Unit 3 VCE Psychology

Distress - answer-Negative psychological response to a percieved stressor. Acculturative stress - answer-When people are trying to adapt to a new culture when living in it for a period of time. Catastrophe - answer-Unpredictable event that causes widespread damage or suffering. Life event - answer-Involves change that forces us to adapt to new circumstances. Daily hassles - answer-Minor events that occur on a daily basis. Major stressors - answer-An event that is extraordinarily stressful or disturbing for almost everyone who experiences it. GAS - answer-General Adaption Syndrome, three stage model explaining physiological response to stress that occurs regardless of stressor. Primary appraisal - answer-Assesses the effect on the individual. Looks at harm/loss, threat and challenge Secondary appraisal - answer-Work out how to best deal with the situation. Do they have the resources to cope or not? Cortisol - answer-Stress hormone, initially aids body in the stress response, goes up when stressor remains present for an extended period of time. Adrenaline - answer-Helps the body respond to stress initially in the flight-fight-freeze response Noradrenaline - answer-Works with adrenaline to help the body respond to stress initially Alarm reaction - answer-Becoming aware of stressor. Has two stages - shock and counter shock. Shock - answer-Body responds as though injured. Resistance to stress is lower than normal. Counter-Shock - answer-Fight flight freeze response is activated by sympathetic nervous system. Resistance to stress starts to increase above normal Resistance - answer-Cortisol + adrenaline still fighting stressor, body is aroused with more energy to deal with situation, if keeps going can get sick Exhaustion - answer-When resistance phase lasts too long body becomes depleted = serious illness Coping flexibility - answer-the ability to effectively modify or adjust one's coping strategies in accordance with the demands of the stressful situation Approach coping strategies - answer-Involve efforts that confront a stressor and deal with it directly. Avoidant coping strategies - answer-Efforts that evade a stressor and deal with it indirectly. Coping Strategy - answer-a specific method, behavioural or psychological, that people use to manage or reduce the stress caused by the stressor