It is probably evident from looking at your own family or at your colleagues at work that people react to stress differently. What might set one person off in a distracted tizzy might only elicit a nonchalant shrug from someone else. Some people we know often seem to be suffering from stress-related health problems, while others never experience a single physical symptom of stress.

Why are people so different in their responses to stress and their ways of coping with it? Referring specifically to the written material in this module (content guides) and the Anisman book, discuss at least three factors that influence how people experience stress and cope with stressors and explain the difference between the systemic and transactional models of stress.

• Anisman, H. (2015).Stress and Your Health: From Vulnerability to Resilience. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.