3.3.2 Evaluation: Cortisol & chronic stress Flashcards

1
Q

(HPA pathway) evidence of the HPA pathway in response to stress has been seen in what?

A

number of research studies

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2
Q

(HPA pathway) Lacey et al (2000) found elevated levels of cortisol in who?

A

students one hour prior to an exam compared to a control group

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3
Q

(HPA pathway) what does Lacey et al’s evidence support?

A

the predictions of the HPA pathway

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4
Q

(HPA pathway) Lacey et al’s research was based on students and exam stress, what is an issue with this?

A

can’t generalise - not all stresses in life and all people

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5
Q

(HPA pathway) where may there be differences in the HPA response to stress?

A

between ages and genders

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6
Q

(HPA pathway) Lopez-Duran et al found variations in cortisol release in who?

A

children in stressful situations

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7
Q

(HPA pathway) Lopez-Duran et al found the time of peak cortisol release varied from 10-60 minutes, which gender showed greater cortisol release?

A

boys

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8
Q

(HPA pathway) Lopez-Duran’s research suggests what?

A

gender differences in the HPA pathway response

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9
Q

(HPA pathway) Seltzer put a sample of girls of what age into a stressful situation?

A

7-12

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10
Q

(HPA pathway) Seltzer found the girls showed higher levels of what compared to controls?

A

oxytocin

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11
Q

(HPA pathway) Seltzer found girls showed lower levels of what compared to controls?

A

cortisol

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12
Q

(HPA pathway) seltzer’s research suggests social relationships may mediate what?

A

negative effects of cortisol on the body

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13
Q

(cortisol) what did Tyrell and Baxter found on people without adrenal glands?

A

they cannot produce enough cortisol

they need additional quantities of cortisol in order to survive

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14
Q

(cortisol) what does Tyrell and Baxters research suggest about cortisol?

A

it is important when stressed

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15
Q

(cortisol) stress does not always raise cortisol this is a weakness for the HPA pathway because it implies what?

A

cortisol will always be released if a stressor is perceived

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16
Q

(cortisol) Lewis et al did a review of studies on exam stress they ranged from how much of a decrease in cortisol to how much of an increase?

A

58% decrease

95% increase

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17
Q

(cortisol) in Lewis’ own study what did he find with cortisol and exam stress?

A

no difference in cortisol levels in response to exam stress

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18
Q

(cortisol) Lewis’ research suggest that stress does not always do what?

A

raise cortisol levels

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19
Q

(cortisol) Miller et al - variations in findings on cortisol and stress could be due to a variety of factors such as what?

A

length of time a stressor continues
nature of the threat
emotions associated with the stressor

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20
Q

(cortisol and memory) Kuhlmann et al administered cortisol to who and what did they have to do?

A

a group of women asked to learn 30 words

some words were negative words e.g. murder

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21
Q

(cortisol and memory) what did Kuhlmann find the group given cortisol did?

A

remembered significantly fewer words than the group not given cortisol - especially for negative words (may have caused stress)

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22
Q

(cortisol and memory) what does Kuhlmann’s research suggest?

A

a negative correlation between cortisol and memory

23
Q

(cortisol and memory) one issue of Kuhlmann’s research is it lacks ecological validity why?

A

being asked to recall words in a lab environment is not representative of real life stressors

24
Q

(cortisol and memory) what is another issue of Kuhlmann’s research?

A

beta gender bias - research was carried out on women cant generalise to men

25
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen et al investigated the role of life stress on vulnerability to what?

A

the common cold virus

26
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al- 394 participants completed questionnaires on what?

A

stressful life events they had experienced in the previous year

27
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al- participants also rated what?

A

their degree of stress and level of negative emotions e.g. depression

28
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al- three scores were combined into what?

A

stress index

29
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al- participants were exposed to the common cold virus, how many became infected?

A

82%

30
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al- after 7 days the no. whose infections developed into clinical colds was how many?

A

1/3

31
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al- the chances of developing a cold positively correlated with what?

A

stress index scores

those with more stress were more susceptible to the cold

32
Q

(cortisol and health) Cohen at al’s research suggests a link between cortisol and what?

A

weakened immune system

33
Q

(cortisol and health) Kiecolt-Glaser et al- investigated if stress correlated with what?

A

decreased immune response

34
Q

(cortisol and health) Kiecolt-Glaser et al- blood samples were taken from who and when?

A

75 volunteer medical students one month before final exams and on the first day of their exams

35
Q

(cortisol and health) Kiecolt-Glaser et al- students also completed a questionnaire to assess factors such as what?

A

emotional states and life events

36
Q

(cortisol and health) Kiecolt-Glaser et al- he found what had happened to killer T cell activity between the two samples?

A

declined

37
Q

(cortisol and health) Kiecolt-Glaser et al- he found what in students reporting anxiety, loneliness or life events?

A

especially weakened immune response

38
Q

(cortisol and health) Kiecolt-Glaser et al- his research suggests a link between what?

A

weakened immune response and stress

39
Q

(cortisol and health) Segerstrom and miller - conducted a meta analysis, found short term acute stressors can do what?

A

boost the immune system prompting it to ready itself for infections

40
Q

(cortisol and health) Segerstrom and miller - found long term chronic stressors led to what?

A

suppression of the immune system

41
Q

(cortisol and health) Segerstrom and miller - the longer the stress the more the immune system did what?

A

shifted from an adaptive response to potentially detrimental changes

42
Q

(cortisol and health) Malarkey et al studied who and how long?

A

90 newly weds

24 hours

43
Q

(cortisol and health) Malarkey et al couples were asked to discuss and resolve what?

A

marital issues likely to produce conflict and stress e.g. finances

44
Q

(cortisol and health) Malarkey et al marital conflict produced significant changes in what and what could this do?

A

adrenaline and noradrenaline

lead to poor immune functioning

45
Q

(Stress not bad for immune s) research suggests stress may have what effect on the immune system?

A

Enhance it

46
Q

(Stress not bad for immune s) Evans - looked at activity of slgA which helps do what?

A

Protect against infection

47
Q

(Stress not bad for immune s) Evans - researchers arranged students to encounter what acute stressor?

A

Giving talks to other students

48
Q

(Stress not bad for immune s) Evans - students showed what?

A

Increase in slgA

49
Q

(Stress not bad for immune s) Evans - what happened to slgA during exam time?

A

Decreased

50
Q

(Stress not bad for immune s) Evans - proposed stress may have what effect on the immune system when faced with different types of stress?

A

Increase efficiency for acute stress

Decrease efficiency for chronic stress

51
Q

(Low cortisol causing health issues) when do some people become ill? Give an example

A

After a stressor is removed

Illness in school holidays after exams

52
Q

(Low cortisol causing health issues) what may cause this illness?

A

Sudden fall in cortisol

53
Q

(Low cortisol causing health issues) heim - looked at studies linking low cortisol to conditions such as what?

A

Chronic fatigue

54
Q

(Low cortisol causing health issues) suggests not only high cortisol causes illness but also what?

A

Low levels