HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY: STRESS AND COPING
People react to and cope with stress in their lives in a variety of ways. Consider your midterm and final exams as an example. How stressful an experience are these for you? What are the physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions you usually encounter before and during your exams? In other words, what changes do you notice in your body, emotions, behavior, and thoughts? Psychologists recommend several strategies to cope with stress, including emotional, behavioral, cognitive, emotion-focused, and problem-focused methods. Which strategies do you currently use during exam time? Which methods would you consider incorporating in the future?
In at least a Four-Page essay, first describe your physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to the stressor of taking exams (5 pts). Discuss two strategies (emotional, behavioral, or cognitive, emotion focused, or problem focused) or methods that you currently use to cope more effectively, explain your coping skills in terms of the strategies listed above (10 pts). Describe at least two other coping strategies you would be willing to try to alleviate the stress you experience. Again, explain these other methods in terms of the strategies listed above (10 pts). Be sure to include details from class materials, readings, and research to support your discussion. Cite your resources.
