PSY511 Final Term Questions

Shortquestions-lesson#23

Arousal:

Thestressresponsethatisinitiallyactivatedbyalertingtheorganismto environmentalchangeandreadyingitforactioniscalledarousal.

 Arousalcanbearesultofanger · orfearanditpreparesourbodyforanaction. · ReticularActivatingSystem:

Thereticularactivatingsystem(RAS)denotesthatpartofthebrainstemreticular formationwhichperformsacrucialroleinmaintainingbehaviouralarousal, consciousness,andmotivation.

FunctionofRAS:

 Screeninformationonitswaytopassupwardwhereitcanbe processedandactedupon

 Italertsthecerebralcortex

Lesson#24

WhatIsGeneralAdaptationSyndrome(GAS)?

Generaladaptationsyndrome,developedbyaHungarianendocrinologist, Hans Selye,isatheoryusedtoexplainhowwerespondtostress. Knownasthe' Fatherof Stress' ,HansSelyepioneeredandwasthefirsttoprovideabiologicalexplanationfor howwerespondtostressfulsituations.

HansSelyebroketheprocessdownintothreeseparateandsequentialstages, includingthe alarm, resistance and exhaustion stages. Noteveryoneexperiencesall threestages,whichdependsonhowlongorhowoftenyoumaybeexposedto stress.

Stressresponsephases: · 1.Alarmreaction · 2.Stageofresistance · 3.Stageofexhaustion · Alarmreaction:

Thealarmreactionstageisthe ' fightorflight' andischaracterizedbyareleaseofadrenaline thatcausesincreasedheartrate,fasterbreathing,perspiration,anddilatedpupils. OR

Inresponsetoanystressor,eitherphysicalorpsychological,thehypothalamusisactivated, mediatingthesecretionoflargeamountsofACTHbythepituitary. ThisACTH,inturn,stimulates theadrenalcortextosecreteincreasedamountsofadrenalcorticoids. Ingeneral,these hormonesactivatetheorganismallowingittodealmoreadequatelywithitsenvironment. This phaseiscalledalarmreaction.

Attheresistancestage,thebodytriestobecomebalanced(aprocesscalledhomeostasis) andbegintocopewiththesituation,mobilizingthebodyphysicallyandpsychologically. The organisminasenseisresistingthedemandsofthesituation.

Iftheorganismisunsuccessfulinitsattemptstocope,orifthestresspersists,thestageof exhaustionisreached. Atthisstagetheadrenalglandcannolongerrespondtothestressby secretingadrenalcorticoidsandtheorganismhasexhausteditsabilitytocopewiththe stressor.

StressAppraisalTheory: Stressappraisalreferstotheprocessbywhichindividualsevaluateandcopewitha stressfulevent. Stressappraisaltheoryisconcernedwithindividuals’evaluationoftheevent, ratherthanwiththeevent. Stressappraisalcomesintwoforms,primaryandsecondary appraisal,whichshouldbeconsideredastwostagesofappraisalorevaluation.

Primaryappraisal:

Primaryappraisalisthecognitiveprocessthatoccurswhenoneisappraisingwhetheran eventisstressfulandrelevanttohimorher. Duringthisphase,adecisionismadeabout whethertheeventposesathreat,willcauseharmorloss,orpresentsachallenge.

Harmorlossisassociatedwithdamagethathasalreadyoccurred,suchasadeathorajob loss. Threatisthepossibilityofaharmorlossinthefuture,suchassicknessorpoorjob performance. Conversely,challengeconsistsofeventsthatprovideapersonanopportunity togainasenseofmasteryandcompetencebyconfrontingandovercomingadilemma

Secondaryappraisal:

Itisthecognitiveprocessthatoccurswhenoneisfiguringouthowtocopewithastressful event. Duringthisprocess,apersondecideswhatcopingoptionsareavailable. Aharmful eventrequiresimmediateevaluationofcopingoptionsbecauseithasalreadyoccurred, whereasthreateningorchallengingeventsallowonetimetogathermoreinformationabout events.