Research About Stress
I INTRODUCTION
Stress (psychology), an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being. The word stress means different things to different people. Some people define stress as events or situations that cause them to feel tension, pressure, or negative emotions such as anxiety and anger. Others view stress as the response to these situations. This response includes physiological changes-such as increased heart rate and muscle tension-as well as emotional and behavioral changes. However, most psychologists regard stress as a process involving a person's interpretation and ...
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objects or things associated with physical threats-such as snakes, illness, storms, or flying in an airplane-and become stressed when they encounter or think about these perceived threats. Major life events, such as the death of a loved one, can cause severe stress.
Stress can have both positive and negative effects. Stress is a normal, adaptive reaction to threat. It signals danger and prepares us to take defensive action. Fear of things that pose realistic threats motivates us to deal with them or avoid them. Stress also motivates us to achieve and fuels creativity. Although stress may hinder performance on difficult tasks, moderate stress seems to improve motivation and performance on less complex tasks. In personal relationships, stress often leads to less cooperation and more aggression.
If not managed appropriately, stress can lead to serious problems. Exposure to chronic stress can contribute to both physical illnesses, such as heart disease, and mental illnesses, such ...
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events can cause stress for many people.
A Catastrophes
A catastrophe is a sudden, often life-threatening calamity or disaster that pushes people to the outer limits of their coping capability. Catastrophes include natural disasters-such as earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods, and hurricanes-as well as wars, torture, automobile accidents, violent physical attacks, and sexual assaults. Catastrophes often continue to affect their victims' mental health long after the event has ended. For example, in 1972 a dam burst and flooded the West Virginia mining town of Buffalo Creek, destroying the town. Two years after the disaster, most of the adult survivors continued to show emotional ...
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Research About Stress. (2011, November 26). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Research-About-Stress/100072
"Research About Stress." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Research-About-Stress/100072>
"Research About Stress." Essayworld.com. November 26, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Research-About-Stress/100072.
"Research About Stress." Essayworld.com. November 26, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Research-About-Stress/100072.
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