Most of us see stress as something negative and think that having too much stress in our lives is a bad thing. However, stress can be both good and bad. Good stress motivates us to accomplish tasks, such as finishing this assignment, which gives us a sense of accomplishment. In operant conditioning terms, the stress that we feel when accomplishing a task is reinforced by the results we achieve.
Describe the differences between good and bad stress by providing at least two examples. Explain what happens when stress accumulates without being addressed. (Hint: There are both psychological and physical issues.)