The Upside of Stress Study Guide
Quiz
1. According to the source, what is the "mindset effect" and how does
it differ from a placebo effect?
2. How did the research conducted by Hans Selye contribute to the
negative perception of stress, despite his later attempts to change
its image?
3. Describe the "tend-and-befriend" stress response. What
neurohormone is associated with this response, and what surprising
benefit does it have for cardiovascular health?
4. Explain the concept of "mindset blindness" as described in the text.
What is the suggested solution to this phenomenon?
5. Based on the source, how can writing about your personal values
help you change your relationship with stress?
6. According to the research by Jeremy Jamieson, how can
reappraising the physical sensations of anxiety influence
performance under pressure?
7. What is the core idea behind the "challenge response" to stress?
What evaluation determines whether someone experiences a
challenge or a threat response?
8. How does focusing on "bigger-than-self goals" transform the
experience of stress, particularly in academic or work settings?
9. Describe Salvatore Maddi's concept of "hardiness." What is his
preferred definition of what it means to be "good at stress"?
10. According to Mark Seery's research, how can experiencing
moderate cumulative lifetime adversity potentially lead to
resilience rather than increased vulnerability to negative outcomes?
Essay Format Questions
1. Discuss the argument presented in the source that stress is not
inherently harmful and can, in fact, be a catalyst for positive
outcomes. Support your answer with examples from the text, such
as the milkshake study, the UBS stress intervention, or the studies
on benefit-finding.
2. Analyse the relationship between mindset and physiological
responses to stress as described in the source. How do beliefs about
stress influence the body's reaction, and what are the implications
of this relationship for managing stress?
3. Evaluate the different ways in which connecting with others and
having a sense of purpose (bigger-than-self goals) are presented as
mechanisms for transforming the stress response into a positive
force.
4. Examine the role of storytelling and reflection exercises in
cultivating a stress-enhancing mindset and fostering resilience, as
outlined in the source.
5. Critically discuss the historical context of stress research,
specifically the influence of Hans Selye's work, and how the
source argues that focusing primarily on laboratory animal studies
has contributed to a skewed understanding of human stress.
Glossary of Key Terms
Mindset: Beliefs that shape your reality, influencing how you
think, feel, and act, and potentially impacting objective physical
reactions, long-term health, happiness, and success.
Mindset Effect: The consequences of a mindset snowballing over
time, increasing in influence and long-term impact, going beyond a
short-lived, specific outcome like a placebo effect.
Placebo Effect: A therapeutic effect produced by a placebo (like a
sugar pill) due to the patient's belief in its efficacy, often
considered to require deception, although research suggests
deception is not always necessary.
Stress Mindset: An individual's belief about the nature of stress,
specifically whether they view it as harmful (Mindset 1) or
enhancing (Mindset 2).
Mindset Blindness: The inability to see the effect of one's current
mindset because one is too identified with the beliefs behind it,
causing the mindset to feel like an accurate assessment of reality
rather than a choice.
Mindset Mindfulness: The practice of paying attention to how
your current stress mindset operates in your everyday life, noticing
your thoughts, emotions, and actions related to stress.
Stress Response: The body's physical and psychological reaction
to a perceived demand or threat, historically viewed primarily
through the "fight-or-flight" lens but encompassing a wider range
of biological and behavioural responses.
Hans Selye: A Hungarian endocrinologist known as the
"Grandfather of Stress" for his early research using laboratory
animals, which heavily influenced the initial understanding of
stress as primarily harmful.
Eustress: Good stress, according to Hans Selye's later distinction.
Distress: Bad stress, according to Hans Selye's later distinction,
associated with harmful effects.
Fight-or-Flight Response: A physiological reaction to stress
characterised by an adrenaline surge, preparing the body to
confront or flee a threat.
Tend-and-Befriend Response: A stress response characterised by
nurturing activities and seeking social support, associated with the
release of oxytocin.
Oxytocin: A neurohormone associated with social bonding,
nurturing, and seeking connection, which is released during the
tend-and-befriend stress response and has been linked to
cardiovascular health benefits.
Adrenaline: A hormone released during the stress response that
increases heart rate, blood pressure, and energy levels, preparing
the body for action.
Cortisol: A stress hormone that helps the body manage stress but
has also been linked to negative health outcomes when chronically
elevated.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): A neurosteroid released
during the stress response, linked to brain growth, resilience, and
counteracting some of the negative effects of cortisol.
Challenge Response: A physiological and psychological response
to stress that occurs when an individual perceives they have the
resources to meet the demands of the situation, associated with
better performance and cardiovascular health.
Threat Response: A physiological and psychological response to
stress that occurs when an individual perceives the demands of the
situation exceed their resources, associated with poorer
performance and negative cardiovascular effects.
Trier Social Stress Test (TSST): A widely used laboratory
protocol for inducing acute stress in human participants, typically
involving public speaking and mental arithmetic tasks.
Bigger-Than-Self Goals: Goals that extend beyond personal well-
being and focus on contributing to others or society, which can
transform the meaning of stress and increase motivation.
Hardiness: A collection of attitudes and coping strategies, defined
by Salvatore Maddi as the courage to grow from stress, associated
with resilience in the face of adversity.
Growth Mindset: A belief that abilities and intelligence can be
developed through dedication and hard work, which the source
applies to the capacity to grow from stressful experiences.
Post-Traumatic Growth: Positive psychological changes
experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging
circumstances or traumatic events.
Benefit-Finding: The process of identifying positive outcomes or
changes that have resulted from experiencing adversity or
suffering.
Vicarious Growth/Resilience: The process of gaining resilience
or experiencing positive change by hearing or witnessing the
stories of others who have overcome adversity.
Mindful Resets: Practices or exercises designed to help
individuals become more aware of their stress response in the
moment and choose a more beneficial reaction.
Stress Generation: The tendency for individuals to contribute to
the stressful events in their own lives through their behaviour and
choices.
Avoidant Coping: Strategies used to avoid, get rid of, or numb
thoughts and feelings related to stress, often through activities,
substances, or escapes, which can have long-term costs.
Quiz Answer Key
1. The mindset effect is when beliefs significantly shape reality and
have snowballing, long-term consequences, unlike a placebo effect
which tends to be short-lived and specific to an outcome. A
mindset acts as a filter that influences thoughts, feelings, and
actions in response to life experiences.
2. Selye's early research, primarily on lab rats subjected to severe,
uncontrollable stressors, showed harmful physiological effects like
ulcers and immune failure. This work instilled a general fear of
stress, and despite his later attempts to promote "eustress" (good
stress), the initial negative message persisted in the public and
medical community.
3. The tend-and-befriend response involves nurturing and seeking
social support under stress, mediated by the hormone oxytocin. A
surprising benefit is that oxytocin can strengthen the heart by
helping heart cells regenerate and repair damage.
4. Mindset blindness is when we don't see how our current mindset
affects us because we are so identified with its beliefs that they feel
like accurate assessments of reality, not a choice. The solution is to
practice mindset mindfulness, actively paying attention to how
your stress mindset operates.
5. Writing about your values can help you relate differently to stress
by reminding you of what is most important to you. This can shift
your focus away from discomfort and towards how you can act in
alignment with your values, providing motivation and a sense of
purpose during challenging times.
6. Jamieson's research suggests that reappraising the physical
sensations of anxiety (like a pounding heart or sweaty palms) as
signs of excitement or energy for performance can improve
outcomes. Instead of trying to calm down, embracing these
sensations as preparation for the challenge can lead to better
performance.
7. The core idea of the challenge response is believing you have the
resources to meet the demands of a stressful situation. This
evaluation determines the response: if demands exceed resources,
it's a threat; if resources are sufficient, it's a challenge.
8. Focusing on bigger-than-self goals transforms stress by giving a
larger meaning to difficulties and mundane tasks. Persevering
through challenges becomes less about personal gain and more
about contributing to something meaningful beyond oneself,
increasing motivation and engagement.
9. Hardiness is a collection of attitudes and coping strategies that
allow individuals to grow from stress. Maddi's preferred definition
of being "good at stress" is "the courage to grow from stress,"
emphasising bravery and choosing meaning over avoiding
discomfort.
10. Seery's research suggests that moderate cumulative lifetime
adversity can build resilience by providing individuals with
experience in overcoming challenges. This experience can
"inoculate" them against the negative impacts of future stressors,
making them more resilient compared to those with either no or
high levels of past adversity.
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