Lecture Overview. Stress & Health. Psychological Stress. Stress. Stress. Effects of Stress. Perceived Control. Physiological Thriving.

Transcription

1 Lecture Overview Stress Effects of Stress Perceived Control Stress & Health November 25th : Lecture 22 Physiological Thriving Reducing Stress Stress Psychological Stress Stress is operationalised in two ways: Psychological events causing stress Physiological responses to stress Degree to which people have to change and readjust their lives in response to an external event

2 Psychologically Stressful Events Physiological Stress Both good and bad things can cause significant stress Stress on the body caused by physical or psychological stressors Allostasis Allostatic Load Body s ability to adapt to constantly changing environments to maintain homeostasis Tight Allostatic System One that moves from high to low levels of arousal flexibly and fluidly depending on demands A chronically elevated state of arousal which damages the body and makes it less able to flexibly adapt to the environment Result of chronic stressors Associated with heart disease, diabetes, suppressed immunity, hypertension

3 Effects of Stress Stress & performance Stress & Performance Stress & Health When motivated to perform well, the way your body responds to the stressor can either IMPROVE or INHIBIT your performance Improving Performance: Challenge Inhibiting Performance: Threat Challenge & Threat Why Respond with Challenge or Threat? Physiological Patterns Performance Implications Challenge!"Heart Rate!"Strength of Heart Contraction!"Cardiac Output (Blood Circulating in Torso)!"Diameter of Circulatory Vessels Threat!"Heart Rate Mild-or-No increase in strength of Heart Contraction # Cardiac Output # Diameter of Circulatory Vessels! blood flow to brain # blood flow to brain! blood to effector muscles # blood to effector muscles! cognitive & physical performance # cognitive & physical performance What you expect is what you get it all comes down to how you appraise the situation: If you perceive that your... Personal Resources Situational Personal > < Demands Resources Challenge Threat Situational Demands

4 Cognitive Appraisals & Cardiovascular Responses Cognitive Appraisals & Cardiovascular Responses Tomaka, Blascovich, Kibler, & Ernst (1997) Method: 1. Have participants complete verbal math task 2. Before task, asked participants: Q1. How well can you can cope with the upcoming task? Q2. How threatening is the upcoming task? 3. Divide participants into 2 groups: Challenge Appraisals: Q1 > Q2 Threat Appraisals: Q1 < Q2 Tomaka, Blascovich, Kibler, & Ernst (1997) Results: Cardiac Output by Cognitive Appraisals! Liters Blood per Minute Challenge Threat Appraisal Group Cognitive Appraisals & Cardiovascular Responses Extreme Stress & Memory Tomaka, Blascovich, Kibler, & Ernst (1997) Results: Performance by Cognitive Appraisals Challenge Threat In response to extreme stressors, body releases catabolic hormone cortisol Cortisol reduces memory and linguistic functioning 8 # Answers Generated # Correct Subtractions

5 Cortisol & Cognitive Performance Stress & Health Cortisol: Decreases hippocampal mass in rats Restricts blood flow in the hippocampus Reduced linguistic complexity among humans giving speeches Stress & Immunity Stress & Long-Term Health Stress & Immunity Cohen s Hotel Study Cohen, Tyrrell, & Smith (1991) Method: Psychological stress decreases immune functioning, making you more susceptible to disease healthy adults invited to stay a week in a hotel 2. Completed measures of life stress 3. Were exposed to common cold viruses through nasal spray 4. Monitored for 7 days postexposure

6 Cohen s Hotel Study Stress & Long-Term Health Cohen, Tyrrell, & Smith (1991) Results: Revisiting Allostatic Load % of Participants Who Got Sick Lowest Low-Middle High-Middle Highest Quartile of Stress Index Chronic stress predicts: Hypertension Type II Diabetes Weakened immune system Perceived Control Self-Efficacy The belief that we can influence our environment in ways that determine whether we experience positive or negative outcomes The belief that you can competently complete the actions necessary to deal with a demanding situation

7 Learned Helplessness Learned Helplessness The acquired sense that one can no longer control the environment, with the result that one gives up trying Perceive negative events as: Stable: Caused by factors that don t change with time Internal: Caused by you Global: Causes of one negative event apply to other events Seligman & Maier (1967) Method: 1. Phase 1: Two groups of dogs receive shocks while strapped in hammocks Group A had control: Lever next to nose turned off shocks Group B had no control: No lever to affect shocks, but same duration of shocks as Group A 2. Phase 2: Brought into divided pen (2 compartments, separated by short barrier) Electrified floor of one compartment 10 seconds after a buzzer rings If dog leaps to other compartment in less than 10 seconds, they won t get shocked Learned Helplessness Physiological Thriving Median Time to Jump (seconds) Seligman & Maier (1967) Results: Time spent in first compartment after buzzer rang Group A 30 Group B But sometimes Stress = Thriving 2 Aspects of Positive Stress: Acute stressors (instead of chronic) Complete relaxation in between stressors Trials

8 Physiological Toughening Physiological Toughening in Animals Fast and strong mobilization of bodily stress responses during a stressor coupled with rapid recovery after the stressor is the healthiest response Animals exposed to chronic stressors showed allostatic load Animals exposed to intermittent stressors showed toughening Increased immune response and suppression of cortisol Physiological Toughening in Humans Physiological Thriving Epel, McEwen, & Ickovics (1998) Performance of Swedish students directly predicted by: Strong hormonal response to an exam Rapid return to baseline post-exam Compared to no stress or chronic stress, intermittent stressors lead to: More effective coping with subsequent stressors Healthier immune system Longer cell life

9 Psychological Thriving Taking Stock Epel, McEwen, & Ickovics (1998) Compared to no stress or chronic stress, intermittent stressors lead to: Responding positively to past stressors leads to perception of benefiting from stressors Viewing stressors as a challenge improves responses to subsequent stressors The ability to recover from stressors can turn potentially damaging events into empowering ones Appraisals of resources vs. demands affect your physiological ability to perform If you feel threatened Boost your resources: Practice makes perfect! Re-appraise the situational demands Know that if you can go in with confidence, your body will back you up! Challenge responses are positive responses to stressors => Physical Thriving & Resilience to Future Stressors Reducing Stress Exercise & Stress Reduction Berger & Motl (2000) reviewed > 80 studies Exercise Meditation Exercise reliably improves mood and reduces stress Caveats: Regularity:! 3 x per week Duration:! 20 minutes per session Intensity:! moderate intensity (break a sweat)

10 Meditation Benefits of Meditation Benefits of meditative practice: Improved immune functioning A class of techniques designed to influence an individual s perception of consciousness through the regulation of attention Decreased stress, improved well-being Decreased relapse of chronic depression Faster recovery from disease Increased left pre-frontal asymmetry Left Pre-Frontal Cortex Asymmetry Asymmetry in activity levels of left and right prefrontal cortex Left Activity! 1.5 x Right More positive emotion Approach orientation High immune functioning Relaxation & Meditation When to meditate? Whenever you think of it! Right Activity! 1.5 x Left Try meditating for 5 min./day for overall improvement Greater incidence of mood Relaxation techniques to deal with immediate stressors: disorders Avoidance orientation The Monk Experiments Focusing on Breath Given that: Left activity > 7 x right activity More Generalizeable Populations: US Employees Inhaling increases your heart rate, and Exhaling decreases your heart rate Exhale longer than you inhale to slow heart rate

11 What Doesn t Kill You Makes you Stronger Next time (Wednesday, 12/2): Last Lecture! Relevant Websites: Toronto Meditation Guide: CMHA Coping With Stress Info & Resources: