Outline

1. Stress – definition

2. 3 components of stress Frustration Conflict Pressure

3. 4 important factors Nature of the stress Perception of the stress Stress tolerance External resources

Outline

5. Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

6. Stress and Anxiety Incidence Assessment

7. Test Anxiety

Stress - definitions

Stress A response to situations that involve demands, constraints, or opportunities

Stress - definitions

Stress Stressor

Anything which requires a person to adapt to changing conditions

Stress - definitions

Stress Stressor Coping strategy

The strategy adopted to manage the stress and the stressor

Stress - definitions

Stress Stressor Coping strategy Eustress

Stress produced as part of positive life experiences

Eu- same beginning as the words Eutopia and evangelist

Stress - definitions

Stress Stressor Coping strategy Eustress Dystress (distress)

Stress produced as part of negative life experiences

3 Components of Stress

Frustration When attainment of goal is blocked

Or when goal itself is missing

3 Components of Stress

Frustration Conflict

Conflict – forced choice between two or more important goals

Approach – avoidance Approach – approach Avoidance – avoidance

3 Components of Stress

Frustration Conflict Pressure

Pressure – a constraint that works to shape your behavior in a certain way

Can be internally-imposed or externally-imposed

Stress – 4 important factors

Nature of the stress Severity Duration Imminence Other simultaneous

stressors

Stress – 4 important factors

Nature of the stress Perception of the

stressor

Is minor setback seen as serious challenge?

Is serious challenge seen as minor setback?

Stress – 4 important factors

Nature of the stress Perception of the

stressor Stress-tolerance

Two people could have similar perceptions of a stressor, but respond very differently to it

Biologically-based, but can be learned to some extent

Stress – 4 important factors

Nature of the stress Perception of the

stressor Stress-tolerance External resources

E.g., money, social support

Chandrasena et al. (1991) – study of suicide cases: no immigrants in sample had acquired a social support network after arriving in Canada

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Hans Selye – Canadian endocrinologist

Born in Hungary, studied in Prague and at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

McGill 1932-1976 Founded Canadian

Institute of Stress 1979

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Selye first suggested that humans have a general reaction to stressors

His GAS model indicates three stages of response to stress: Alarm Resistance Exhaustion

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm Recruits energy and attention

Stops non-essential processes

Improves perception within a narrow focus

Produces analgesia Inhibits growth & the

immune system

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm Resistance

The body attempts to return to normal

Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome

Alarm Resistance Exhaustion

Resources depleted Cognitive function

compromised Person tires easily Blood pressure

increases, producing heart disease and stroke

Immune system depressed

Anxiety

Anxiety – an emotional state caused by stress

Anxiety disorders: a set of internalizing disorders with physical & mental effects (e.g., rumination)

Marked by worry, apprehension, tension

Physical effects include bodily tension, elevated heart rate, sweaty palms

Anxiety

Fight-or-flight response evolved to deal with emergencies – but a person should not be in that state over a long period of time.

Negative mood, worry about future being unpredictable & uncontrollable

Chronic over-arousal, tendency to avoid anxiety-provoking situations

Anxiety - Incidence

Common disorder – e.g., in U.S., 23 million affected each year – costs US $42.3 billion/year

Most common type of disorder for women (30%)

Second most common type of disorder for men (19%)

Co-morbidity common with other depression, other anxiety disorders

Anxiety

Six primary types of anxiety disorder:

Phobic Disorders (Specific and Social) Panic Disorder (with and w/o Agoraphobia) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

Some common specific phobias

Phobia Target

Acrophobia HeightsAlgophobia PainAstraphobia Thunderstorms & lightningClaustrophobia Enclosed placesHydrophobia WaterMonophobia Being aloneMysophobia Contamination or germsNyctophobia DarknessOchlophobia CrowdsPathophobia DiseasePyrophobia FireZoophobia Animals, or some particular animal

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities

The individual finds it difficult to control the worry

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

3 of these 6 symptoms: Restless, keyed up, on edge

Easily fatigued Difficulty concentrating Irritability Muscle tension Sleep disturbance

Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

State: anxiety level varies from one situation to another

Trait: enduring personality characteristic

STAI – 40 items (20 state, 20 trait); responses on 4 point scale indicate agreement with each item

Groups or individuals; no time limit and takes about 15 minutes; 5-6th grade reading level

Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

Good reliability for Trait: .73 to .86 (Test-retest)

Low reliability for State – which is expected

Good concurrent validity – STAI-Trait correlates well with other measures of anxiety

Good discriminant validity – e.g., STAI-State gave different scores within subjects tested before and after successful major surgery

Beck Anxiety Inventory

21-item, self-report, paper and pencil

Reliability = Alpha .92 Validity = good on

content, criterion, and construct

Check for anxiety Support findings on a

broader measure like the MMPI-2 (BAI is a more specific, so more sensitive, test)

Test Anxiety

Mandler & Sarason (1952) Test anxiety is an

emotional state in response to being tested (either formally or informally)

Eysenck’s theory worry uses up Working

Memory, leaving little capacity left for task performance

Mandler & Sarason (1952)

Task relevant responses – aimed at accomplishing task at hand

Positive response to test situation

Task irrelevant responses – thinking about things other than task at hand

Negative response to test situation

Test Anxiety Questionnaire

Mandler & Sarason (1952)

TAQ assesses pre-disposition to think or act in ways that interfere with completion of a task

Highly reliable Some evidence for

validity Focus on situation –

TAQ measures state anxiety

Test Anxiety Scale (Sarason, 1958)

Focus on person – measures trait anxiety

Less text-anxious people increase effort & attention toward test challenge

More test-anxious people focus inwardly, think about their insufficiency, interpret neutral stimuli in a negative way.