Question

Chapter 22

2. What is the relationship between stress and disease? If stress levels were high, how might age and personality type affect the risk of specific diseases?

3. What observations and clinical test results would indicate an individual was under stress?

4. How would you use psychophysiology to explain the Chinese rice powder test?

5. Compare and contrast psychological stress. What is the relationship between physiological stress and psychological stress?

Answer 1

2. Stress and Disease have rather a complex relationship as expected, short term stress has proven to be an immune booster but chronic stress can degrade the individual immune system,  Certain amount of catecholamine and suppressor T cells levels, which indeed suppress the immune system are evident, a person is likely to get caught by a viral infection. Stress also releases histamine, which can be severe broncho-constriction in asthma. Increase the risk of a diabetic patient, since psychological stress alters insulin needs. With Age stress can produce atherosclerosis if combined with a high-fat diet and sedentary living lifestyle, hypertension often leads to cardiac diseases and psychological stress can lead to depression in later stages of life if the person is alone.


3. Personal vitals may indicate, raised heartbeat, tachypnea, reduced blood oxygen, hypertension, and less appetite
psychological observation may conclude restlessness anxiety, peer pressure, being less productive/focused during work.

4.person under stress increase cortisol in the blood which reduces the saliva flow in the tongue. hence not able to stick rice powder to it. this is an ancient technique , which can be effective but work on the psychological theory .

5.  Acute stress, Episodic acute stress, and chronic stress.
  Acute stress; such as you managed to survive a car accident, this may raise your heartbeat and can produce traumatic symptom but for a while, like restlessness, headache, gut problem  
Episodic acute stress; mini-crises regularly and live in a state of tension like office deadlines and boss peer pressure
chronic stress; these are far raged crisis in individual life like racism, war, poverty.

physiological stress act in fight-o- flight reaction, but during
psychosocial stress, emotional regulation, and mental focus is reduced. social behavior also show slight variability to the control counterpart.