟Causes of Stress🌟
🌟Work 💥 Chandola et al. (2008)🌟
💥 A study of 10,308 London civil servants showed that work stress was associated with lack of exercise and poor diet.
💥 Work stress was more common in those under 50, and a correlation was found between reported stress and coronary heart disease.
🌟Life Events 💥 Holmes and Rahe (1967)🌟
💥 The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) ranks life events based on stress levels, with higher scores indicating a higher likelihood of illness due to stress.
💥 Major life events such as death of a spouse or divorce are more likely to result in high scores on the SRRS.
🌟Personality 💥 Friedman and Rosenman (1974)🌟
💥 Type A personality traits, including aggression, assertiveness, competitiveness, and time💥consciousness, have been linked to increased risk of heart conditions due to physiological stress.
💥 Those with Type A personality are more prone to coronary conditions compared to Type B (laid back) individuals, who are less competitive and more relaxed.
Overall, these sources of stress, both physiological and psychological, play a significant role in understanding how stress impacts health and wellbeing.
SUBJECT
PSYCHOLOGY
LEVEL
A level and AS level
NOTES
🌟Physiology of Stress and Effects on Health:🌟
Physiological response to stress is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which stimulates breathing and heart rate, as well as the endocrine system. The endocrine system, which uses hormones to respond to signals from nerves or other glands, is slower in its response. In emergency situations, the "fight or flight" response is activated rapidly, with the sympathetic nervous system sending impulses to the endocrine system.
This physiological stress response can have various effects on health, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and an increased risk of heart attack. Stress can also lead to gastrointestinal disorders like gastric ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model demonstrates the link between stress and illness. The model suggests three phases:
1. Alarm reaction (fight or flight)
2. Resistance stage (attempt to reduce arousal level)
3. Exhaustion stage (if arousal levels are prolonged, a breakdown in the physiological system occurs)
Major effects of prolonged stress include high blood pressure, potentially leading to stroke or myocardial infarction (heart attack). Minor effects can include stomach ulcers.
🌟Causes of Stress:🌟
1. 🌟Work🌟: Chandola et al. (2008) studied 10,308 London civil servants over a longitudinal period from 1985 to 2004. Work stress was associated with factors like lack of exercise and poor diet, with a higher prevalence among individuals under 50. The study also found a correlation between reported stress levels and the likelihood of coronary heart disease (CHD).
2. 🌟Life Events🌟: Holmes and Rahe (1967) developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) to measure stress levels based on life events. The scale assigns ratings to various events, with higher scores indicating increased stress. Individuals scoring over 300 on the SRRS in a year were found to experience more illness due to stress.
3. 🌟Personality🌟: Friedman and Rosenman (1974) identified a link between Type A personality traits and heart conditions. Type A individuals, characterized by traits like aggression, assertiveness, and competitiveness, are more prone to physiological stress. In contrast, Type B individuals (more laid back) have a lower risk of coronary conditions.