Psychology
Physiology of Stress
The physiology of stress refers to the body's response to stress, involving the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This physiological response can lead to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and heightened alertness, preparing the body to deal with perceived threats or challenges.
Written by Perlego with AI-assistance
Related key terms
1 of 5
11 Key excerpts on "Physiology of Stress"
eBook - PDFEating Disorders in Women and Children
Prevention, Stress Management, and Treatment, Second Edition
- Kristin Goodheart, James R. Clopton, Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb, Kristin Goodheart, James R. Clopton, Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb(Authors)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Further research revealed that psychological stressors also produced a similar set of reactions in the body (Selye 1950b). After those initial discoveries, both psychologists and physiologists have contributed to our understanding of the concept of stress. Richard Lazarus, a distinguished psychologist, proposed this definition of stress-ful situations: “any event in which environmental demands, internal demands, or both tax or exceed the adaptive resources of an individual, social system, or tissue system” (Monat and Lazarus 1991). Regardless of the nature of the stressor (physical or psychological), certain automatic responses occur via the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal gland. This pathway is referred to as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA or HTPA axis), which is also known as the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (LHPA axis). This set of interrelated endocrine glands initiates the signals provoking a pattern of responses that constitute to the stress response, originally called the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). These responses are recognized as those that allowed primitive humans (and other living organisms) to survive in hostile environments by way of accel-erating the metabolic processes in the body used for either fending off or escaping from dangerous situations. 6.2.1 A N I NTRODUCTION TO THE H UMAN N ERVOUS S YSTEM To lay the groundwork for an understanding of the stress response, let us first briefly discuss the human nervous system with an overview that has been simplified to meet the objectives of this chapter. The basic anatomical unit of the human nervous system is the neuron. Impulses are passed within a neuron as electrical charges and are passed from neuron to neuron as chemical signals. Impulse transmission from neuron to neuron occurs via the release of a neurotransmitter substance, such as acetylcholine or norepinephrine (see Figure 6.1).
eBook - PDFThe Health Psychology Handbook
Practical Issues for the Behavioral Medicine Specialist
- Lee M. Cohen, Dennis E. McChargue, Frank L. Collins, Lee M. Cohen, Dennis E. McChargue, Frank L. Collins(Authors)
- 2003(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
Therefore, both a physical stressor, such as being trapped out-side in below-freezing temperatures, and a psychological stressor, such as participating in a public speaking task, can challenge the homeostasis of the body. A stress response may consist of both a behavioral response and physiological response. A behavioral response is any action taken on the environment, such as quickly leaving a dangerous situation or implementing a coping skill, whereas a physiological response is an alteration in physiological functioning that serves to restore an imbalance in homeo-static functioning. Examples of physiological responses include an increase in blood pres-sure, elevated heart rate, impaired memory and decision-making abilities, and altered metabo-lism. Both behavioral and physiological responses to a stressor may be associated with a negative affective state for the individual. Most individuals can identify stressors they experience in their daily lives as well as how they experience the negative effects of stress. However, what goes on between the stressor and the stress response in terms of physiology is less clearly understood by clients with whom health professionals come into contact. By educating clients on the psychological and physiological mechanisms of stress, health professionals can teach clients the adaptive role of the stress response to episodic stressors and the detrimental physical and psychologi-cal effects caused by chronic long-term stress. Physiology of the Psychological Stress Response After any external event occurs, sensory information related to the event is processed within the corticolimbic system (Figure 10.1). In general, the corticolimbic system is respon-sible for threat appraisals and the processing of emotions. The corticolimbic system is composed of multiple brain structures, includ-ing the thalamus, sensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, memory system, and amygdala.
eBook - PDF- Danuta Koradecka(Author)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
All aspects of research on stress, including biomedical, psychological, and psy-chosocial, have been combined into a single field of research that deals with the biol-ogy of happiness and positive well-being. During a conference on stress in Budapest in 2007, Andrew Streptoe presented the results of a meta-analysis indicating that the death rate in a population of several thousand people dominated by positive emo-tions and pro-health behaviours was lower than the average by almost 19% (Streptoe 2007). These correlations are associated with psychobiological reactions activated by 98 Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health the CNS, including neuroendocrinological, immunological, inflammatory, and circu-latory responses. The results of research in this field underline the need to engage in activities aimed at the promotion and shaping of pro-health behaviours. 5.5 SUMMARY Stress is an interaction between the environment and an organism that is interpreted by the organism as: Threatening its physical or psychical stability • Causing negative emotional arousal • Leading to an excessive physiological response, including neurohormonal • changes Emotions that accompany a sense of threat are associated with a neurophysiologi-cal reaction originating in the hypothalamus of the brain and causing a multitude of psychophysiological changes. Stress has negative consequences for somatic and emotional health and leads to negative social phenomena. Adaptation to stress, which is aimed at maintaining homeostasis in the inter-nal environment of the organism, is one of the basic mechanisms of survival under changing environmental conditions. Psychophysiological mechanisms adapt by reducing reactivity to subsequent stress events and establishing a condition that is a compromise between agitation and suppression of the systems responding to stress.
- John Weinman(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Butterworth-Heinemann(Publisher)
An imbalance in this mechanism, when coping is important, gives rise to the experience of stress and to stress response. The latter represents attempts at coping with the source of stress. Coping is both psychological (involving cognitive and behavioural strategies) and physiological. If normal coping is ineffective, stress is prolonged and abnormal responses may occur. The occurrence and prolonged exposure to stress per se may give rise to functional and structural damage. The progress of these events is subject to great individual variation. b. Physiological and psychological responses to stress A great deal of the earlier work on stress, stemming from Selye and others, has been based on animal studies and has investigated neuroendocrine and other physiological changes to stress. In addition to developing this research, more recent work has also begun to investigate the effects of stress on behaviour, particularly in response to psychosocial stressors. As we observed above, more recent emphases in this area are on the individual's appraisal of his environment rather than on the automatic response to specific threatening stimuli. In this section there will therefore be a separate consideration of physiological and psychological processes but it is important to point out that these are not separate aspects of the response to stress. They are different levels of analysis, which ultimately need to be seen and understood in conjunction. ι. Physiological responses It is now generally accepted that the adrenal gland plays a central role in regulating the responses of an animal to the threats or demands imposed on it. Situated above the kidney, the adrenal gland consists of two separate areas, the adrenal medulla and the adrenal cortex, which appear to be involved in different aspects of the stress response.
eBook - ePubStress at Work
A Sociological Perspective
- Chris Peterson(Author)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
CHAPTER 1 Stress as a Psychophysiological ProcessIn this chapter I trace developments in the concept of stress, as a physiological reaction and as a psychophysiological process. This historical review covers presociological inquiries of stress. It examines many of the debates on the meaning of stress, based on early differences in the meaning of the stress response. While these approaches have a number of limitations, an examination shows how early differences in biophysiological and later psychological research contributed an important understanding to the stress response.While earlier, purely physiological approaches provide information about bodily reactions to stress, they do not provide a sufficient understanding of a broad range of processes involved in the stress response. Parallel and more recent psychological research provides some important insights into why different people experience differing amounts of stress from the same stressors. These findings make important contributions to our understanding of the psychophysiological nature of stress.However, psychophysiological approaches fail to account for a broader range of sociocultural factors, a topic addressed in Chapter 2 . Yet these psychophysiological processes do provide an important basis for our understanding of stress, albeit at the individual level of personal experience.While the early biophysiological and psychological researchers have made important contributions, our knowledge about the stress response has recently changed in some important ways. Technological developments in testing procedures and equipment have also produced major changes in our understanding of this response. Yet certain limitations to a thorough understanding of biophysiological and psychological processes remain. We need to employ a critical framework when dealing with various assumptions about the biophysiological aspects of the stress response that require questioning.The chapter covers three issues. The first is a review of the pioneering work of Hans Selye and a critical evaluation of early developments in the stress concept. I then review the influence of psychologically oriented research into the effects of emotional response on physiological reactions and evaluate it for its influence on the stress concept. Finally, I discuss the physiology of the stress response, based on the above approaches.
- (Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Cuvillier Verlag(Publisher)
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 1 2 Theoretical Background In this chapter, relevant definitions of stress are presented. Then, the psychological stress response is explained in greater detail to provide the theoretical background for the experimental investigations described in this thesis. Next, the systems involved in the psychological stress response as well as their indicators are illustrated. Finally, the different methods of stress induction, which were important for the conducted studies, are presented. 2.1 Stress This thesis uses the term stress to describe the organism’s reaction in a certain psychobiological meaning (stress response) following a psychological or physiological trigger (stressor). First, there is an introduction to the definition of stress and then a comparison of acute stress versus chronic stress. 2.1.1 Psychological Definitions of Stress In 1936, Selye introduced the term stress into the psychobiological linguistic repertoire. Stress originates from physics and means pressure or tension in reference to a material or an object in which a temporary or permanent change is caused. Selye’s concept of general adaptation-syndrome (GAS) divides the physical reaction during a stress situation into three phases: (1) the alarm phase which starts immediately, (2) the resistance phase, which is reached as soon as the stressor persists for some time, and finally (3) the exhaustion phase , which occurs when the organism has used up its resources (Selye, 1950; 1998). This concept predicts harmful consequences on health when a stress reaction persists for a long time (Rief & Nanke, 2003). His definition determines that stress is the body’s unspecific reaction to any adaptation to change (Selye, 1936). Since research indicates that the body can definitely counter similar stimuli with specific reactions (Gaab et al., 2003; Henry & Grimm, 1990), Selye’s definition must be called into question. 4
eBook - PDFStress Management for Life
A Research-Based Experiential Approach
- Michael Olpin, Margie Hesson, Michael Olpin(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Cengage Learning EMEA(Publisher)
The Science of Stress 3 chapter © Jeff Cameron Collingwood/Shutterstock.com To understand the stress response, we must possess a fundamental knowledge not only of psychology but of physiology as well. —George Everly Why do I need to understand the science of stress? I just want to learn to relax. What is the purpose of the fight- or-flight response? Is the physiological response to stress different in males and females? What really happens in my body when I feel stress? Study of this chapter will enable you to do the following: 3.1 Describe the human fight-or-flight response. 3.2 List the physiological changes associated with the stress response. 3.3 Name the stages of the general adaptation syndrome. 3.4 Explain how the science of stress relates to stress management and prevention. Learning Objectives Copyright 2021 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. 3.2 Stress and the Big Bear 31 3.1 The Science of Stress Just mention stress and everyone groans. Too much stress just does not feel right. The story of stress is a long one, beginning with our ancestors many generations ago. Throughout his- tory, people have experienced stress related to everything from war to poverty to disease to money. The quest for understanding stress has resulted in a surge of research during the past half-century. More is known about the physiology and psychology of stress than ever before. This chapter and the next provide a scientific foundation built on principles, theories, and models of stress to help you understand the physiology and psychology of stress.
eBook - ePub- Karl Albrecht(Author)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- Touchstone(Publisher)
The Physiology of StressTHE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESSURE AND STRESS
In our discussion, we must draw a very important distinction between the terms pressure and stress. Throughout this book, the term pressure refers to those features of a situation that may be problematic for the individual and that amount to demands for adaptation of some kind. Stress, on the other hand, refers to a specific set of biochemical conditions within the person’s body—conditions that reflect the body’s attempt to make the adjustment. In short, pressure is in the situation; stress is in the person.One thing we know for sure is that different people can react differently to the same pressure situation. For example, one person might find an invitation to give a short talk before a large audience to be a challenging and enjoyable experience. Another might be virtually paralyzed by fear and apprehension as the time draws near to stand up and speak. Conversely, the first person might become upset and distraught in an emergency in which someone requires first aid treatment, whereas the second might operate calmly and efficiently.Neither of these people, in either of the hypothetical situations, would be so placid and unaroused that his body would exhibit the peaceful physiology of sleep or daydreaming. Each would be aroused to some some particular extent, with the stress response underway to some level of intensity, but the effect on the person’s performance in the situation would be characteristic of that person as an individual. Because of one’s personal history of experience and learned reactions, he will “convert” pressure into stress in his own distinctive way.Given this distinction between pressure and stress, we can analyze situations and responses somewhat more carefully. We will no longer say, “I’m under a lot of stress lately,” but rather, “I’m under a lot of pressure lately.” When we say, “I’m experiencing a great deal of stress,” we will be talking about our physiological reactions and feelings, rather than about the situation we’re trying to cope with.
eBook - PDFDiscovering Psychology
The Science of Mind
- John Cacioppo, Laura Freberg(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Cengage Learning EMEA(Publisher)
Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. 620 Learning Objectives 1. Define stress, identifying key neural and hormonal aspects of Hans Selye’s general adaptation syndrome. 2. Distinguish among adaptive elements of the short-term stress response with health problems linked to chronic stress. 3. Compare and contrast strategies for coping with stress, including problem-, emotion-, and relationship-focused strategies. 4. Summarize the psychosocial factors associated with smoking, nutrition, alcohol use, and lack of exercise, and propose a behavioral interventions for these problems. 5. Differentiate the aims and principles of positive psychology from those of other major movements in psychology, as described in Chapter 1. 6. Distinguish among meanings of happiness (pleasant, good, and meaningful lives), and analyze the research evidence on what makes people happy. What Is Stress? College students rarely need much introduction to the concept of stress. They are no strangers to the stress that accompanies worrying about assignments and grades, money matters, world affairs, and relationships. Stress is an unpleasant emotional state that results from the percep-tion of danger. The source of stress is called a stressor . The key to our definition is the word perception. No one set of stressors reliably produces stress in everybody. People’s stressors are highly individual and idiosyncratic. The object of one person’s phobia may be another person’s beloved, although scaly and slithery, pet. Regard-less of the stressor responsible for feelings of stress, once people perceive that they are in some kind of danger, a common and predictable set of responses to the stressor is set in motion. Psychologists have identified positive outcomes of our responses to stress (Selye, 1975).
eBook - PDF- Jan Felicjan Terelak(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Peter Lang Group(Publisher)
In this stage relatively per- manent pathological reaction may occur, which could lead to death if the stressor continues to act. High Low Average A C B Alert Exhausion Resilience Fig. 1.2: General Adaptation Syndrome - GAS of H. Selye (Source: own elaboration based on: Selye, 1956). Note: (A - Alarm response stage; B - Immunity stage; C - Exhaustion stage) Theoretical foundations of stress 24 The endocrine-neuronal model of physiological stress mechanisms developed by Sely has received contemporary criticism from many physiologists, who have focused primarily on the enigmatic definition of stress, which explains the relationship between stress and disease, but its universality from the physiolog- ical point of view is not empirically justified. Regardless of the criticism of the detailed mechanisms of physiological stress in Sely’s theory, it was undoubtedly his merit to draw attention to the anatomical and physiological mechanisms of stress. Nowadays they can be described not only on the basis of the hormonal system (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis), but also on the basis of the neural system (cf. Werka, 1997). The very essence of stress in Sely’s approach, namely its non-specificity, is also called into question. Indeed, in such different situations as heavy muscle workload, exposure to low ambient temperature or hemorrhage, a seemingly similar - one would like to say - non-specific reaction as increased adrenal cortex secretion activity (increased secretion of glucocorticoids and increase in their concentration in blood) can be observed. However, a closer analysis of these phenomena may lead to a different conclusion. It turns out that in each of these different situations the mechanisms of adrenal cortex activation are different and the effects of their action are different.
eBook - PDFStress, Health and Well-Being
Thriving in the 21st Century
- Rick Harrington(Author)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Cengage Learning EMEA(Publisher)
However, there are good reasons to learn some basic biology when studying stress. As you know, stress and emotional reactions are intimately tied to physiological processes. To fully understand stress, you must have a basic un-derstanding of some of the physiological structures and systems that are in-volved during stress. What follows is not intended to be a comprehensive survey of the anatomy of the nervous system, but rather an introduction to the crucial aspects of the nervous system that are related to stress. Gaining a better under-standing of these physiological structures and systems provides you with the tools you need to enhance your learning of stress throughout the book. With that in mind, let us now take a closer look at the human nervous system. The human nervous system (Figure 3.1) is divided into two main branches: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and the spinal cord. The PNS includes all the other neural pathways and is divided into two main branches: the somatic ner-vous system and the autonomic nervous system. The somatic nervous system innervates (i.e., supplies nerves to) the voluntary muscles of the body (i.e., the striated muscles like the biceps, quadriceps, etc.). F I G U R E 3.1 The Human Nervous System The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves that cover the rest of the body (i.e., the periphery). The peripheral nervous system has somatic and autonomic subdivisions. The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. S OURCE : Garrett, Brain and Behavior, 2003, p. 76 (Wadsworth/Thompson Learning). The Nervous System Central Peripheral Autonomic Somatic Parasympathetic Sympathetic Spinal cord Brain Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Index pages curate the most relevant extracts from our library of academic textbooks. They’ve been created using an in-house natural language model (NLM), each adding context and meaning to key research topics.
