1. LESSON 6: PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF
THE STRESS RESPONSE

2. LESSON 5: PHYSIOLOGICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONSES TO STRESS
EXAM QUESTION
ONE WEEK REMAINED BEFORE ALISON’S EXAMS. SHE STAYED UP LATE
EVERY NIGHT STUDYING, AND ALTHOUGH SHE WAS FEELING TIRED, SHE
SEEMED TO BE MANAGING HER WORKLOAD. TWO NIGHTS BEFORE HER
FIRST EXAM, ALISON WITNESSED HER DOG BEING HIT BY A CAR, WHICH
UPSET HER VERY MUCH. ON THE MORNING OF HER EXAM, SHE WOKE UP
WITH A HEADACHE, A SORE THROAT, ACHES AND PAINS IN HER JOINTS AND
SHE KEPT SNEEZING.
A) NAME AND DESCRIBE THE GAS STAGE ALISON IS MOST LIKELY TO BE IN,
WITH REFERENCE TO ALISON’S SITUATION AND EXPERIENCES.
B) ACCORDING TO THE GAS, UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD ALISON
BE VULNERABLE TO A PHYSICAL DISEASE?

3. MODEL RESPONSE:
A) ALISON IS IN THE RESISTANCE STAGE OF GAS. THE RESISTANCE
STAGE IS CONSIDERED THE ADAPTIVE STAGE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH
HEART RATE AND RESPIRATION RATE RETURN TO ALMOST NORMAL,
BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS AND STRESS-RELATED HORMONES SUCH AS
ADRENALIN AND CORTISOL CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE THROUGH THE
BODY KEEPING IT READY FOR ACTION. ALISON’S BODY HAD GIVEN THE
MUSH NEEDED RESOURCES TO HER STUDY AND WITNESSING HER DOG
BEING HIT BY A CAR WHICH LEFT HER VULNERABLE TO INFECTION.
B) ACCORDING TO GAS ALISON IS MOST VULNERABLE TO PHYSICAL
DISEASE IN THE EXHAUSTION STAGE. ALISON’S BODY RESOURCES ARE
SEVERELY DEPLETED LEADING TO HER BODY BEING SUSCEPTIBLE TO
MORE SERIOUS ILLNESSES.

4. LESSON 6: PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF
THE STRESS RESPONSE

5. OUTCOMES (WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND BE
ABLE TO DO)
EXPLAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF THE
STRESS RESPONSE; STRENGTHS AND
LIMITATIONS OF RICHARD LAZARUS AND SUSAN
FOLKMAN'S TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS
AND COPING

6. LAZARUS’ TRANSACTIONAL MODEL
OF STRESS & COPING
IDENTIFIED THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL PROCESS INVOLVED IN
DEALING WITH STRESS
TRANSACTION - BETWEEN THE PERSON & ENVIRONMENT
INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION DETERMINES THE PERCEPTION OF
‘STRESS’
TWO MAIN STAGES IN PERCEPTION: PRIMARY APPRAISAL &
SECONDARY APPRAISAL, BOTH INVOLVING EMOTIONAL
FORECASTING

7. PRIMARY APPRAISAL
RECOGNITION OF A POTENTIALLY STRESSFUL
SITUATION
STRESSFUL NEUTRAL IRRELEVANT

8. SECONDARY APPRAISAL
CONSIDERS OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM AND HOW TO
RESPOND
LOSE JOB
CONSIDER FAIRNESS OF
ASK FOR REFERENCE
DISMISSAL
VISIT SEEK.COM

9. EMOTIONAL FORECASTING
PRIMARY APPRAISAL: PREDICTION OF WHAT FEELINGS THE
SITUATION WILL PRODUCE
SECONDARY APPRAISAL: PREDICTION OF THE POSSIBLE
EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF EACH POTENTIAL RESPONSE
LOSING YOUR JOB - FEEL DISAPPOINTED/REJECTED/
FAILURE (PRIMARY APPRAISAL) FOLLOWED BY RELIEF OF
RECEIVING A POSITIVE REFERRAL TO SEEK A NEW JOB
(SECONDARY APPRAISAL)

10. LAZARUS MODEL
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
THREE TYPES: HARM; THREAT; CHALLENGE
PRIMARY SECONDARY
APPRAISAL APPRAISAL YES, I CAN COPE
IS THIS I EXPERIENCE
HARMFUL, CAN I COPE MINIMUM STRESS
STRESSOR
THREATENING, WITH THE
CHALLENGING? STRESS?
NO, I CAN’T COPE
POSITIVE OR WHAT ARE
NEGATIVE THE I EXPERIENCE A
EMOTIONS? ALTERNATIVES? LOT OF STRESS
FIG 19.9 TEXT BOOK P 454

11. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS
STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS
RESEARCH WITH HUMANS LACKED EMPHASIS ON
PHYSIOLOGICAL
ELEMENTS
COGNITIVE APPROACH
INCLUDES MENTAL IGNORES SOCIAL,
PROCESSES AND CULTURAL AND
EMOTIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL
INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
PERCEPTIONS

12. ESSENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1:
USING AN EXAMPLE NOT IN THE TEXT OR SUMMARY OF
KEY CONCEPTS, ILLUSTRATE LAZARUS'
TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING.
FIGURE 19.9 OF THE TEXT BOOK P 454 (ALSO PICTURED IN
THE SUMMARY OF MAIN CONCEPTS) WILL ASSIST YOU.
ACTIVITY 2:
CREATE A VEN DIAGRAM SHOWING THE SIMILARITIES
AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SELYE'S MODEL OF STRESS
(GAS) AND LAZARUS' TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF
STRESS AND COPING.