Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Individual Factors That Influence the Response to Stress509Subjects who experienced chronic stressors that lasted a month or longer were mostlikely to develop colds after being exposed to a cold virus. One reason may be that,as Selye showed, chronic stress triggers the secretion of corticosteroids, which influenceimmune system functioning (Miller & others, 2002). For example, one studyshowed that stress interfered with the long-term effectiveness of vaccinations againstinfluenza in young adults (Burns & others, 2003). In the short term, stress was associatedwith a strong immune system response to the flu vaccine. But after fivemonths, the stressed-out young adults were virtually unprotected against the flu.Similarly, women who perceived themselves as being under higher levels of stresshad a poorer immune response to the HPV vaccine, developed to protect againstcervical cancer (Fang & others, 2008).Health psychologists have found that a wide variety of stressors are associated withdiminished immune system functioning, increasing the risk of health problems andslowing recovery times (see Kiecolt-Glaser, 2009). However, while stress-related decreasesin immune system functioning may heighten our susceptibility to healthproblems, exposure to stressors does not automatically translate into poorer health.Physical health is affected by the interaction of many factors, including heredity, nutrition,health-related habits, and access to medical care. Of course, your level of exposureto bacteria, viruses, and other sources of infection or disease will also influenceyour likelihood of becoming sick.Finally, the simple fact is that some people are more vulnerable to the negativeeffects of stress than others (Gunnar & Quevedo, 2007). Why? As you’ll see in thenext section, researchers have found that a wide variety of psychological factors caninfluence people’s reactions to stressors.How do stressful events and negativeemotions influence the immunesystem, and how big are the effects?This broad question has been intenselyinteresting to psychoneuroimmunology(PNI) researchers over the last 3decades, and the consequentdiscoveries have substantially changedthe face of health psychology.JANICE KIECOLT-GLASER, 2009Individual Factors That Influence theResponse to StressKey Theme• Psychologists have identified several psychological factors that can modifyan individual’s response to stress and affect physical health.Key Questions• How do feelings of control, explanatory style, and negative emotionsinfluence stress and health?• What is Type A behavior, and what role does hostility play in the relationshipbetween Type A behavior and health?People vary a great deal in the way they respond to a distressing event, whether it’sa parking ticket or a pink slip. In part, individual differences in reacting to stressorsresult from how people appraise an event and their resources for coping with theevent. However, psychologists and other researchers have identified several factorsthat influence an individual’s response to stressful events. In this section, we’ll takea look at some of the most important psychological and social factors that seem toaffect an individual’s response to stress.Psychological FactorsIt’s easy to demonstrate the importance of psychological factors in the response tostressors. Sit in any airport waiting room during a busy holiday travel season andobserve how differently people react to news of flight cancellations or delays. Somepeople take the news calmly, while others become enraged and indignant. Psychologistshave confirmed what common sense suggests: Psychological processes play akey role in determining the level of stress experienced.