Performing under Pressure; on the
Biology, Psychology and Sociology of
stress in high-performance professions
III - ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF STRESS
Stress as a subjective experience
 Like many evolved behaviours, the phenomenological expression of
stress (how people behave in response to stress) may vary widely,
while the underlying physiology is universal.
 Often the behavioural expression depends heavily on the context in
which stress is experienced.
 Panic / Hyper focus
 Egocentrism / altruistic care for others
 Enabling others / taking on the problem at hand
On the role of physiological
stressors in the appraisal of
psychological stress: How
rational is our experience of
stress really?
The importance of the preceding
minutes to hours
 Are you hungry or thirsty?
 Did you get enough sleep?
 Are you ill / in pain?
 Are you deficient in something
 Dehydration
 Magnesium
 Etc.
 Did something else stress you in the
receding minutes
Bublitz, J. C. (2020). What is wrong with hungry judges ? A case study of legal implications of cognitive science. In R. Waltermann & J. Hage (Eds.), Law,
Science and Rationality (Vol. 124, pp. 727–749). The Hague: Maastricht Law Studies.
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave! The biology of humans at our best and worst. In Penguin Press (1st ed.). https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8357.00356
Feedback loops: The perception of
stress without a direct stressor
 Neurotransmitter metabolism takes
time
 Transferred anger
 Non-stressor related cortisol
functioning and its psychological
effects
 Inflammation raises cortisol levels to
push immune system
 Nightmares and morning cortisol
levels
 Excessive carbohydrate intake
Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why zebras don’t get ulcers: A guide to stress, stress related diseases, and coping. In Natural History.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cir.3880060119
Throughout this course we will see
examples of feedback loops and
how they can be utilised to
optimise function under stressful
conditions!!!
Nutritional deficiencies
 A deficiency in vitamins, minerals or water can have serious effects
on neurological functioning. If you are feeling stressed or frustrated
and cannot figure out why it may make sense to get bloodwork
done to see if you are not deficient in anything. Common
deficiencies to look out for:
 Magnesium
 Calcium
 Iodine
 Iron
 Vitamin D, A, B12,
Experience: we react in
line with what we have
tried before
Anticipation of future problems
based on previous experiences
 Triggers for stress reactions
 What were your parents like
 What were your peers in early life like
 Where did you grow up (place and social strata)
 Experiences with specific individuals
 How did they react previously?
 Which responses worked in the past to get you out?
 Familiar reactions and behaviours
 Certainty of outcome (the devil you know)
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave! The biology of humans at our best and worst. In Penguin Press (1st ed.). https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-
8357.00356
Your family’s past:
how those before
you set you up for life
The importance of your family’s
past
 Transmission of trauma through generations
 Stressed out mommy rat
 Holocaust survivors and the shock wave through the generations
 Grooming behaviour by mom
Matthews, S. G., & Phillips, D. I. W. (2010). Minireview: Transgenerational inheritance of the stress response: A new frontier in stress research. Endocrinology,
151(1), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2009-0916
Krippner, S., & Barrett, D. (2019). Transgenerational trauma: The role of epigenetics. Journal of Mind and Behavior, 40(1), 53–62.
Sharp, H., Pickles, A., Meaney, M., Marshall, K., Tibu, F., & Hill, J. (2012). Frequency of Infant Stroking Reported by Mothers Moderates the Effect of Prenatal
Depression on Infant Behavioural and Physiological Outcomes. PLoS ONE, 7(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045446
Strathearn, L. (2011). Maternal neglect: Oxytocin, dopamine and the neurobiology of attachment. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 23(11), 1054–1065.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02228.x
The importance of culture
 What does your culture eat?
 Where did it emerge?
 How do you arrange inheritance
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave! The biology of humans at our best and worst. In Penguin Press (1st ed.). https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-
8357.00356