Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

background stressors (“daily 
 hassles”) 
Everyday annoyances, such 
as being stuck in traffi c, that cause 
minor irritations and may have 
long-term ill effects if they continue 
or are compounded by other stressful 
events.
Everyone confronts daily hassles, or background stressors, at some point. At what 
point do daily hassles become more than mere irritants?
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476 Chapter 
14 
Health Psychology: Stress, Coping, and Well-Being
However, continued exposure to stress results in a decline in the body’s overall 
level of biological functioning because of the constant secretion of stress-related 
hormones. Over time, stressful reactions can promote deterioration of body tissues 
such as blood vessels and the heart. Ultimately, we become more susceptible to 
disease as our ability to fi ght off infection is lowered (Brydon et al., 2004; Dean-
Borenstein, 2007; Ellins et al., 2008). 
Furthermore, an entire class of physical problems known as  psychophysiological 
disorders 
often result from or are worsened by stress. Once referred to as psychosomatic 
disorders (a term dropped because people assumed that the disorders were somehow 
unreal), psychophysiological disorders are actual medical problems that are infl uenced 
by an interaction of psychological, emotional, and physical diffi culties. The more common 
FIGURE 2 
The most common everyday 
hassles and uplifts. How many of these 
are part of your life, and how do you 
cope with them?
 
(Source: Hassles—
Chamberlain & Zika, 1990; Uplifts—Kanner 
et al., 1981.)
20 
0 40 
60 
80 
100 
Percentage of people experiencing 
Home (inside) pleasing to you 
Spending time with family 
Visiting, phoning, or writing someone 
Meeting responsibilities 
Eating out 
Getting enough sleep 
Feeling healthy 
Completing a task 
Relating well with friends 
Relating well with spouse or lover 
Too many responsibilities 
Concerns about getting ahead 
Social obligations 
Concerns about standards 
Health of a family member 
Misplacing or losing things 
Too many interruptions 
Troubling thoughts about the future 
Too many things to do 
Not enough time