Emotion Stress Health Chapter 12 Facial Expression Emotion

Emotion, Stress, & Health Chapter 12

Facial Expression & Emotion • Communications of emotion through facial expressions – Certain facial expressions seem to be universal in meaning, regardless of culture http: //www. bbc. co. uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/smiles/index. shtml – Certain aspects of facial expression are learned – display rules specify types of emotions people should express in certain situations

Modern Model of Emotion • An emotion is a complex, multi-component episode that creates a readiness to act

Physiological responses, by emotion

Positive Emotions • Negative emotions narrow our focus – We are less distracted – Better attention to detail – more accurate judgment • Positive emotions broaden our thinking & actions – – They expand our ways of thinking Attention is more spread out We are more creative, curious Broaden-and-build theory –positive emotions encourage resource acquisition, helps long-term health & well-being

Subjective well-being • Product of – Genes: Twin studies suggest wellbeing is about 50% attributable to genetic inheritance – Life events have a major impact • presence of positive events (esp in well-to-do societies) • absence of negative events (esp those struggling to survive)

Emotion Regulation • Emotion regulation – Refers to people’s responses to their own emotions – Sometimes people have goal of intensifying emotion while other times people want to minimise emotion – ability to do so predicts social success

Emotion Regulation • People develop different strategies to control or regulate their emotions

Stress • The pattern of responses an organism makes to stimulus events that disturb its equilibrium and tax or exceed its ability to cope • “If you repeatedly turn on the stress-response, or if you cannot appropriately turn off the stress response at the end of a stressful event, the stress-response can eventually become nearly as damaging as some stressors themselves. ” -Robert Sapolsky

Factors affecting the stressfulness of a negative event 1. Controllability – Degree to which we can stop event or bring it about – More uncontrollable event seems – more likely to perceive it as stressful 2. Predictability – Degree to which we know if & when event will occur – Ability to predict occurrence of event reduces severity of stress

Factors affecting the stressfulness of a negative event 3. Major changes in life circumstances › Any life change that requires numerous readjustments can be perceived as stressful › Negative events much greater impact on physical & psychological health than positive events 4. Internal conflicts › Unresolved issues that may be either conscious or unconscious › Conflict occurs when person must choose between incompatible or mutually exclusive goals

Physiological Reactions to Stress • How stress affects health – Continued presence of stressor – more vulnerable to illness • Chronic stress lead to physical disorders, e. g. Ulcers, CHD – Coronary heart disease (CHD) • Chronic over arousal from stressors can cause CHD • Stress can explain about 1/3 of the risk for heart disease, and is implicated in more than half of all known illnesses • “Recently we have begun to think that all illness, including heart diseases, bacterial and viral infections, and even cancer, might be influenced by stress. ” -Richard S. Lazarus

Psychoneuroimmunology How stress & other psychological factors affect the immune system

Physiological Reactions to Stress • . . . How stress affects health – Direct route: The immune system • One important factor: how much we can control stress • Lower controllability = greater impact on immune system – Indirect route: Health-related behaviors • Most death from disease in industrialized countries is heavily influenced by health-related behaviors (e. g. smoking, drinking alcohol etc. ) • Stress indirectly affect health by reducing rates of positive healthrelated behaviors & increasing rates of negative behaviors

2 Types of Coping Skills Problem-focused coping › Firstly define the problem, then generate possible solutions & consider their costs & benefits › With this type of coping, it is less likely to experience depression either during or after stressful event Emotion-focused coping › People use emotion-focused coping to avoid their negative emotions from overwhelming them & preventing them from taking action to solve problems

Some Coping Strategies Behavioral: physical exercise, venting anger Cognitive: temporarily setting problem aside Social: Seeking emotional support from others to adjust emotionally & physically to stressor Maladaptive: avoidance, rumination (longer & more severe stress)

Coping Skills Emotion-focused coping: Talking about emotions & issues in life appears to have positive effects on health

Managing Stress Behavioral techniques › To help people control their physiological responses to stressful situations, can use behavioral techniques › Biofeedback In biofeedback training – people receive information about an aspect of their physiological state & then try to alter that state › Relaxation training Involves teaching people techniques to deeply relax their muscles and slow down and focus their thoughts Where biofeedback & relaxation training been used – most important variable is learning how to relax

Managing Stress Exercise › Individuals who regularly engage in aerobic exercise show significantly lower heart rates & blood pressure in response to stressful situations than others › Physically fit people less likely to become ill following stressful events Cognitive techniques › Cognitive behavior therapy Attempts to help people identify kinds of stressful situations that produce physiological or emotional symptoms & alter the way they cope with these situations Some even better ones on p. 353

Reading assignment • Required: 333 -340 – Recommended: 341 -353