1. The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

2. Pneumonia and Influenza
Tuberculosis
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Pneumonia and Influenza
Heart Disease
Stroke
Cancer
Measles, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, and Diphtheria
Prior to the 20th century, the principal threats to health were contagious diseases caused by infectious agents: smallpox, diphtheria, etc. Nutrition, public hygiene, and medical treatment have obliterated many of these diseases. Unfortunately, chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, diseases that develop gradually, continue to increase.
Typhoid Fever
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

3. Affected by Stress and Lifestyle
Tuberculosis
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Affected by Stress and Lifestyle
Pneumonia and Influenza
Measles, Scarlet Fever, Whooping Cough, and Diphtheria
The biopsychosocial model has replaced more traditional views of illness as having solely biological causes. This model maintains that physical illness is caused by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.
Health psychology is the field of study that seeks to determine the importance of psychological factors in illness, as well as in prevention and health maintenance.
Typhoid Fever
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

4. Stress Bills Shopping Lost Wallet Disaster Car Trouble Moving
Stress is defined in the text as a circumstance that threatens or is perceived to threaten one’s well being, and thereby taxes one’s coping ability.
Researchers have discovered that minor stresses like moving, experiencing changes in household responsibilities, etc. can add up to be as stressful as a major traumatic event like a divorce or disaster.
The experience of feeling stressed depends largely on cognitive processes; going on a new date is exciting for some, terrifying for others. People’s appraisals of events are very subjective and influence the effect of the event.
Moving
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

5. Types of Stress Frustration Life Changes Pressure
Psychologists have outlined four principle types of stress.
Frustration, which occurs in any situation in which the pursuit of some goal is thwarted, like traffic jams.
Life changes are any noticeable alterations in one’s living circumstances that require readjustment. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale was developed to measure life change as a form of stress, giving higher points (life change units) for more stressful events.
Pressure involves expectations or demands that one behave in a certain way, such as pressure to perform or to comply.
Pressure
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

6. ? + + + + OR Approach-Approach Conflict Tennis Racquetball Pizza
Spaghetti OR
Conflict occurs when two or more incompatible motivations or behavioral impulses compete for expression. Three types of conflict have been studied extensively:
approach-approach is when a person has a choice between two attractive goals.
Approach-Approach Conflict
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

7. ? – – – – OR Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict Unemployment Degrading job
Painful backache
Surgery OR
avoidance-avoidance - when a choice must be made between two unattractive goals, and
Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

8. ? + – + – OR Approach-Avoidance Conflict
Date with an attractive person –
Rejection +
Investment returns – OR
Loss of capital
approach-avoidance – when a choice must be made about whether to pursue a single goal that has both attractive and unattractive aspects and results in vacillation, or going back and forth
Approach-Avoidance Conflict
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

9. Negative Emotions Positive Emotions Counted blessings Annoyance
Dejection
Sadness
Rage
Fear
Renewed love
Anxiety
Anger
Stress responses are complex and varied, and can lead to several different emotions.
For example, the cognitive reaction of self-blame often leads to the emotion of guilt, helplessness to sadness, etc.
Positive emotions may also occur during periods of stress, with positive emotions experienced while under duress having adaptive significance, promoting creativity and flexibility in problem solving, facilitating the processing of important information about oneself, and reducing the adverse physiological effects of stress.
Gratitude for safety
Apprehension
Grief
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

10. Hans Selye
Emotional responses to stress are often accompanied by physiological arousal. Hans Selye conducted pioneering research on the effects of prolonged physiological arousal. Beginning in the 1930s, Selye exposed laboratory animals to a diverse array of physical and psychological stressors, such as heat, cold, pain, mild shock, and restraint.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

11. Phase 2 Stage of resistance Phase 3 Stage of exhaustion
Normal level of resistance to stress
Phase 1 Alarm reaction
Phase 2 Stage of resistance
Phase 3 Stage of exhaustion
Time
Resistance to stress
Based on his research, Selye formulated an influential theory of physical reactions to stress, called the general adaptation syndrome. This model posits that the body’s stress response can move through three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. In the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome, an alarm reaction occurs when an organism first recognizes the existence of a threat. Arousal increases as the body musters its resources to combat the challenge.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

12. Phase 2 Stage of resistance Phase 3 Stage of exhaustion
Normal level of resistance to stress
Phase 1 Alarm reaction
Phase 2 Stage of resistance
Phase 3 Stage of exhaustion
Time
Resistance to stress
As stress continues, an organism may progress to the stage of resistance. During this phase, physiological arousal typically stabilizes at a high level and stress resistance is strong as coping efforts get under way.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

13. Phase 2 Stage of resistance Phase 3 Stage of exhaustion
Normal level of resistance to stress
Phase 1 Alarm reaction
Phase 2 Stage of resistance
Phase 3 Stage of exhaustion
Time
Resistance to stress
If stress continues for a long time, an organism may reach the stage of exhaustion. In this stage, physiological resources are depleted, and arousal and stress resistance decline, leading in some cases to exhaustion and physical diseases.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

14. Hypothalamus Initiates action in response to stress
Since Selye’s time, scientists have learned more about the details of physiological reactions to stress. There are two major pathways along which the brain sends signals to the endocrine system in response to stress. The hypothalamus is the brain structure that appears to initiate action along both pathways. You can read more about this process in the chapter.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

15. Most behavioral responses to stress involve coping
Most behavioral responses to stress involve coping. Coping refers to efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress. People cope with stress in many ways, which may be either adaptive or maladaptive. Examples of maladaptive coping strategies are striking out at others, giving up, defensive coping, indulging oneself, and blaming oneself.
Aggression is any behavior that is intended to hurt someone, either physically or verbally. Unfortunately, the interpersonal conflicts that often emerge from aggressive behavior may increase rather than relieve stress.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

16. ABC Video: Soothing the Savage Beast
[Note: at 12 minutes, this video is fairly long]
This video features the research of Brad Bushman and the debate between the catharsis of losing ones temper as opposed to repressing it.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

17. Appraisal-focused strategies
Detecting and disputing negative self-talk
Rational thinking
Using positive reinterpretation
Finding humor in the situation
People also exhibit a great variety of adaptive coping responses. Constructive coping refers to relatively healthful behavioral efforts to deal with stressful events. Constructive coping tactics typically involve one of three strategies: changing cognitive appraisals of stressful events such as those on the screen, confronting problems actively and directly, or learning to manage stress-related emotions more effectively.
Turning to religion
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

18. Stress
Disease
Historically, psychosomatic diseases were defined as physical ailments with a genuine organic basis that are caused in part by psychological factors, especially emotional distress - things like hypertension, ulcers, asthma, eczema, and migraine headaches.
Now we know that stress contributes to a diverse array of other diseases once thought to be completely physiologically based and using the term psychosomatic disease as a separate category has fallen into disuse.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

19. Risk Anger Level Low Moderate High
Heart disease accounts for nearly one-third of the deaths in the U.S. each year, and atherosclerosis, or gradual narrowing of the coronary arteries, is the principle cause of CHD. Risk factors for CHD include smoking, lack of exercise, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure.
Personality factors have also been linked to risk for coronary heart disease. These personality characteristics have been collectively labeled Type A personality and include 3 main elements: strong competitiveness, impatience and time urgency, and anger and hostility. The hostility factor has been indicated as the most important predictor in this cluster of behaviors.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

20. Video: Health and Stress
Stress has also been shown to decrease the immune response, the body’s defensive reaction to invasion by bacteria, viral agents, or other foreign substances - decreasing white blood cells called lymphocytes.
This video shows how psychologists conduct experiments to examine the relationships between stress, emotions, and the immune system.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

21. Many factors moderate the effects of stress on illness, and individual differences in impact appear to be related to these moderating variables.
Social support, or the various types of aid provided by members of one’s social network, appears to decrease the negative impact of stress.
Having an optimistic style also appears to lead to more effective coping with stress, while pessimistic styles have been related to passive coping and poor health practices.
Conscientiousness also appears to be related to increased longevity, possibly because being conscientious leads to better health habits.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

22. Self-destructive behavior is surprisingly common
Self-destructive behavior is surprisingly common. Take smoking, for example. A 25 year old male who smokes two packs a day has an estimated life expectancy 8.3 years shorter than that of a similar, nonsmoker. Health risks decline quickly for those who give up smoking, but quitting is difficult and relapse rates are high.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

23. Death Rate Fitness Category
Low fitness Group 1
Moderate fitness Groups 2 and 3
High fitness Groups 4 and 5
Men
Women
Death Rate
Poor nutritional habits and lack of exercise have been linked to heart disease, hypertension, and cancer, among other things. Exercise can mitigate the effects of stress, and even facilitates the generation of new brain cells.
Alcohol and drug use carry the immediate risk of overdose and the long-term risk of many diseases.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is clearly influenced by behavior. AIDS is transmitted through person-to-person contact involving the exchange of bodily fluids, primarily semen and blood.
Moderate
High
Low
Fitness Category
Participants were divided into five categories based on their fitness, ranging from least fit (group 1) to most fit (group 5).
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

24. Question: True or False? The AIDS virus cannot be spread by kissing.
Misconceptions about AIDS are common, either overestimations or underestimations of risk. Many young heterosexuals downplay their risk for HIV, causing them not to adopt the behavioral practices that minimize risk.
Consider the statement on the screen. Do you think the statement is true or false? [Click to show answer]
So why do people engage in health impairing behavior? Most of these develop gradually and often involve pleasant activities. Risks lie in the distant future, and people tend to underestimate risks that apply to them personally.
Answer: True
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness

25. Many reactions to illness are not conducive to health
Many reactions to illness are not conducive to health. For example, many people ignore physical symptoms, resulting in delay in medical treatment.
Even when they seek medical help, communication between patients and health care providers is not always honest or efficient.
Noncompliance with medical advice is a serious issue. Noncompliance is more likely if instructions are hard to understand, when they are difficult to follow, and when patients are unhappy with their doctor.
The Nature of Stress
Responding to Stress
Stress and Physical Health
Health Impairing Behavior
Reactions to Illness