Stress affects your body in ways you might not expect... Show more
Psychology176 views·Updated May 23, 2026·49 pagesStress: AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Questions
Zainab@zainab_02839
1 / 10
1
of 10
Physiology of Stress
Ever wondered why your heart pounds before a big presentation? That's your body's stress response kicking in, and it happens in three predictable stages according to Selye's research from 1936.
The alarm reaction is your body's immediate response to stress. Your hypothalamus activates your sympathetic nervous system, which tells your adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline and noradrenaline. This prepares you for fight or flight - basically getting you ready to either face the threat or run away from it.
If the stress continues, you enter the resistance stage. Your body tries to adapt and keep fighting the stressor, but this comes at a cost. Stress hormones flood your system at harmful levels, eventually damaging your heart and blood vessels.
Quick Tip: The resistance stage is why chronic stress (like ongoing family problems or school pressure) is more dangerous than short bursts of stress.
Finally, there's the exhaustion stage where your body simply can't cope anymore. Your resources are drained, your adrenal glands stop working properly, and you become vulnerable to serious health problems like depression and heart disease.
2
of 10
How Your Body Responds to Stress
When stress hits, your body follows two main pathways that work like an emergency response system. The sympathomedullary pathway (SMP) handles immediate threats, whilst the HPA system manages longer-term stress.
The SMP works incredibly fast. Your hypothalamus activates your sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates your adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and noradrenaline. Within seconds, your heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, muscles tense, and your liver converts stored energy into glucose for quick fuel.
Your pupils even dilate to improve vision, and your digestive system slows down so blood can be redirected to your brain and muscles. Once the stressor passes, your parasympathetic nervous system takes over with a "rest and digest" response to return everything to normal.
Remember: These physiological changes aren't random - they're your body's way of giving you the best chance of handling whatever's stressing you out.
The HPA system kicks in for chronic stress. Your hypothalamus releases CRF, which activates your pituitary gland to secrete ACTH. This stimulates your adrenal cortex to release cortisol - a hormone that affects glucose metabolism and restores energy, but unfortunately suppresses your immune system.
3
of 10
Strengths and Weaknesses of Stress Research
Selye's original research strongly supports his theory. He subjected rats to various stressors like extreme cold and surgical injury, finding the same physiological responses regardless of the specific stressor. This general response appeared within 6-48 hours and progressed through the resistance and exhaustion stages.
Understanding stress physiology has real-world applications too. People with Addison's disease can't produce cortisol naturally, so they need cortisol replacement therapy to handle stressful situations and avoid dangerous complications like abnormal heart rhythms.
However, the research has significant limitations. Mason's 1971 study with monkeys found that different stressors actually produced different responses - extreme cold increased cortisol whilst extreme heat reduced it. This challenges the idea of a universal stress response.
Think About It: Human stress is far more complex than animal stress because we can think about and appraise threats cognitively.
Most stress research relies heavily on animal studies, which creates problems when applying findings to humans. Unlike rats, we can anticipate stressors and our psychological interpretation affects how we respond. There's also male bias in research - Taylor's 2006 work suggests women may respond with "tend and befriend" behaviour rather than fight or flight, making them more likely to care for offspring and seek social support.
4
of 10
Gender Differences and Cognitive Factors
Research shows that the traditional fight or flight response might not apply equally to everyone. For ancestral females, running away from threats would have left their children vulnerable, so evolution likely favoured different responses.
Taylor's research suggests women often show a "tend and befriend" response instead. When stressed, they're more likely to protect their offspring and seek support from other women rather than preparing for combat or escape.
Cognitive factors play a huge role in stress responses too. Lazarus found that people expecting a film to be "exciting" showed less physiological stress than those expecting it to be "painful" - same film, different mindset, different stress response.
Key Point: Your thoughts about a stressor can be just as important as the stressor itself in determining how your body reacts.
The transactional model of stress suggests that cognitive appraisal moderates your body's response. This means how you interpret and think about a situation influences whether you'll experience it as stressful. Understanding this gives you some control over your stress responses.
5
of 10
Stress and Your Immune System
Your immune system is like your body's security team, defending against bacteria, viruses, and even preventing tumour growth. Unfortunately, stress can seriously compromise this protection in both direct and indirect ways.
Direct suppression happens when cortisol from the HPA system inhibits the production of immune cells called lymphocytes. This immunosuppression leaves you more vulnerable to infections because your body can't fight off invading bacteria and viruses as effectively.
Stress also works indirectly by influencing your lifestyle choices. When you're stressed, you're more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, eat poorly, skip exercise, and lose sleep - all behaviours that weaken your immune system further.
Real-Life Impact: This explains why you're more likely to get ill during exam periods or other stressful times.
Stress doesn't just affect your immune system - it's also linked to cardiovascular disorders like heart disease and strokes. Acute stress increases adrenaline levels, raises heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and builds up plaque on artery walls. Your heart has to work harder, blood pressure increases, and arteries can become blocked.
6
of 10
Research Evidence: Stress and Health
Kiecolt-Glaser's groundbreaking 1984 study with medical students provides clear evidence for the stress-immunity link. They took blood samples from 75 students one month before exams (low stress) and on the first day of exams (high stress).
The results were striking: students had significantly fewer natural killer (NK) cells and T killer cells during the exam period. These are crucial immune cells that fight infections and cancer. Students who reported high levels of life events and loneliness showed the greatest decline in immune function.
A follow-up study in 1991 compared people caring for relatives with Alzheimer's to a control group. Over 13 months, caregivers showed weaker immune responses, more infectious illnesses, and much higher rates of depression (32% vs 6% in controls).
Important Finding: Chronic stress from caregiving responsibilities can have long-lasting effects on both physical and mental health.
Research on cardiovascular disease is equally compelling. Wilbert-Lampen's study during the 1996 World Cup found that cardiac emergencies increased by 2.66 times on days when Germany played football. This shows how acute emotional stress can more than double your risk of heart problems.
7
of 10
More Evidence and Applications
Yusuf's massive 2004 study compared 15,000 heart attack patients with 15,000 healthy people across 52 countries. They found that chronic stressors like workplace stress and major life events had strong links to heart attacks - stress ranked third behind only smoking and cholesterol as risk factors.
The research has practical applications that can benefit your health. Students who took relaxation training seriously before exams showed better immune functioning than those who didn't. Some researchers are even exploring whether low doses of stress hormones before surgery might improve recovery.
Song's 2019 research provides more recent evidence for the stress-cardiovascular link. People diagnosed with stress-related disorders had a 64% greater risk of cardiovascular disease in the first year after diagnosis compared to their siblings and the general population.
Positive Note: Understanding these connections means you can take steps to protect your health through stress management techniques.
However, the relationship isn't entirely negative. Some research shows that acute stress can be protective - Dharbhar found that mild acute stressors in rats actually stimulated immune responses, with immune cells flooding into the bloodstream to prepare for potential damage.
8
of 10
Limitations and Complex Relationships
The stress-illness relationship is more complex than it initially appears. While chronic stress clearly harms health, acute stress might sometimes be beneficial by preparing your immune system for potential threats. This suggests that not all stress is bad - it's about duration and intensity.
Many effects of stress on cardiovascular disease are indirect rather than direct. Orth-Gomer's research found that marital stress tripled heart attack risk in women who already had cardiovascular disease, but this is different from directly causing the disease in the first place.
The causation issue is tricky too. While stress triggers physiological responses that can damage your cardiovascular system, the real cause might be psychological. Some people simply perceive stressors more negatively and have stronger physiological reactions.
Think Critically: This means your personality and thinking patterns might be just as important as the stressors themselves.
The evidence suggests stress increases vulnerability to illness mainly through lifestyle factors rather than directly causing disease. Understanding this distinction is important because it means you have more control over the outcomes than you might think.
9
of 10
Life Changes and Stress
Life changes are major events that require significant adjustment in your life, and they're considered important sources of stress. These can be positive (like starting university or getting married) or negative (like divorce or bereavement), but both types require adaptation.
Holmes and Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) to measure this. It lists 43 life events, each with a Life Change Unit (LCU) score. Death of a spouse scores 100 LCUs (the highest), whilst minor legal violations score just 11 LCUs.
You identify which events happened to you in a given period, add up the scores, and get a total that predicts your illness risk. Under 150 LCUs suggests you'll likely stay healthy, 150-300 LCUs gives you a 50% chance of illness, and over 300 LCUs means an 80% chance of serious physical illness in the following year.
Personal Application: This scale helps explain why periods of major life changes (even positive ones) can leave you feeling overwhelmed and more prone to getting sick.
Rahe's 1970 research with naval personnel supported this approach, finding that higher LCU scores were indeed associated with increased illness rates during deployment.
10
of 10
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Psychology176 views·Updated May 23, 2026·49 pagesStress: AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Questions
Zainab@zainab_02839
Stress affects your body in ways you might not expect - from your heart rate shooting up during exams to getting ill more often during tough times. Understanding how your body responds to stress and what triggers it can help... Show more
1
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
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Physiology of Stress
Ever wondered why your heart pounds before a big presentation? That's your body's stress response kicking in, and it happens in three predictable stages according to Selye's research from 1936.
The alarm reaction is your body's immediate response to stress. Your hypothalamus activates your sympathetic nervous system, which tells your adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline and noradrenaline. This prepares you for fight or flight - basically getting you ready to either face the threat or run away from it.
If the stress continues, you enter the resistance stage. Your body tries to adapt and keep fighting the stressor, but this comes at a cost. Stress hormones flood your system at harmful levels, eventually damaging your heart and blood vessels.
Quick Tip: The resistance stage is why chronic stress (like ongoing family problems or school pressure) is more dangerous than short bursts of stress.
Finally, there's the exhaustion stage where your body simply can't cope anymore. Your resources are drained, your adrenal glands stop working properly, and you become vulnerable to serious health problems like depression and heart disease.
2
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
How Your Body Responds to Stress
When stress hits, your body follows two main pathways that work like an emergency response system. The sympathomedullary pathway (SMP) handles immediate threats, whilst the HPA system manages longer-term stress.
The SMP works incredibly fast. Your hypothalamus activates your sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates your adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and noradrenaline. Within seconds, your heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, muscles tense, and your liver converts stored energy into glucose for quick fuel.
Your pupils even dilate to improve vision, and your digestive system slows down so blood can be redirected to your brain and muscles. Once the stressor passes, your parasympathetic nervous system takes over with a "rest and digest" response to return everything to normal.
Remember: These physiological changes aren't random - they're your body's way of giving you the best chance of handling whatever's stressing you out.
The HPA system kicks in for chronic stress. Your hypothalamus releases CRF, which activates your pituitary gland to secrete ACTH. This stimulates your adrenal cortex to release cortisol - a hormone that affects glucose metabolism and restores energy, but unfortunately suppresses your immune system.
3
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Strengths and Weaknesses of Stress Research
Selye's original research strongly supports his theory. He subjected rats to various stressors like extreme cold and surgical injury, finding the same physiological responses regardless of the specific stressor. This general response appeared within 6-48 hours and progressed through the resistance and exhaustion stages.
Understanding stress physiology has real-world applications too. People with Addison's disease can't produce cortisol naturally, so they need cortisol replacement therapy to handle stressful situations and avoid dangerous complications like abnormal heart rhythms.
However, the research has significant limitations. Mason's 1971 study with monkeys found that different stressors actually produced different responses - extreme cold increased cortisol whilst extreme heat reduced it. This challenges the idea of a universal stress response.
Think About It: Human stress is far more complex than animal stress because we can think about and appraise threats cognitively.
Most stress research relies heavily on animal studies, which creates problems when applying findings to humans. Unlike rats, we can anticipate stressors and our psychological interpretation affects how we respond. There's also male bias in research - Taylor's 2006 work suggests women may respond with "tend and befriend" behaviour rather than fight or flight, making them more likely to care for offspring and seek social support.
4
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
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Gender Differences and Cognitive Factors
Research shows that the traditional fight or flight response might not apply equally to everyone. For ancestral females, running away from threats would have left their children vulnerable, so evolution likely favoured different responses.
Taylor's research suggests women often show a "tend and befriend" response instead. When stressed, they're more likely to protect their offspring and seek support from other women rather than preparing for combat or escape.
Cognitive factors play a huge role in stress responses too. Lazarus found that people expecting a film to be "exciting" showed less physiological stress than those expecting it to be "painful" - same film, different mindset, different stress response.
Key Point: Your thoughts about a stressor can be just as important as the stressor itself in determining how your body reacts.
The transactional model of stress suggests that cognitive appraisal moderates your body's response. This means how you interpret and think about a situation influences whether you'll experience it as stressful. Understanding this gives you some control over your stress responses.
5
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Stress and Your Immune System
Your immune system is like your body's security team, defending against bacteria, viruses, and even preventing tumour growth. Unfortunately, stress can seriously compromise this protection in both direct and indirect ways.
Direct suppression happens when cortisol from the HPA system inhibits the production of immune cells called lymphocytes. This immunosuppression leaves you more vulnerable to infections because your body can't fight off invading bacteria and viruses as effectively.
Stress also works indirectly by influencing your lifestyle choices. When you're stressed, you're more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, eat poorly, skip exercise, and lose sleep - all behaviours that weaken your immune system further.
Real-Life Impact: This explains why you're more likely to get ill during exam periods or other stressful times.
Stress doesn't just affect your immune system - it's also linked to cardiovascular disorders like heart disease and strokes. Acute stress increases adrenaline levels, raises heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and builds up plaque on artery walls. Your heart has to work harder, blood pressure increases, and arteries can become blocked.
6
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
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Research Evidence: Stress and Health
Kiecolt-Glaser's groundbreaking 1984 study with medical students provides clear evidence for the stress-immunity link. They took blood samples from 75 students one month before exams (low stress) and on the first day of exams (high stress).
The results were striking: students had significantly fewer natural killer (NK) cells and T killer cells during the exam period. These are crucial immune cells that fight infections and cancer. Students who reported high levels of life events and loneliness showed the greatest decline in immune function.
A follow-up study in 1991 compared people caring for relatives with Alzheimer's to a control group. Over 13 months, caregivers showed weaker immune responses, more infectious illnesses, and much higher rates of depression (32% vs 6% in controls).
Important Finding: Chronic stress from caregiving responsibilities can have long-lasting effects on both physical and mental health.
Research on cardiovascular disease is equally compelling. Wilbert-Lampen's study during the 1996 World Cup found that cardiac emergencies increased by 2.66 times on days when Germany played football. This shows how acute emotional stress can more than double your risk of heart problems.
7
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
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More Evidence and Applications
Yusuf's massive 2004 study compared 15,000 heart attack patients with 15,000 healthy people across 52 countries. They found that chronic stressors like workplace stress and major life events had strong links to heart attacks - stress ranked third behind only smoking and cholesterol as risk factors.
The research has practical applications that can benefit your health. Students who took relaxation training seriously before exams showed better immune functioning than those who didn't. Some researchers are even exploring whether low doses of stress hormones before surgery might improve recovery.
Song's 2019 research provides more recent evidence for the stress-cardiovascular link. People diagnosed with stress-related disorders had a 64% greater risk of cardiovascular disease in the first year after diagnosis compared to their siblings and the general population.
Positive Note: Understanding these connections means you can take steps to protect your health through stress management techniques.
However, the relationship isn't entirely negative. Some research shows that acute stress can be protective - Dharbhar found that mild acute stressors in rats actually stimulated immune responses, with immune cells flooding into the bloodstream to prepare for potential damage.
8
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Limitations and Complex Relationships
The stress-illness relationship is more complex than it initially appears. While chronic stress clearly harms health, acute stress might sometimes be beneficial by preparing your immune system for potential threats. This suggests that not all stress is bad - it's about duration and intensity.
Many effects of stress on cardiovascular disease are indirect rather than direct. Orth-Gomer's research found that marital stress tripled heart attack risk in women who already had cardiovascular disease, but this is different from directly causing the disease in the first place.
The causation issue is tricky too. While stress triggers physiological responses that can damage your cardiovascular system, the real cause might be psychological. Some people simply perceive stressors more negatively and have stronger physiological reactions.
Think Critically: This means your personality and thinking patterns might be just as important as the stressors themselves.
The evidence suggests stress increases vulnerability to illness mainly through lifestyle factors rather than directly causing disease. Understanding this distinction is important because it means you have more control over the outcomes than you might think.
9
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Life Changes and Stress
Life changes are major events that require significant adjustment in your life, and they're considered important sources of stress. These can be positive (like starting university or getting married) or negative (like divorce or bereavement), but both types require adaptation.
Holmes and Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) to measure this. It lists 43 life events, each with a Life Change Unit (LCU) score. Death of a spouse scores 100 LCUs (the highest), whilst minor legal violations score just 11 LCUs.
You identify which events happened to you in a given period, add up the scores, and get a total that predicts your illness risk. Under 150 LCUs suggests you'll likely stay healthy, 150-300 LCUs gives you a 50% chance of illness, and over 300 LCUs means an 80% chance of serious physical illness in the following year.
Personal Application: This scale helps explain why periods of major life changes (even positive ones) can leave you feeling overwhelmed and more prone to getting sick.
Rahe's 1970 research with naval personnel supported this approach, finding that higher LCU scores were indeed associated with increased illness rates during deployment.
10
of 10Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Explore key concepts in social influence, including conformity, obedience, and minority influence. This comprehensive summary covers essential studies such as Milgram's experiment, Asch's conformity tests, and the Stanford prison experiment, providing insights into the psychological mechanisms behind social behavior. Ideal for A-Level revision.
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
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This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
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Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
AnnaiOS user