Stress and the Environment

TLDR

Stress research is organized around source, transmission, and audience variables. The paper reviews stress and environmental literature using a basic attitude change paradigm. It applies a basic attitude change paradigm to analyze stress and environmental interactions. The review covers major stress models, stressor classifications, appraisal as a transmission variable influenced by attitudes, risk perception, control, dispositional factors, and the stress response.

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the literature on stress and the environment using a basic attitude change paradigm. The stress literature is organized around characteristics of source, transmission, and audience variables. Prominent models of stress are reviewed, along with classifications of stressors themselves. The appraisal of stressors is considered as a transmission variable, affected by such factors as attitudes towards the stressor, perception of risk and danger, and perceived control. Research on dispositional variables is also reviewed and the stress response is discussed.