Hans Selye's Theory And Theories Of Stress

Theories of Stress

In Systematic Stress, endocrinologist Hans Selye's Theory said that variety of stimulus event applied intensely and long enough are capable of common effects not specific to stimulus event. Changes caused constitute the stereotypical (specific response to pattern of systematic stress).

It defined stress as "state manifested by a syndrome which consists of all nonspecifically induced change in biologic system".

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) composed of three stages namely A. Alarm Reaction wherein in the shock phase causes autonomic excitability (increased adrenaline discharge, gastro-intestinal ulcerations) while with the counter shock phase, initial operation of defensive processes, increased adrenocortical activity.

Psychological stress refers to relationship with the environment that the person appraises as significant for his/her well-being and in which the demands tax or exceed available coping resources.

Hardiness Theory comprises of three beliefs that makes people more resilient to psychological distress and physical illness in the face of stress.

Social Support Theory says that support reduces effects of stressful life events on health through either the supportive actions of others on the belief that support is available. Supportive actions are thought to enhance coping performance while perceptions of available support lead to appraising potentially threatening situations as less stressful

Attribution Theory deals with how perceiver uses information to arrive at causal explanations for events It is concerned with how and why ordinary people explain events as they

Goal Orientation Theory is a social cognitive theory of achievement motivation. It examines the reasonswhy students engage in their academic work. Core goals drives much of what an individual does while proximal goal is concrete and can be accomplished within short period.

Achievement Goal Theory has two concepts: the task goals (mastery) and the ego goals (performance). Task's primary goal is learning and mastery of the task for its own sake while performance reflects competence perception relative to the performance of others through normative and interpersonal comparison. These two goal orientations determine different consenquence in achievement context. In general, task orientation is regarded as nore adaptive than ego orientation.

James-Lange: Theory of Emotion

In 1884 and in 1885, theorists William James and Carl Lange might have separately proposed their respective theories on the correlation of stress and emotion, but they had a unified idea on this relationship - emcts do not immediately succeed the perception of the stressor