1
Study Guide – Exam 2
**Note: these are broad terms/categories. You will need to know terms/definitions that fall
within each category. If there is a conflict between the lecture notes and the book, defer to the lecture notes.
Chapter 6
Stress
o Negative emotional experiences accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological,
cognitive, and behavioral changes that are directed either toward altering the stressful event or
accommodating to its effects
Stressors
o Stressful events themselves
Minority-Stress Model
Role of neurotransmitters
Endocrine system
Adrenal glands
Appraisal of stressors (primary and secondary)
o Primary appraisal: occurs when a person is trying to understand what the event is and what it
will mean; events are appraised for their harm, threat, or challenge
Harm: assessment of damage already done by the stressor
Threat: assessment of possible future damage
Challenge: potential to overcome or even benefit from the event
o Secondary appraisal: occurs whether personal resources are sufficient to meet the demands of
the environment; are resources
More than adequate= feel challenged not threatened
Sufficient with effort= feel moderate stress
Not sufficient= feel high stress
Diathesis-stress model
Physiology of stress
o Sympathetic activation
Sympathetic arousal stimulates the medulla of the adrenal glands, which, in turn, secrete
the catocholamines epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NE), producing increased
blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased sweating, and constriction of peripheral
blood vessels
o HPA activation
The hypothalamus releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates
the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which, in turn,
stimulates the adrenal cortex to release glucocorticoids; helps reduce inflammation in
the case of an injury and helps the body return to its steady state following stress
o Effects of long-term stress
Individual differences in stress reactivity
Physiological reactivity
Allostatic load
o Refers to the physiological costs of chronic exposure to the physiological changes that result
from repeated or chronic stress
Dimensions of stressful events (negative, uncontrollable, ambiguous, overload, central vs. peripheral)
o Negative: undesirable experiences
o Uncontrollable: cannot predict, modify, terminate, or influence event
o Ambiguous: understanding stressor can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and delay
problem solving
o Overload: already experiencing high demands on time/energy
o Centrality: stressor is related to central life demands/priority
, 2
Chapter 7
Coping
o Thoughts and behaviors used to manage the internal and external demands of situations that
are appraised as stressful
o Coping process
Stressful event, its stage, and anticipated future course
Appraisal and interpretation of the stressor
Coping resources and strategies
Coping tasks
Coping outcomes
Personality and coping
o Negative affectivity
Pervasive negative mood marked by anxiety, depression, and hostility; “disease-prone
personality”; type D, “distressed personality”= neuroticism, social inhibition, isolation
Related to
Poor health, all-cause mortality, higher levels of stress indicators, associated with
poor health habits, do not respond well to treatments, can create an illusion of
poor health
o Positivity
Promotes better mental and physical health, linked with lower levels of stress indicators,
triggers better immune responses, improves coping
Role of culture (individualistic vs collectivist)
Heritable but heritability does not equal immutability
Ways to increase positive affect- savoring (reminisce about positive things)
Psychosocial resources
o Optimism
General tendency to expect positive outcomes
Better physiological stress profiles (cortisol, blood pressure, inflammation)
Promotes active and persistent coping
Fosters sense of control
o Pessimism can be changed through “learned optimism
o Psychological control
Belief that one can determine own behavior, influence environment, and bring about
desired outcomes
Secondary control: collective control with family/friends or professionals
o When faced with repeated, uncontrollable stress, people can learn that
they cannot affect what happens to them-> activation of stress response,
lower immune functioning, less physical activity
o Self-esteem
Subjective evaluation of own worth
Most protective at lower levels of stress
Lower levels of HPA axis activity
o Health-prone personality
Positivity, optimism, sense of control, conscientiousness, self-esteem
Resilience
o Helps individuals bounce back and adapt flexibly to stressful situations
Coping style
o Propensity to deal with stressful events in a particular way
o Approach
Coping by gathering information or directly taking action
Related to better mental and physical health outcomes
o Avoidance
Coping by minimizing or distracting
Study Guide – Exam 2
**Note: these are broad terms/categories. You will need to know terms/definitions that fall
within each category. If there is a conflict between the lecture notes and the book, defer to the lecture notes.
Chapter 6
Stress
o Negative emotional experiences accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological,
cognitive, and behavioral changes that are directed either toward altering the stressful event or
accommodating to its effects
Stressors
o Stressful events themselves
Minority-Stress Model
Role of neurotransmitters
Endocrine system
Adrenal glands
Appraisal of stressors (primary and secondary)
o Primary appraisal: occurs when a person is trying to understand what the event is and what it
will mean; events are appraised for their harm, threat, or challenge
Harm: assessment of damage already done by the stressor
Threat: assessment of possible future damage
Challenge: potential to overcome or even benefit from the event
o Secondary appraisal: occurs whether personal resources are sufficient to meet the demands of
the environment; are resources
More than adequate= feel challenged not threatened
Sufficient with effort= feel moderate stress
Not sufficient= feel high stress
Diathesis-stress model
Physiology of stress
o Sympathetic activation
Sympathetic arousal stimulates the medulla of the adrenal glands, which, in turn, secrete
the catocholamines epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NE), producing increased
blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased sweating, and constriction of peripheral
blood vessels
o HPA activation
The hypothalamus releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), which stimulates
the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which, in turn,
stimulates the adrenal cortex to release glucocorticoids; helps reduce inflammation in
the case of an injury and helps the body return to its steady state following stress
o Effects of long-term stress
Individual differences in stress reactivity
Physiological reactivity
Allostatic load
o Refers to the physiological costs of chronic exposure to the physiological changes that result
from repeated or chronic stress
Dimensions of stressful events (negative, uncontrollable, ambiguous, overload, central vs. peripheral)
o Negative: undesirable experiences
o Uncontrollable: cannot predict, modify, terminate, or influence event
o Ambiguous: understanding stressor can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and delay
problem solving
o Overload: already experiencing high demands on time/energy
o Centrality: stressor is related to central life demands/priority
, 2
Chapter 7
Coping
o Thoughts and behaviors used to manage the internal and external demands of situations that
are appraised as stressful
o Coping process
Stressful event, its stage, and anticipated future course
Appraisal and interpretation of the stressor
Coping resources and strategies
Coping tasks
Coping outcomes
Personality and coping
o Negative affectivity
Pervasive negative mood marked by anxiety, depression, and hostility; “disease-prone
personality”; type D, “distressed personality”= neuroticism, social inhibition, isolation
Related to
Poor health, all-cause mortality, higher levels of stress indicators, associated with
poor health habits, do not respond well to treatments, can create an illusion of
poor health
o Positivity
Promotes better mental and physical health, linked with lower levels of stress indicators,
triggers better immune responses, improves coping
Role of culture (individualistic vs collectivist)
Heritable but heritability does not equal immutability
Ways to increase positive affect- savoring (reminisce about positive things)
Psychosocial resources
o Optimism
General tendency to expect positive outcomes
Better physiological stress profiles (cortisol, blood pressure, inflammation)
Promotes active and persistent coping
Fosters sense of control
o Pessimism can be changed through “learned optimism
o Psychological control
Belief that one can determine own behavior, influence environment, and bring about
desired outcomes
Secondary control: collective control with family/friends or professionals
o When faced with repeated, uncontrollable stress, people can learn that
they cannot affect what happens to them-> activation of stress response,
lower immune functioning, less physical activity
o Self-esteem
Subjective evaluation of own worth
Most protective at lower levels of stress
Lower levels of HPA axis activity
o Health-prone personality
Positivity, optimism, sense of control, conscientiousness, self-esteem
Resilience
o Helps individuals bounce back and adapt flexibly to stressful situations
Coping style
o Propensity to deal with stressful events in a particular way
o Approach
Coping by gathering information or directly taking action
Related to better mental and physical health outcomes
o Avoidance
Coping by minimizing or distracting
