LASA 2: Effects of Stress

Provide a 1-page description of a stressful event currently occurring in your life. Then, referring to information you learned throughout this course, address the following:

• What physiological changes occur in the brain due to the stress response?
• What emotional and cognitive effects might occur due to this stressful situation?
• Would the above changes (physiological, cognitive, or emotional) be any different if the same stress were being experienced by a person of the opposite sex or someone much older or younger than you?
• If the situation continues, how might your physical health be affected?
• What three behavioral strategies would you implement to reduce the effects of this stressor? Describe each strategy. Explain how each behavior could cause changes in brain physiology (e.g., exercise can raise serotonin levels).
• If you were encouraging an adult client to make the above changes, what ethical considerations would you have to keep in mind? How would you address those ethical considerations?

In addition to citing the online course and the text, you are also required to cite a minimum of two scholarly sources. Please see the Academic Resourcessection under Course Home to use the Argosy University online library to find appropriate scholarly sources. For reputable web sources, look for .gov or .edu sites as opposed to .com sites. Please do not use Wikipedia.

Your paper should be double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font, and with normal 1-inch margins; written in APA style; and free of typographical and grammatical errors. It should include a title page with a running head, an abstract, and a reference page. The body of the paper should be at least 6 pages in length.

 LASA 2 Dropbox by Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria

Maximum Points

Described a stressful event.

20

Explained the physiological changes that occur in the brain due to the stress response.

36

Explained the emotional and cognitive effects that may occur due to this stressful situation.

32

Analyzed potential differences in physiological, cognitive, and emotional responses in someone of a different age or sex.

32

Discussed the physical health risks.

28

Provided three behavioral strategies to reduce the effects of the stressor and explained how each could cause changes in brain physiology.

40

Analyzed ethical considerations in implementing behavioral strategies and offered suggestions for addressing these.

40

Integrated at least two scholarly references to support ideas.

8

Organization (16 points): Introduction, transitions, and conclusion.
Style (8 points): Tone, audience, and word choice.
Usage and Mechanics (16 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
APA Elements (24 points): In-text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style.

64

Total:

300