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Chapter 2The Emotional

and Intellectual Basis of Stress

© 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Overview

This chapter Examines relationship between emotions,

intelligence, and stress Defines personality and how it develops Examines ways some personality types are

more or less susceptible to stress than others

Discusses the notion of emotional intelligence

Presents a theory of stress appraisal that converges intellectual and emotional factors

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Outline Emotions and stress Personality development and

types Intelligence and stress Emotional intelligence Perception and stress

appraisal

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The Emotional Basis of Stress

Emotions and stress Emotion: “a feeling, and its

distinctive thoughts, psycological and biological states, and range of propensities to act” (Daniel Goleman)

Lazarus’ stress emotions Core relational themes

(internalized personal scripts)

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Emotions in Japanese Psychotherapy

Morita therapy: the action element of Japanese psychotherapy

Reynolds adapted Shomo Morita’s five guiding principles of feelings

“Living Constructively” boxes throughout the textbook focus on Morita and Naikan (the introspective element of) Japanese psychology

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Personality Defined Personality: a collection of

thoughts, attitudes, values, beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and emotions that define who we are, how we view the world around us, and how others perceive us

Personality is constantly evolving

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Emotional Development and Personality

Personality development theories Watson (behaviorism) Freud (psychoanalytical theory) Erikson (developmental stages and

tasks) Piaget (cognitive development) Kohlberg (moral development) Maslow (hierarchy of needs)

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Stress and Personality Stress-Prone Personality Types Type A Personality Type C Personality (Ellis’s) Irrational, Illogical

Personality Negative Self-Talk Millon’s Model

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The Type A Personality

Pioneered by cardiologists Friedman and Rosenman (1974) Noticed their cardiology

patients always tried to achieve more in less time

Hypothesized this was stressful and harmful to one’s heart

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Characteristics of Type A Personality

Competitive Verbally aggressive Hard-driving Unable to relax Very time conscious Easily angered Hostile

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Type A Personality Body Language and Speech Patterns

Tightening of facial muscles Gesturing with a clenched fist Grimacing Using explosive speech Interrupting the interviewer Hurrying the pace

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Type A Personality Health Risks

Greater rate of cardiovascular disease

Greater rate of heart attacks Increased risk for premature

death from all causes Not gender-specific

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Recent Type A Personality Studies

Clarify earlier work Suggest Type A personality not

a causative factor in high blood pressure

Identify anger and hostility as factors most closely related to cardiovascular disease

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Anger and Hostility

Anger Directed at anything Reaction to a specific situation Road rage is a common form

Hostility An enduring anger directed at

people

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The Type C Personality Identified by Temoshok and Dreher

Described as cancer-prone personality

Responds to repeated failure and stress by giving up (helpless/hopeless)

Suppresses emotions and resigns self to fate

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The Irrational, Illogical Personality

Named by Albert Ellis Founder of rational emotive

behavior therapy (REBT) Believes people or things

don’t make us feel bad Illogical beliefs about people

and things are the basis for stress

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Categories of Ellis & Harper’s 10 Illogical Beliefs (Walen et al.)

“Awfulizing” statements—exaggerate the negative

Shoulds/musts/oughts—set illogical demands on oneself or others

Evaluation of worth statements—imply some people or things are worthless

Need statements—set unrealistic requirements for happiness

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Millon’s Model

Millon identified 8 personality styles that are particularly prone to stress Aggressive Narcissistic Histrionic Dependent Passive-Aggressive Compulsive Avoidant Schizoid

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Stress-Resistant Personality Types

Personality types that are protective against stress The Type B Personality The Hardy Personality

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The Type B Personality Identified by Rosenman and Friedman as

polar opposite of Type A Also known as non-Type A Lower risk of heart disease when free

of diabetes, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol

Doesn’t preclude success and achievement

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The Hardy Personality Identified by Kobasa and Maddi Exhibits three personality traits that

protect against ravages of stressCommitment (actively involved

with life)Control (internal locus of control)Challenge (welcomes change)

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The Intellectual Basis of Stress Our “intellectual resources”

(Lazarus) influence How we perceive potential

stressors Our perceived ability to cope

Intellectual resources include intelligence, life experience, communication skills, creativity, problem-solving ability

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Emotional Intelligence

Goleman (1997) coined this term to mean the intellectual attributes associated with understanding and managing emotions

We can exert some control over our emotions, moods, temperament, and emotional disorders

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Five Criteria for Emotional Intelligence

Knowing emotions Managing emotions Motivating oneself Recognizing emotions in others Handling relationships

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Lazarus & Folkman’s Stress Appraisal Model

The model contains a convergence of intellectual and emotional factors

Things become stressors when they threaten our well-being

Appraisal process influenced by time and environment (context)

Appraisal process has three parts

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Three Appraisal Processes

Primary appraisal: Is it a threat?

Secondary appraisal: Can I cope with it?

Cognitive reappraisal: Is this potential stressor a real stressor?

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Primary Threat Appraisal Threat: state of anticipated confrontation

with a harmful condition Physical harm, emotional pain, or social discomfort

Primary appraisal: Is it a threat? Irrelevant Benign/positive Stress

Threat (harm or loss anticipated)Harm/loss (assessing consequences of exposure)Challenge (possible positive outcomes)

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Situation Factors in Stress Appraisal

The potential stressor Novelty, predictability, event uncertainty Imminence, duration, and temporal

uncertainty

Person Factors in Stress Appraisal

Commitments Beliefs (cognitive configurations)

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Secondary Stress Appraisal

Can I cope with it? Occurs simultaneously with primary

appraisal Coping: Emotion-focused or problem-

focused Coping resources

Health and energy Positive beliefs Problem-solving skills Social skills Social support Material resources

Situational constraints

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Cognitive Reappraisal

Is this potential stressor a real stressor?

Reassessing after weighing all of the situational factors, commitments and beliefs, and assessing ability to cope

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Chapter 2: The Emotional and Intellectual Basis of Stress

Summary