Psychology 2036A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Hans Selye, Pituitary Gland, Thyroid

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2036A/B
• Professor: Eric Collins

Document Summary

The physiology of stress: very complex (sam + hpa -> hypothalamus, begins when an individual perceives a real or actual threat. Involves two major components: nervous system, cns, brain and spinal cord, pns, autonomic (involuntary) Sympathetic and parasympathetic: endocrine system, responds to stress more slowly but can persist for weeks, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal gland, thyroid gland, pancreas. Sympathetic adrenomedullary system (sam: hypothalamus, sns, adrenal medulla, catecholamines - adrenaline, noradrenaline, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (hpa, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal cortex, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, limbic system, adds emotions, reticular formation, communication network. Stress-diathesis model: predisposing factors interact with stressors to trigger a stress response. Individual"s appraisal of this relationship: cognitive appraisals determine if an event will be perceived as stressful, primary appraisal - initial evaluation of the situation; three kinds: Stressful: harm/loss, threat, challenge, secondary appraisal - evaluation of one"s ability to cope with a situation.