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Summary Knowledge Organiser for AQA A-Level Psychology Stress
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Full Knowledge Organiser for AQA A-Level Psychology Stress
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Stress = an emotional response to situations of threat→ threats may be physical (a lion attacking) or psychological (worrying about your exams)
→ in both cases your body produces a short-term (immediate) response and, if the stressor
continues, a long-term (ongoing) response
CONCEPTS:
• Stressor = something that causes stress
→ might be a physical stressor (e.g. risk of physical harm)
→ might be a psychological stressor (e.g. a slow computer)
• Stress = when the perceived demands of a situation outweigh the perceived resources to --
---------- cope with it – this means stress is subjective
• Acute Stress = stress caused by something temporary, and which passes fairly quickly
→ e.g. thinking we have lost our phone and finding it at the bottom of our bag
• Chronic Stress = stress that is more long term
→ e.g. dealing with illness, going through a divorce, etc
,Hans Seyle (1936): argued we have one ‘general’ response (syndrome) to stress EVALUATION:
→ means it doesn’t matter what the stressor is, we respond to all stress in the same way Strengths:
→ he believed this response is an attempt to ‘adapt’ to the stress Research Support
→ there are three stages • model is based on Seyle’s observations from working with human patients
• Seyle noticed they all shared a common set of symptoms no matter what was actually
wrong with them
The Three Stages: → he investigated this in his research using rats
→ no matter the noxious substance the rats were injected with, they always produced a
1) Alarm Reaction: fight or flight response activated similar response
→ the threat or stressor is recognised, and a response is made → this included the common cold, surgical injury, production of spinal shock, excessive
→ the hypothalamus in the brain triggers production of adrenaline/noradrenaline from muscular exercise, or intoxications with sublethal doses of diverse drugs
the adrenal glands • the results of his research support his ‘doctrine of non-specificity’ – that there is a non-
→ these hormones lead to readiness for ‘fight-or-flight’ specific response of the body to any demand made upon it, e.g. the body responds in the
same way to any stressor
2) Resistance = we try to adapt to the situation and appear to be coping, but are using up ---- • Seyle’s research has given us an extremely good understanding of physiological
------------------resources due to our stress response always being ‘on’ responses to stressors
→ if the stress continues, then it is necessary for the body to find some means of coping
→ the body is adapting to the demands of the environment, but at the same time Limitations:
resources are gradually being depleted – ‘resources’ refers to the biochemical Stress-Related Illness May Not Be Due To Depletion Of Resources
substances constantly manufactured in the body • Sheridan and Radmacher (1992): challenges claim stress leads to a depletion of resources
→ the body appears to be coping, whereas in reality, physiologically speaking, things are → has shown that many ‘resources’ (sugars, neurotransmitters, hormones, proteins,
deteriorating etc) do not become depleted even under extreme stress
→ the current view is that the exhaustion phase is associated with increased hormone
3) Exhaustion = we fail to adapt, resources are drained, stress related illnesses may develop activity, such as cortisol, and it is this that leads to stress-related illness
→ eventually the body’s systems can no longer maintain normal functioning • explanation of stress-related illnesses in terms of depletion of the body’s ‘resources’
→ at this point, initial symptoms of the adrenaline response may reappear (sweating, appears to be wrong
raised heart rate, etc)
→ the adrenal glands may be damaged from previous over-activity, and the immune
system may not be able to cope because production of necessary proteins has been
slowed in favour of other needs
→ result may be seen in stress-related illnesses (e.g. depression, cardiovascular
problems, etc)
, Sympathomedullary Pathway (SAM) = triggered by acute stressors, short term response EVALUATION:
When faced with a stressful situation, the body responds with an immediate fight-or-flight response: Limitations:
• S = sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
Gender Differences
→ this branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
• conclusions draw from earlier research into the stress response may reflect a male bias because it has generally
• M = adrenal medulla relied on data from male animals (female hormones fluctuate with ovulation and this complicates matters)
→ a signal is sent via the CNS to two endocrine glands located just above the kidneys • Taylor et al (2000): suggests that for females, behavioural responses to stress are more characterised by a -------
→ the middle part of the adrenal gland (the medulla) responds by releasing adrenaline and smaller amounts of -------------------------- pattern of tend and befriend than fight-or-flight
noradrenaline into the bloodstream → during our evolutionary past, this would have involved protecting themselves and their young through
nurturing behaviours (tending) and forming protective alliances with other women (befriending)
• A = adrenaline and noradrenaline
→ fleeing too readily at any sign of danger would put a female’s offspring at risk
→ circulate through the body and affect key target organs (such as heart and muscles) causing the heart to beat
• such differences mean the standard description of the SAM and HPA systems is a gender-biased account
faster and blood pressure to rise, thus the body is prepared to deal with stressor
• when the threat has passed, the parasympathetic branch of the ANS dampens down the stress response, Negative Consequences of the Fight-Or-Flight Response
returning the body to its normal resting state • fight-or-flight response is inappropriate for many of today’s stressors
• the physiological responses associated with fight-or-flight may be adaptive for a stress response that requires
Hypothalamic Pituitary-Adrenal System (HPA) = triggered by chronic stressors, long term response energetic behaviour (such as fleeing from a lion)
→ however, modern life stressors rarely require such levels of physical activity (e.g. worry about exams)
At the same time as initial SNS response is triggered, a second system also starts, but this is a slower response: • the problem for modern humans arises when the stress response is repeatedly activated
• H = hypothalamus → e.g. the increased blood pressure that is characteristic of SNS activation can lead to physical damage in
→ releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) into the bloodstream blood vessels and eventually to heart disease
• way our bodies react to today’s stressors may be impairing some of the processes designed to protect us
• P = pituitary gland
→ CRH causes a pituitary to produce and release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) into bloodstream The Transactional Model Of Stress
• Lazarus (1999): a physiological account alone is not sufficient to explain how we respond to stressors
• A = adrenal cortex
→ physiological stress response was not inevitable, how body responds depends on stressor perception
→ hormone ACTH stimulates adrenal cortex to release various stress-related hormone, including cortisol
• Lazarus and Folkman (1984): developed transactional model, realising cognitive appraisal was the key - ----------
→ cortisol has some positive effects (e.g. a lower sensitivity to pain and a quick burst of energy through the
----------------------------------------perceived demands and perceived ability to cope
release of glucose), whereas others are negative (e.g. impaired cognitive performance and a lowered
→ emphasis on what the individual thinks, which moderates the way an individual responds to stressor
immune response)
• Lazarus: demonstrated this in a study where participants watched a film of gruesome initiation rites
• when the threat has passed, the parasympathetic branch of the ANS dampens down the stress response, → those participants who had been told beforehand that the initiation rites were exciting (because it signalled
returning the body to its normal resting state arrival into manhood) showed less arousal of the autonomic nervous system than those who had the pain
of the experience emphasised beforehand
SYMPATHOMEDULLARY PATHWAY (SAM) HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL SYSTEM (HPA) • must considered cognitive factors alongside physiological factors when explaining body’s stress response
• when a stressor is perceived the hypothalamus
• when a chronic stressor is perceived, the
activates the sympathetic branch of ANS
hypothalamus releases Corticotrophin Releasing
• this causes the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline
Factor (CRF) and this is transported by the blood
into the bloodstream
stream to pituitary gland which then produces
• this prepares the body for “fight or flight”
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
• the adrenaline and noradrenaline increase heart rate
• is also transported by bloodstream to adrenal glands
and breathing rate, the blood circulation is redirected
• the cortex of the adrenal glands produces
to the skeletal muscles and the digestion stop
corticosteroids, most important being cortisol
• when the stressor subsides the parasympathetic
• cortisol mobilises glucose stored in the liver; this
branch of the nervous system is activated and heart
provides a constant supply of energy for the body to
and breathing rate decrease, the digestion restarts,
deal with the stressor
and all other functions go back to their normal level
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