What is stress
4 approaches to stress
Consequences (individual/organizational)
Individual differences
Exercise: identifying stressors and prevention
Stress
Stress/stress response: person’s unconscious preparation to fight or flee when faced with demand. Distress/strain: adverse psychological, physical, behavioral & organizational consequences that may occur as a result of stressful events.
Stressor:
Alex has 5 exams tomorrow. He has a terrible headache, this is known as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A stress response
Distress/strain
A stressor
Optimal stress level
Yerkes-Dodson Law
Performance arousal
High
Low
Low
(distress)
Boredom from understimulation Optimum
(eustress)
Optimum stress load
High
(distress)
Conditions perceived as stressful Distress from overstimulation Four Approaches to Stress
.
– Fight-or-flight; homeostasis or equilibrium
Cognitive Appraisal Approach
– Psychological, perceptions
The Person-Environment Fit Approach
– fit; role stress
Psychoanalytic Approach
– gap between ego-ideal and self-image
Individual and Organizational
Consequences
Individual
Organizational
-Psychological disorders
-Withdrawal
-Medical illnesses
-Performance decrements
-Behavioral problems
-Disability claims/lawsuits
James starts drinking when his workload increases. This is an example of a:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Psychological disorder
Medical disorder
Behavioral problem
Withdrawal behavior
None of the above
Individual Differences in the
Stress-Strain Relationship
Gender effects
.
Personality hardiness
– commitment, control, challenge
Self reliance
– interdependence, counterdependence, overdependence Preventive Stress Management
Primary prevention: target stressor
.
Tertiary prevention: