Knowra Psychological stress Psychological stress Psychological stress is a state arising when a person appraises demands as taxing or exceeding their resources for coping. It depends on the person’s appraisal of the situation, not demand alone.
Cognitive appraisal : The process of evaluating a situation’s significance and whether available resources can meet its demands. Stress depends on appraising demands as threatening or challenging relative to coping resources.
Stressors : Events, conditions, or demands capable of eliciting a stress response. A stressor is the potential demand; psychological stress is the person’s response to its appraisal.
Perceived Stress Scale : A questionnaire measuring how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded people find their lives. It operationalizes perceived stress rather than simply counting stressful events.
Walter Cannon : An American physiologist who studied homeostasis and the bodily response to emergency. His work established early physiological accounts of acute threat responses.
Chronic stress : Stress that persists or recurs over an extended period. Ongoing demands can limit recovery and produce sustained psychological or physiological strain.
Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis : A hormonal system linking the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. It coordinates hormonal responses to perceived stressors, including cortisol release.
Primary appraisal : An initial judgment about whether an event is irrelevant, benign, or stressful. It classifies an event as threatening, harmful, or challenging before coping options are weighed.
Stress management : Methods for reducing stress or improving responses to demanding situations. Interventions target appraisals, coping skills, exposure to demands, or recovery.
Hans Selye : An endocrinologist who developed the general adaptation syndrome model of stress. His account emphasized a patterned bodily response to diverse demands.
Acute stress : A short-term stress response to an immediate challenge or threat. Brief episodes can mobilize action without necessarily producing lasting harm.
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