Final answer:
Psychological stress varies among individuals and is determined by factors like job stress and personal resilience. The body's stress response aims to maintain homeostasis but can lead to disorders if it becomes chronic. Stressors are subjective and differ in how they are processed by each person.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors that Produce Psychological Stress
Psychological stress arises from a variety of factors, and these can vary significantly from person to person. What one individual finds stressful, another may not. Factors causing psychological stress include high-stress jobs, overcrowding, and long commutes. However, these stressors are perceived and reacted to differently depending on the individual's resilience, preparedness, and personal circumstances.
Body's Response to Stress
The human body attempts to maintain homeostasis in response to stress through a series of physiological reactions. This stress response includes accelerated heart rate, release of stress hormones like cortisol, and heightened alertness. These responses can be beneficial in dangerous situations but can lead to health problems if they become chronic.
Pleasant and Unpleasant Stressors
Stressors can be both pleasant (e.g., an unexpected promotion) and unpleasant (e.g., job strain). Each can elicit a physiological stress response. The subjective nature of stressors means their definition can vary widely amongst individuals in a class.
Differentiating Stress
Good stress (eustress) can motivate and improve performance, while bad stress (distress) can have deleterious health implications. Early contributions to stress research by Walter Cannon and Hans Selye have laid the groundwork for understanding the general adaptation syndrome and the physiological basis of stress.
Stress and Health
While stress can drive human growth, chronic stress has been linked to a range of psychophysiological disorders. It can impact cardiovascular health, immune system functioning, and exacerbate conditions like asthma and tension headaches. Adapting to stress is part of human evolution, but chronic stress tests the limits of this adaptation.