LESSON 2: PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF THE STRESS RESPONSE

LAZARUS AND FOLKMAN’S TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING

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

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)

PROBLEM-FOCUSED COPING INVOLVES TRYING TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE SITUATION BY USING PRACTICAL WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE STRESS SUCH AS SEEKING INFORMATION, EVALUATING PROS AND CONS OF THE SITUATION.

EMOTION-FOCUSED COPING INVOLVES TRYING TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS SUCH AS EMBARRASSMENT, FEAR, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, EXCITEMENT AND FRUSTRATION BY USING STRATEGIES SUCH AS: MEDITATION, RELAXATION, TALKING TO A FRIEND/ FAMILY, IGNORING THE PROBLEM, DISTRACTION.

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS

STRENGTHS

RESEARCH WITH HUMANS

COGNITIVE APPROACH

INCLUDES MENTAL PROCESSES AND EMOTIONS ON

INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS

LIMITATIONS

LACKED EMPHASIS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

IGNORES SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

FACTORS

ESSENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1:USING AN EXAMPLE (ORIGINAL ONE), CREATE A DIAGRAM TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE STEPS INVOLVED IN THE TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF STRESS AND COPING