* 3 reactions to stress:.
1.Emotional responses- as stress increases, mood becomes more negative.
* the inverted U hypothesis predicts that task performance should improve with increased emotional arousal.
* as a task becomes more complex the optimal level of arousal decreases.
2.Physiological responses- the fight or flight response is a reaction to threat in which the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the organism for attacking(fight) or fleeing(flight).
* The concept of stress was identified and named by Hans Selye.
* He formulated a theory for stress reactions called the general adaptation syndrome which is a model of the body's stress response consisting of 3 stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.
* The alarm stage is essentially the fight or flight theory.
* The resistance stage is when physiological changes stabilize as coping efforts get under way.
* The exhaustion stage is when the body's resources for fighting stress are limited and the organism may collapse from exhaustion.
* There are 2 major pathways along which the brain sends signals in response to stress.
3.Behavioral responses- involve coping.
* Coping refers to active efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress.
* Agression is any behavior that is intended to hurt someone either physically or verbally.
* Catharsis (Freud) refers to the release of emotional tension.
* Defense Mechanisms are largely unconscious reactions that protect a person from unpleasant emotions such as anxiety and guilt.
* Constructive Coping refers to relatively healthful efforts that people make to deal with stressful events.
* Burnout involves physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that is attributable to long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations.
* Posttraumatic Stress Disorder involves enduring psychological disturbance attributed to the experience of a major traumatic event. Approx. 8% of people have suffered PTSD and is long lasting for approx.
