PSY 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Minority Stress, Circulatory System, Health Psychology
Document Summary
Physical components of stress: fight or flight- reaction to an emergency that increases readiness for action, general adaptation syndrome (gad) alarm phase (fight or flight) resistance phase exhaustion phase. Stress effects on physical health: cardiovascular system: higher likelihood of cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, etc. Immune system: stress wears out immune system response. Type a vs type b personalities: type a: impatient, short-tempered, competitive, ambitious, type b: easygoing, social procrastinator, study followed cardiac health of 3,000 young men 250+ suffered from heart attacks; most had type a personalities. How do we know if something is stressful: primary appraisal: determine if a stimulus is stressful or not, secondary appraisal: determine if the stressor can be controlled. Interpretation can change a stressor from a threat to a challenge. Burnout: definition: state of physical/emotional/mental exhaustion from long-term involvement in an emotionally demanding situation, often results in lower performance and motivation, common in helping professions, demanding jobs, and beginning parents.
