Describe the relationship between stress and stressors and specify the factors that influence how an individual experiences stress.Provide an example of how two individuals might respond differently to the same stressor,and explain how the relevant factors cited in your answer can account for those differences in individual's reactions.

Stress is defined as the excitement,feeling of anxiety,and/or physical tension that occur when the demands placed on individuals exceed their ability to cope.The physical or psychological demands from the environment that cause stress are called stressors.Stressors can take a variety of forms,but they all create stress or the potential for stress when an individual perceives them as representing a demand that may exceed his or her ability to respond.Because of this,different people will respond differently to the same stressor.Four primary factors influence whether or not an individual experiences stress in any given situation.They are: (1)the person's perception of the situation; (2)the person's past experiences; (3)the presence or absence of social support;and (4)individual differences with regard to stress reactions.
A wide variety of student examples would be appropriate.One easy one would be different student responses to a required classroom presentation.Student A might find this energizing,assuming that s/he (1)perceives it as a moderately challenging opportunity, (2)has had positive experiences with successful classroom presentations in the past, (3)perceives the audience to be supportive,and (4)has no personal characteristics that increase the experience of stress (such as being self-doubting or nervous).On the other hand,Student B might find the experience debilitating,assuming that s/he (1)perceives it as an extremely difficult assignment with a low probability of success, (2)has had either no experience or negative experiences in public speaking/classroom presentations in the past, (3)perceives the audience to be critical or harshly judgmental,and (4)has personal characteristics that increase the experience of stress (such as being self-doubting or nervous).