INTRODUCTION TO STRESS
Case Assignment
In this assignment, you will be exploring your own knowledge of stress and how this compares with the current research on short- and long-term effects of stress on the brain.
How much do you know about stress? Take this simple quiz from the American Psychological Association (APA) to test your "stress smarts."
After completing the quiz, read about the most common myths about stress described by the APA.
Case Questions:
Answer the following questions to complete your Case assignment. Please see the assignment expectations below for additional details on completing your essay for Module 1.
1. Describe your quiz results from the APA. How well did you do? Did any of the answers surprise you? Why?
2. After viewing the most common myths associated with stress from the APA website, discuss which concept you believe is the most misunderstood. Give support for your reasons (using your own research and sources for support).
3. Watch the following video on "How Stress Affects Your Brain." Learn how chronic stress can affect brain size, structure, and function, right down to the level of your genes.
Murgia, M. (n.d.). Ted Talks. How stress affects your brain [video file].
a. Summarize the video's message in 1-2 paragraphs.
b. Do you think cognitive stress has the most influence (or impact) on the body's response to stress? Explain.
4. How is the brain affected differently by short-term stress versus long-term stress? Provide examples for both types of stress.
5. There's been a lot of research into how chronic stress changes the brain. Do you think stress could be a good thing if managed effectively? Why (in what potential situations?)
Assignment Expectations
Organize this essay assignment using subtitles that summarize the topic from each question above. For example, to answer Question 1, use a descriptive subtitle like the following: My Stress Quiz Results.
Answer each question under the subtitle using complete sentences that relate back to the question. Be sure to use APA formatting throughout your essay, with 1-inch margins, 12-pt font, and double spacing throughout. Include a title page, introduction, answers to the questions with subtitles, and concluding paragraph.
Remember to include in-text citations within the body of the essay referencing your resources (i.e., Murray, 2014).
Also, be sure to include a reference section at the end of your assignment listing all required readings and any additional resources you used to complete your essay.
A helpful guide to writing a quality essay can be found on your TLC Home Page under FAQ/Writing Tips/Student Guide to Writing a High Quality Academic Paper. This guide also provides links to example essays written using APA format.
Direct quotes should be limited and must be designated by quotation marks. Paraphrased ideas must give credit to the original author, for example (Murray, 2014). Direct copying from "homework help" websites will not receive credit.
Once you have completed your assignment within a word document, please upload your final version to the Module 1 Case Assignment dropbox.