REVIEW Stress and Illness

Learning Objectives

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

33-1 What events provoke stress responses, and how do we respond and adapt to stress?

ANSWER: Stress is the process by which we appraise and respond to stressors (catastrophic events, significant life changes, and daily hassles) that challenge or threaten us. Walter Cannon viewed the stress response as a “fight-or-flight” system. Hans Selye proposed a general three-phase (alarm-resistance-exhaustion) general adaptation syndrome (GAS). Facing stress, women may have a tend-and-befriend response; men may withdraw socially, turn to alcohol, or become aggressive.

Question

33-2 How does stress make us more vulnerable to disease?

ANSWER: As we know from psychoneuroimmunology studies, stress diverts energy from the immune system, inhibiting the activities of its B and T lymphocytes, macrophages, and NK cells. Stress does not cause diseases such as AIDS and cancer, but by altering our immune functioning it may make us more vulnerable to them and influence their progression.

Question

33-3 Why are some of us more prone than others to coronary heart disease?

ANSWER: Coronary heart disease, the United States' number one cause of death, has been linked with the reactive, anger-prone Type A personality. Compared with relaxed, easygoing Type B personalities, Type A people secrete more stress hormones. Chronic stress also contributes to persistent inflammation, which heightens the risk of clogged arteries and depression.

Question

33-4 How do strategies for handling anger compare in their effectiveness?

ANSWER: Chronic hostility is one of the negative emotions linked to heart disease. Emotional catharsis may be temporarily calming, but in the long run it does not reduce anger. Expressing anger can make us angrier. Experts suggest reducing the level of physiological arousal of anger by waiting, finding a healthy distraction or support, and trying to move away from the situation mentally. Controlled assertions of feelings may resolve conflicts, and forgiveness may rid us of angry feelings.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

stress (p. 406)
general adaptation syndrome (GAS) (p. 409)
tend and befriend (p. 410)
health psychology (p. 410)
psychoneuroimmunology (p. 410)
coronary heart disease (p. 414)
Type A (p. 414)
Type B (p. 414)
catharsis (p. 416)
the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.
Selye's concept of the body's adaptive response to stress in three phases—alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
Friedman and Rosenman's term for easygoing, relaxed people.
a subfield of psychology that provides psychology's contribution to behavioral medicine.
in psychology, the idea that "releasing" aggressive energy (through action or fantasy) relieves aggressive urges.
the clogging of the vessels that nourish the heart muscle; the leading cause of death in many developed countries.
under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend).
Friedman and Rosenman's term for competitive, hard-driving, impatient, verbally aggressive, and anger-prone people.
the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health.

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 11.1

1. Selye's general adaptation syndrome (GAS) consists of an alarm reaction followed by , then .

Question 11.2

2. When faced with stress, women are more likely than men to experience the -and- response.

Question 11.3

3. The number of short-term illnesses and stress-related psychological disorders was higher than usual in the months following an earthquake. Such findings suggest that

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 11.4

4. Which of the following is NOT one of the three main types of stressors?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Page 419

Question 11.5

5. Stress can suppress the immune system by prompting a decrease in the release of , the immune cells that ordinarily attack bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and other foreign substances.

Question 11.6

6. Research has shown that people are at increased risk for cancer a year or so after experiencing depression, helplessness, or bereavement. In describing this link, researchers are quick to point out that

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 11.7

7. A Chinese proverb warns, “The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns you more than him.” How is this true of Type A individuals?

ANSWER: Type A individuals frequently experience negative emotions (anger, depression), during which the sympathetic nervous system diverts blood away from the liver. This leaves fat and cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream for deposit near the heart and other organs, increasing the risk of heart disease and other health problems. Thus, Type A individuals actually harm themselves by directing anger at others.

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