AS Module -PSYA2 Biological Psychology Stress The Biological

1
AS Module -PSYA2 Biological Psychology

• Stress

2
The Biological Approach

• Views psychology from the physical perspective of
  the body
• Argues understanding
• physiological processes
• can help us see how our thinking, emotions and
  behaviour are controlled.
• Physiological processes an explanation based on
  the biological (parts) or neurobiological
  (chemical factors) functioning of the body.

3
Biological Approach and Stress

• Unit will focus on
• Biological events or processes that cause
  feelings and behaviours associated with stress.
• The negative consequences or stress.
• Biological factors that affect severity and
  response to stress.
• How biological factors interact with
  psychological ones.
• Clip http//live.kerboodle.com

4
Lesson Objectives Period1

• By the end of the lesson you will be able to
• Define the term stress AO1
• Describe and evaluate some of the methods used in
  measuring stress (Biological perspective) A02
• Identify the causes and effects of stress now and
  200,000 years ago (Evolutionary perspective).

5
How would you define stress?
Is it the same for everyone?
6
Define the term stress AO1

• Stress is the biological and psychological
  responses experienced on encountering a threat
  that we feel we do not have the resources to deal
  with.
• (stimulus definition)

What is an example of a threat? Feeling
too hot? Having a lot of work to do?
Being stuck in traffic? Are these always
stressful?
7

• However when they have the potential to elicit a
  stress response, they are known as Stressors
• Stressors Internal or external factors that are
  threatening and have the potential to cause a
  stress response

• Its important to note that Stress is the response
  to a threat we feel we cannot cope with.
• In some situations, feeling hot, having a lot of
  work to do or being stuck in traffic may not be
  stressful if we feel we are able to cope.

Give an example of an internal and external factor
8
Starter Task

• Now we have considered what stress is..
• I would like you to think about your behaviour in
  the last few months and fill out the
  questionnaire.
• We will then work out your scores.

9
Are there individual differences? Were more males
more or less stressed than females?
10
Evaluation of questionnaire

• Is this a valid way of measuring stress?
• What are the flaws?
• Subjective open to interpretation
• Time dependent
• Requires honesty
• Not actually measuring stress / stress response
• What could be an alternative methods?

11
Biological/physiological ways of measuring stress

• Blood pressure (BP)
• Inflated arm band
• Breathing Tubes around chest
• Heart rate (HR) Stress increase heart rate
• ECG-electrocardiogram.
• Sweating - GSR
• Hormone levels
• Blood/urine

• Stress increases BP, get blood pumping to
  muscles for energy and oxygen for F/F.
• Stress increases breath rate, take in more
  oxygen for F/F.
• Therefore heart rate increases to pump the
  oxygenated blood around the body.
• Measure increased electrical activity in
  the heart.
• Stressed Changes in GSR sweat and
  electrical resistance of skin
• Increases in adrenaline

12
Stress response and Evolutionary origins

• Evolution process by which traits are shaped by
  natural selection.
• The stress response has been shaped by this
  process.
• Walter Cannon identified it as the fight or
  flight response, an animal that didnt respond
  in this way is less likely to survive and
  reproduce.

• Biological processes of stress response would
  have prepared our ancestors by
• Immediate changes breathing faster, heart
  beating faster, pupils dilate (wider), increased
  muscle tension and greater strength.
• These changes are caused by the sympathetic
  pathway of the autonomic nervous system (sANS).

http//www.youtube.com/watch?vsPS7GnromGo
Stanford uni psychological states, damage.
13
Modern Challenges

• AS examinations
• Uncertainty of new relationships
• The never-ending lack of money
• Most modern day stressors are social and mental
• Is the fight or flight response suited to modern
  day living?

• Costs uses calories, interferes with activities
  of finding food, forming alliances and mating.
• Chronic stress weakens the bodies ability to
  defend itself to infection.
• But ancestrally the benefits outweighed the
  costs.
• Now mainly costs.
• Chronic persisting for a long time

14
Task

• Complete the table

15
GAS Theory of stress response

• 1930S Hans Selye
• Experimenting on rats observed that the rats
  showed distinctive physiological changes due to
  daily injections and other noxious agents (over a
  few months).
• Changes included development of stomach ulcers (a
  stress symptom)
• Selye reported the injections were harmless
  thus the process was causing stress.

16

• Conclusion physiological reaction was due to the
  unpleasant stimulus
• (stressor) and was causing
• a stress response.
• Changes, e.g. stomach ulcer, due to prolonged
  stressor in a situation of low control does
  this occur in our society?
• This is where stress is problematic and can lead
  to similar and worse physiological changes

17
Selyes General Adaptation Syndrome universal
response to stressors
General same response to all stimulus Adaptation
because actually was an adaptive
response Syndrome because there were several
symptoms in the stress response.
3 Stage response Stage 1 Alarm stress
response stressor has been detected and a
response made to alarm. Adrenaline is produced
leading to fight or flight activity.
Stage 2 Resistance Apparent coping, if stress
continues it is necessary to find some means of
coping and resist collapse. In this stage the
body is adapting to the demands of the
environment, but at the same time resources are
being used up. Thus apparent coping because in
reality things are deteriorating.
Stage 3 Exhaustion breakdown, onset of
stress-related illness. Eventually the body can
no longer maintain normal functioning. Initial
physiological changes may appear, e.g. sweating,
increased heart rate. The adrenal gland (produces
adrenaline) may be damaged due to over activity
and the immune system may unable to cope due to
the production of proteins being needed elsewhere
ulcers, depression, cardiovascular problems
etc.
18
Critique of GAS

• /- focus on physiological factors as research on
  animals, humans have the ability to think and
  therefore can elicit more control over
  situations, e.g. driving test can practice
  relaxation techniques to reduce physiological
  activity.
• GAS does not include cognitive influences.
• Does not include individual differences
• Recent research has shown resources do not become
  depleted even under extreme stress current view
  is exhaustion leads to increased cortisol that
  leads to stress related illness rather than
  deleted resources (Sheriden and Radmacher 1992).

• Influential on the relationship between stress
  and illness.
• Led to a vast amount of research.
• Supports stress does affect body's systems and
  may lead to illness.

19
Plenary

• Stress is..
• A stressor is. They can be . Or .
  E.g. are and..
• In response to stress the physiological changes
  are
• We can measure stress by..

• Homework Use the information sheets to fill out
  the boxes relating to Selyes General Adaptation
  Syndrome (1936).

20
Lesson Objective P3

• By the end of the lesson you will be able to
• Research and present definitions of stress
• Discuss Coxs transactional definition of stress
• Improving independent enquiry and team work
  skills through research and presentation
• In 3s 5 groups upto 5 minutes.

21
Task Research and present definitions of stress

• Must Include
• Definition of stress
• Physiological changes that occur
• Must also include
• Biological reasons why this occurs (sj)
• Or
• Theory or explanation e.g.
• Evolutionary theory,
• Hans Selyes response definition,

• In 3s research and present definitions of stress
• 20 minutes to research and put the presentation
  together
• Presentation be upto 5 minutes only has to be
  short.

22
Response definition or Stimulus definition?

• What is an example for each?
• Do you think the stress response is either or?
• Cox developed the transactional model of
  stress.

23
Cox s Transactional Definition of stress

• Cox (1975) stress involves
• external stimuli,
• the physiological response to these
  stimuli,
• and psychological processes that mediate
  between stimulus and response.
• The psychological processes
• involve differences between individuals in
  their perception of the environmental demands and
  their own capacity to cope with them.

• Therefore according to Cox, stress is the
  result of the perceived demands outweighing the
  perceived capability to cope
• This perception is influenced by a number of
  factors
• personality,
• situational demands,
• previous experiences
• any current stress state already existing.

24
Critique in comparison to other definitions