Question

1. What are some examples of ways that humans "can change the way we cope [with stress], both physiologically and psychologically"?
2. Explain how control and predictability impacted health in the nursing home study described by Sapolsky. What happened to their health after the study concluded?
3. Explain why exercise is a good stress management technique for many people.
4. Explain how social support can help someone manage stress or be detrimental to someone's attempt at managing stress.
5. Read Sapolsky's "A Summing Up" section. Do you agree or disagree with his summary? Explain.

Answer 1

1. Stress is managed under control with the help of some specific coping style:

• Problem-focused coping: Making specific plans for dealing with the sources of stress.
• Suppressing competing activities: Refraining from other activities until the problem is solved and stress is reduced.
• Seeking social support: Obtaining the advice of others.
• Denial/Distancing: Ignoring the problem or source of stress.

2. Saplosky says that the hormones like adrenalin and glucocorticoids are responsible for stress. Besides, long term stress causes decay of the immunity power. It also reduces the energy level of the people. The brain function is highly affected fro long term stress.

3. Exercise keeps us physically fit. Therefore it frees us from anxiety of physical illness. When a person is physically fit and his brain activity is good, he automatically becomes fit mentally. When a person regularly practices exercise his nervous system works properly. He receives all the stimuli properly. his brain functions well. Metabolism is well. He is not victim of obesity. He is also free from anxiety. It keeps him mentally fit.

4. Social support helps to reduce stress. One can get advice and accompaniment from the social members to reduce stress.

5. Sapolsky says that for getting the position of leadership one may not hesitate to take risks. He even faces danger of death to get the position of leadership. But all the time this does not happen. Besides, in the democratic system there is a particular system of becoming leader.