1. and its effects
Feb. 4, 2014

2. Operant conditioning
Which will increase whining behavior
after a parent has said “no”:
• Punishing it or negatively reinforcing it?
• PUNISH: If a child whines after a parent repeatedly says
“no” and has to go to his or her room(unpleasant) he or she
is punished –
• NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT: AVERSIVE STIMULUS
REMOVED - If a child whines to get what he wants and the
parent gives in after saying “no” because the whining
continues– continued whining gets rid of the unpleasant
“no” and negative reinforcement has taken place

3. use social learning: Bandura’s (1977-2004)
observational learning/ social learning theory
• disagreed with Pavlov and Skinner because they did
not allow for indirect or learning from modeled
behavior
• need to go beyond observable behavior to include
internal mental processes
memory and
cognition important

4. Observational learning/social learning
theory in action
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9MuM
4lP18&feature=youtu.be

5. Responding to Stress
• Stress responses occur at three
levels:
1.Emotional responses
2.Physiological responses
3.Behavioral responses
4. Cognitive

6. Negative emotional responses
• Emotional responses are usually
negative and fall into three
categories:
1. Annoyance, anger, and rage
2. Apprehension, anxiety, and
fear
3. Dejection, sadness, loneliness,
isolated and grief

7. Positive emotional responses to stress
Positive emotional responses to stress
 Increase creativity, flexibility in problemsolving
 Enhance immune system functioning,
increase valuable social support, and
promote proactive coping.

8. Physiological responses
• Physiological responses
- fight-or-flight response =>physiological response
to threat that mobilizes for ATTACKING OR
FLEEING
- occurs in Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) made
up of the nerves that connect to the heart, blood
vessels, smooth muscles, and glands

9. MOBILIZES
ENERGY
CONSERVES
ENERGY

10. Dr.
Sore
l
INCREASE
ENERGY
MOBILIZE
BODY for
ACTION

11. Stress and health-movie clip
• Sheldon Cohen, PhD
-health psychologist (Carnegie Melon
University)
and C. Alper (Univ. of Pittsburg)
Stressful emotions: general stress, loneliness,
low sociability => increased physiological stress
(e.g., higher cortisol)=> decreased immune
functioning, e.g. more colds, fewer antibodies

12. Alper and Cohen studies on mental
stress and impact on health

13. Alpert (Univ. of Pittsburg) and Cohen
(Carnegie Melon Univ.) research
Column1
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
% 2
1.5
with
1
colds
0.5
0
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
Psychological Stress Index
Category 4

14. loneliness
Antibodies
produced
as a result of
flu shot
antibodies
amount
of
loneliness

15. Behavioral responses to stress
• Effective behavioral coping responses to stress
may shut down harmful emotional and
physiological reactions
Examples:
.Study harder
.Decide to get STD tested before sexual contact
.Go to psychotherapy for panic disorder

16. Cognitive responses to high stress
• Disruption of cognitive function
–increased tendency to jump to
conclusions
–decreased ability to carefully
review options
–decreased memory function

17. AROUSAL AND OPTIMAL
PERFORMANCE

18. Take “test anxiety” test:
performance also affected by the
TYPE of anxiety

19. Good vs. bad test anxiety
• Facilitating test anxiety is positively correlated with GPA and
final exam performance
– task relevant anxiety, e.g., works well when task important
• Debilitating anxiety is negatively correlated with GPA and
final exam performance
- prone to worrying about performance
– task irrelevant anxiety, e.g., get distracted by fear of doing
poorly
- depleted ability to exert personal control to get oneself back
on track

20. Scoring Test Anxiety scale
Reverse scored items:
1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18
1=5
4=2
2=4
5=1
--------------------------------------------------------Facilitating anxiety:
2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 18 Score =
__________
--------------------------------------------------------Debilitating anxiety:

21. Alpert and Haber (1960) (379 Ss): test
norms for facilitating and debilitating
anxiety scores
Facilitating anxiety
Debilitating anxiety
Mean= 26.33
SD= 4.27
…………………………….
High= above 28
Medium= 24-28
Low=below 24
Mean= 26.33
SD = 5.33
…………………………
High = above 29
Medium = 24-29
Low = below 24

22. Sapolsky (2004): upcoming or future
events perceived to be threatening =
anticipatory anxiety
Anticipate poor
test performance
in the future
Debilitating test
anxiety
Poorer
performance

23. 11 Tips for test anxiety
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Put things in perspective-1 test
Study to increase competence
Don’t cram – space out studying over a few days
Remind self of when successful in past
Be physically organized
Visualize success
Don’t rehearse or talk in negative terms
Arrive prepared – arrive early to exam
If start to get anxious during exam – take a few slow
breaths to calm down
10. During test, read carefully. Focus on the question at hand.
Don't let your mind wander on other things.
11. If you don't know an answer to a question skip it for the
time being - come back to it later if you have time

24. Part 2

25. The Language of Stress
• Stressor (I)
external event, condition or circumstance

26. The Language of Stress
• Stress(or) is “any circumstance that threatens, or is
perceived to threaten, one’s well-being and thereby tax
one’s ability to cope”.
• Stress has several characteristics:
1. Stress(or) can be a common, everyday event.
• Both major and minor problems can be stressful.
• Even daily “hassles” can have negative effects on
our well-being.
• Stressful events have a cumulative impact.

27. The Language of Stress
• Stressor (II)
internal thought, emotion or sensation
Note: external and internal can occur
together or separately

28. The Language of Stress
• Stress
-is the emotional/mental sense of urgency or the
need to respond in some adaptive manner
* Stress Response
-Example: Fight, Flight or Freeze
from “reptilian brain” (mid brain)
-Example: Problem Solve, Deliberate,
Practice, Study
from “human brain” (frontal cortex)

30. The Tiger Waiting Outside Textor 102
See the tiger>heart leaps
Feel the fear>adrenaline>cortisol
Legs>jump, pump or lump
Return to baseline

31. The Tiger(s) In Our Heads
Physiological response the same as the tiger we
meet outside of Textor 102

32. Get Rid of Those Head Tigers

33. But……all stress is not bad!

34. Yerkes Dodson Law, 1906
P
*
E
*
*
R
*
*
F *
*
*
(Optimal Arousal)
*
__________________________________
Low Arousal
High Arousal

36. Types of Stressors
ACUTE STRESSORS=>threatening events of short
duration
CHRONIC STRESSORS=>threatening events of
long duration
ANTICIPATORY STRESSORS=>threatening events
expected to come

37. Sources of Stressors
FRUSTRATION=>blocking of goal
INTERNAL CONFLICT=>when two or more
incompatible motivation or behavioral
impulses compete for expression
CHANGE=>life changes are any noticeable
alteration in one’s living circumstances that
require readjustment
PRESSURE=>expectation or demand that one
behave in a certain way

38. Carl Jung=>Meyers Briggs Profile
• Analyze personality factors by placing on
continuum/spectrum
I ___<______<_____0___>____>________E
N___<______<_____0___>____>________S
F____<_____<_____0___>_____>_______T
P____<_____<_____0___>_____>_______J

40. Can Stress Actually Kill You?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzrjEP5MOT
4