Stress Assignment & Log – PSYC-101-502 2025FA General Psychology

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PSYC-101.CCT Stress Assign & Log.docx

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PSYC 101 – Stress Assignment & Log (100 pts)
(Make sure you complete both the log and the assignment)

ALIGMENT OF COURSE OBJECTIVES

This stress assignment will be used to assess students’ learning on the following course objectives:

• Identify, summarize, analyze, and critically evaluate psychological information including primary and secondary sources: CCT1
• Describe, understand, analyze, and evaluate, the strengths and weaknesses of psychological research through case studies, surveys, test, naturalistic: CCT2
• Critically apply the scientific method to explain, analyze, and evaluate psychological concepts: CCT3
• Apply psychological concepts and theories to one’s own experience in and out of the classroom: CCT4

Part 1: Stress Log (25 pts)

For 5 days (days must be within the current semester), keep a record of the stresses/hassles you encounter, following the guidelines below. The log doesn’t have to be on 5 consecutive days but should cover days on which you experience stressful events. Record the events and your reactions as soon as possible after they occur. This assignment must be typed in a Word or Google doc.

For each of the 5 days, include the following:

1. Date and Event – Indicate the specific day the stress event occurred. Describe the events leading up to the stressful situation, the stressful event itself, and any events occurring shortly thereafter. Include as much detail as possible.
2. Physical Responses – Describe the physical effects of the stress, such as headaches, tension in specific body parts, changes in breathing, or other physical sensations.
3. Cognitive Responses – Explain the thoughts and emotions you had in response to the stressful event. Were your thoughts negative or intrusive? What emotions did you feel (anger, anxiety, frustration, etc.)?
4. Coping Strategies – What mental or physical strategies did you use to cope with the stress? Did you try any relaxation techniques, exercise, or social support? AND briefly evaluate the effectiveness of the coping strategy you used. Did it help reduce your stress or did it fall short? How might you modify your approach next time?
5. Emotional Response Impact – Reflect on how your emotional responses (anger, frustration, anxiety, etc.) impacted your coping. Did they make the situation better or worse?

 Part 2: Stress Assignment (75 pts)

Once you’ve completed your stress log, use the information in your log to answer the following questions. Ensure you answer each question thoroughly and adhere to the word count guidelines. This section must be done typed in a Word or Google doc.

1. Stress Triggers (5 pts)
   Describe the situations, people, or thoughts that cause you stress most often. Are there any patterns in these stressors? Did certain situations or emotions (such as anxiety or frustration) frequently contribute to your stress? Explain.
   (Minimum 100 words; Include word count)
2. Physical Stress Response (10 pts)
   Are you a strong physical responder to stress? Do you feel stress in your body (e.g., muscle tension, headaches)? Is there a specific part of your body that signals stress for you? What did you learn Chapter 2 that might account for your reactions? You must cite your textbook in your answer.
   (Minimum 100 words; Include word count)
3. Health Habits During Stress (5 pts)
   When you experience stress, do you engage in more or fewer health-promoting habits (nutrition, exercise, sleep, etc.)? Explain how your stress levels influence your health behaviors.
   (Minimum 60 words; Include word count)
4. Cognitive Impact on Stress (10 pts)
   Do your thoughts tend to worsen or alleviate your stress? For example, do you engage in negative thinking (e.g., worse-case scenario) or do you find ways to use positive thinking or problem-solving to cope with stress? What did you learn in Chapter 8 that might account for this impact? You must cite your textbook in your answer.
   (Minimum 100 words; Include word count)
5. Emotional Impact on Stress (10 pts)
   Did your emotions (e.g., anger, anxiety, sadness) tend to make your stress worse or improve your ability to cope? Did you notice any emotions influencing your ability to manage stressful events? What theory on emotion from Chapter 9 do you think best describes your emotional reaction?  Make sure you explain why and cite your textbook.  Explain.
   (Minimum 100 words; Include word count)
6. Evaluation of Coping Strategies (5 pts)
   Overall, what were the strengths of your coping strategies? Did they effectively reduce your stress, or were they ineffective? How might you improve your coping strategies for future stressors? Consider both emotional and cognitive strategies that you employed.
   (Minimum 100 words; Include word count)
7. Emotional Regulation and Stress (10 pts)
   Reflect on how emotional regulation influences your stress response. Did you find yourself able to control your emotions during stressful events, or did your emotions sometimes escalate the situation? How might improving emotional regulation help you cope better in the future?
   (Minimum 100 words; Include word count)

1. Personal Reflection (15 pts)

If you had a friend going through a stressful time what 4 concepts/theories from the textbook could you tell them about to help them? You may not use any of the concepts you used in questions 2, 4, and 5 of this assignment. Make sure you explain the specific concept/theory and how it would specifically help your friend in their situation. Make sure you cite your textbook in proper APA style and include a reference page.

(Minimum 150 words; Include word count)

9. Make sure you include a proper APA style Reference Page (5 pts)

Assignment Submission:

This document must be submitted in Canvas as either a Microsoft Word Document or an rtf. If you are creating it in Google Docs, please use “Download As…” and choose doc or docx to save it in that format.

A note to students regarding Grading/Scoring of this assignment:

This assignment is used by the college to assess the course’s teaching of Critical and Creative Thinking. Within the rubric, there are 4 ungraded criteria (GE.CCT.1, GE.CCT.2, GE.CCT.3, and GE.CCT.4). Scores for these criteria are derived from grades on your paper for specific questions and will not factor into your overall assignment grade.