Stress management: Explanation of the terms ‘stress’ and ‘stressor’.

The idea

Stress is the body's and mind's response to a demand that is perceived as threatening or beyond current coping resources; it is the internal reaction, shown through raised arousal, muscular tension, faster heart rate, worry or narrowed attention. A stressor is the external or internal trigger that produces that response, such as a penalty in the final minute, a large crowd, a coach's criticism, an injury worry or a heavy training load. The two terms are therefore linked but distinct: the stressor is the cause, stress is the effect. In sport, a performer may face the same stressor as a team-mate yet experience different stress because perception and appraisal differ. Recognising which term applies helps a student analyse a scenario and select an appropriate management technique.

What earns the marks

• Stress is the individual's physiological and psychological response to a perceived demand or threat.
• A stressor is the trigger or stimulus that causes the stress response.
• Stressors may be environmental, such as crowd noise or an opponent, or internal, such as worry about selection.
• The same stressor can produce different levels of stress in different performers because appraisal differs.
• Stress can be described through symptoms such as increased heart rate, muscular tension, anxiety and narrowed concentration.
• Correctly distinguishing cause (stressor) from effect (stress) is the key discriminator in a scenario question.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating stress and stressor as interchangeable.

  Put it right: The stressor is the trigger, while stress is the response it produces.

• Assuming a stressor always causes harmful stress.

  Put it right: Some performers appraise a demanding situation as a challenge and perform well.

• Describing only physical symptoms.

  Put it right: Stress also includes cognitive and emotional responses such as worry and loss of focus.

• Believing stress is always negative.

  Put it right: Moderate arousal can aid performance, so the term describes a response rather than a fixed outcome.

Exam tips

• Read the scenario and label the trigger first, then label the reaction, so the two terms cannot be confused.
• Use precise vocabulary such as perceived demand, appraisal, arousal and trigger rather than vague words like pressure.
• When a question gives a sporting example, state which element is the stressor and which is the stress before explaining the link.