General Psychology

1
General Psychology

• Chapter 11
• Stress and Physical Health

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What is Stress?

• Stress is a complex set of reactions to real or
  perceived threats to ones well being that
  motivates adaptation
• Stressors sources or stimuli for stress

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Frustration-Induced Stress

• Results from the blocking or thwarting of
  goal-directed behavior
• Environmental or social frustration refers to
  blocking of goal-directed behavior by something
  or somebody in the environment
• Personal frustration results from internal or
  personal reasons

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Figure 11.1 A depiction of frustration the
blocking or thwarting ofgoal-directed behavior.
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Conflict-Induced Stress

• Conflict stressor in which some goals can be
  satisfied only at the expense of others
• Approach-approach
• Avoidance-avoidance
• Approach-avoidance
• Multiple approach-avoidance

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Figure 11.2 A diagram of an approach-approach
conflict.
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Figure 11.3 A diagram of an avoidance-avoidance
conflict.
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Figure 11.4 A diagram of an approach-avoidance
conflict.
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Figure 11.5 A diagram of multiple
approach-avoidance conflict.
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Life-Induced Stress

• Social Readjustment Rating Scale Holmes Rahe
• Provides a list of life events that might be
  potentially stressful
• Positive correlation between scores on SRRS and
  incidence of illness and disease

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Socioeconomic Status (SES)

• Socioeconomic status (SES) measure that
  reflects income, educational level, and
  occupation
• Persons of higher SES are less likely than
  persons of low SES to encounter negative life
  events, such as unemployment, poor housing, and
  less access to quality health care
• Persons of low SES have fewer resources to deal
  with stressful life events when they do occur

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What about Hassles?

• Lazarus and colleagues devised the Hassles Scale
• This scale is a better predictor of symptoms such
  as anxiety and depression than the SRRS
• Stressors can be pleasant and desired, even
  though they may bring other hassles

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Reacting to Stressors in Our Lives

• Stress reaction to stressors
• Stress motivates people to do something about the
  perceived threats to ones well-being

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Table 11.1 Ten common stressors in the lives of
middle-aged adults and college students.
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Individual Differences in Responding to Stressors

• Hardy personalities people who seem generally
  resistant to the negative aspects of stress.
  Related to
• Challenge
• Control
• Commitment

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Individual Differences in Responding to Stressors

• Gender differences
• Males likely to show a fight-or-flight reaction
• Females tend to exhibit tend-and-befriend
  reactions

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Seyles General Adaptation Syndrome

• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) physiological
  reactions one makes to stressors
• First stage alarm activates the sympathetic
  division of the ANS
• Second stage resistance drain on body
  resources continues
• Third stage exhaustion bodily resources become
  nearly depleted

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Figure 11.6 Selyes General Adaptation Syndrome.
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Effective Coping Strategies

• Identify the stressor
• Remove or negate the stressor
• Reappraise the situation
• Inoculate against future stressors
• Take your time with important decisions
• Learn techniques of relaxation
• Engage in physical exercise
• Seek social support

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Figure 11.7 Reacting to frustration with
learning is the most effective long-term reaction
to stressors.
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Ineffective Coping Strategies

• Procrastination
• Form of fixation simply not doing something to
  remove the stressor
• Aggression
• Frustration-aggression hypothesis claims that
  aggression was always caused by frustration
• Anxiety general feeling of tension,
  apprehension and dread that involves predictable
  physiological changes

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Psychological Factors that Influence Physical
Health

• Health Psychology is the field of applied science
  that studies psychological factors affecting
  physical health and illness
• Changing unhealthy behaviors

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Psychological Factors that Influence Physical
Health

• Biopsychosocial model there may be an
  interaction between a number of factors to
  produce certain illnesses or diseases
• Biological factors such as genetic
  predispositions
• Social factors such as influence of family,
  social support, or ones cultural expectations
• Personality factors

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Type A Behavior Pattern

• Originally defined as describing a person who was
  competitive, achievement-oriented, impatient,
  easily aroused, often hostile and angry, who
  worked many tasks at the same time

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Type B Behavior Pattern

• Described as relaxed and easygoing. They have
  less need for achievement and control.

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Why People Die The Unhealthy Lifestyle

• Many deaths are premature and preventable!
• Nearly 2.5 million Americans die each year
• Smoking, poor nutrition, obesity, and stress are
  behavioral risk factors
• Behavioral techniques may help

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Spotlight Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare

• There are racial, ethnic, and gender disparities
  in three areas of healthcare
• Incidence of disease and illness
• Quality of diagnostic and treatment services
• Availability and/or use of health insurance

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Spotlight Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare

• African Americans have
• Highest HIV/AIDS incidence
• Greatest chance of developing cancer
• 60 higher rate of prostate cancer than Caucasian
  Americans
• African American women have a significantly
  higher mortality rate for breast cancer

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Spotlight Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare

• Asian Americans higher life expectancy
• Hispanic Americans least likely to have health
  insurance benefits

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Helping People to Stop Smoking

• Most people who do quit permanently do so without
  any special program of intervention
• Using a nicotine patch in conjunction with
  therapy can be effective
• Combining psychotherapeutic interventions with
  antidepressants seems promising

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Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

• STDs contagious diseases usually passed on
  through sexual contact
• STDs affect millions each year with 15,000,000
  new cases reported each year in the U.S.

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STDs

• Chlamydia caused by a bacterial infection and
  is one of the most common STDs in North America
• Gonorrhea bacterial infection that affects
  millions of people
• Syphilis has four stages, can lead to death
  without treatment
• Genital herpes caused by a virus, also a
  popular STD

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

• No current vaccine
• No cure, but some drug combinations can increase
  life span and quality of life
• Careful monitoring of ones behaviors is the only
  reasonable way to avoid HIV

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Interventions to Decrease the Incidence of AIDS

• Successful interventions involve
• Education
• Changing attitudes
• Increasing motivation to engage in safer sexual
  practices
• Providing people with negotiating skills
• Targeting people most at risk
• Marketing strategies

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Psychological Complications of AIDS

• Stress, depression, anger, anxiety, and denial
  are common
• Males with AIDS are 7.5x more likely to commit
  suicide than men in the general population
• Others, even family members, often shun the AIDS
  patient