Biological, Personality, and Social Influences on College Stress

This essay examines the multifaceted nature of stress experienced by college students and its impact on their ability to cope effectively. It delves into the biological influences, such as genetic predispositions and physiological responses, that can make some students more vulnerable to stress, while also acknowledging the potential for positive gene-environment interactions. The essay then explores personality influences, highlighting the roles of neuroticism, extraversion, and openness in shaping an individual's stress response. Finally, it investigates the significant impact of social influences, including social support, cultural factors, and socioeconomic conditions, on students' ability to manage stress. The essay integrates these factors to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges college students face and how their capacity to cope is shaped by a complex interplay of internal and external forces. The essay utilizes the findings from various academic journals and studies to support the arguments made in the paper.

Running head: COLLEGE STUDENT AND COPING WITH STRESS
COLLEGE STUDENT AND COPING WITH STRESS
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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There are several factors that contribute towards making the experience stressful that can
be categorized into internal and external factors. While the external factors are present in the
environmental setting such as living away from home, academic anxiety, finance, relationship
and future plans, the internal problems are the mental thought associated with it (Beiter et al.,
2015). Students have been constantly managing and coping with their stress however, the
intensity of stress is much higher in the college level. Therefore, it is one of the most challenging
parts for some. According to psychologist college student’s ability to cope with the effectively
with stress in college is highly affected by biological influences, personality and social
influences. In the similar discourse, the paper aims to discuss the ways the factors of biological
influences, social influences and personality can affect college students’ ability to cope
effectively with stress in college life.
Biological influences: College students experience many forms of stress and most of
them are new to them. They experience many experiences for the first time that makes them
highly stressful. It is often astonishing to understand that genes can influence the way one
responds to stress. While some of the college students find it easy to tackle some of the
situations, some may find themselves panicking over the same situation. According to
researches, genes have a major influence on the way one reacts to stress (Lovallo, 2015). Some
people are genetically predisposed than others for developing depression and anxiety to stressful
situations. Chronic exposure to stressful situations such as family discord, poverty and poor
nutrition may change the ways genes behave in children as well as adolescents. This makes them
more susceptible to depression, anxiety and various other forms of negative impacts of stress.
The research also suggests the link between genes and environmental exposure can also have
positive impacts. People who are immensely affected by negative experiences are likely to be

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benefitted from the situations and the environments. It is also said that it is not simply the fact
that some people are more vulnerable to adversity however they more developmentally malleable
for better and for worse. It is found by family studies that first-degree relatives of patients with
depressions are likely to be to be patient of depression on average three times more than people
who are without a family history of the disorder. Therefore, it is certain to for college students
who have a family history with mental health issues are more likely to be affected by stress
more. Although many of the genes are though for long time as a risk factor, it is also an
opportunity creator. It is an opportunity creator as it can change the way society perceives, treats
and prevents anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders (Thompson, 2014).
Personality influences: it is certainly a factor that many people are perplexed about in
their lifetime that some people are naturally calm about stress. According to researches on
personality traits, it has been discovered that personality has a major role to play in the way a
person respond to stress. College students who are identified with three personality traits have
different ways to respond to stress: neuroticism, extraversion and openness. Neuroticism is the
tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety and depression. Extraversion is
the tendency to be energetic and outgoing (Zhou et al., 2017). Openness is the tendency to be
seeking out varied experience and openness. People with high neuroticism possess symptoms of
a lower physiological response to stress, their heart rates alter to very lesser amount and they are
likely to release less cortisol (stress hormone) when tested in laboratory. However they were also
experienced to have a great tendency to experience drop in mood in response to stress and even
found it difficult to control in perceiving stress. Considering extraversion, people with high
scores on extraversion, they were less likely to be impacted stress along with lower cortisol level.
Also, it is similar to the score of openness with similar kind of results. People who are with high

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score on openness have more subdued cortisol responses. Therefore college students who are
possess the personality trait of more openness are less likely to feel stressed in stressful situation
than people who do not possess the higher score on this personality trait. Altogether, the
overview picture reflects that personality traits such as neuroticism, extraversion and openness
certainly plays significant role in the way people react and respond to stress (Saita, Acquati, &
Kayser, 2015).
Social influences: It is important to mention that the term ‘social factor’ indicates
economic as well as psychological factors. The human body is built in such a way that it has to
be part of society. Human beings are social being who requires interacting with the other human
being in order to function effectively. Social factors are huge factors that influences a college
student’s way of coping with stress. People who fit into the society are easily happy and likely to
remain happy. This results to healthier life including mental health (Sandi & Haller, 2015). This
people are less likely to face stress or cope with stress easily than the people who think they do
not fit into the society. Social injustice is one of the major cause of stress where the person is
feels, hence causing stress. When college students are in uncomfortable social environment and
faced with social injustice they are bound to be stressful. It becomes extremely difficult for them
to cope with stress during this period. Some of the stages of life where the social environment
have not given positive setting also impact on people that makes them cope with the stress
difficult when faced with similar of likely environment. This is a situation that may have lifelong
impact with severe consequences. Also, social condition such as financial condition of family,
family type and the type of environment that a person receives along with the experiences that
the person go through decides their level of response towards stress. It also decides their ability
to cope with the stress (Mc Cubbin & Sussman, 2014). Poor social and economic circumstances

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can influence a person to cope with stress. College students may not be only facing academic
challenges. There can be several other reasons that can make them fee worried, anxious,
depressed and unable to cope with the changing situation and the stress arising from it. During
these stages, students are highly in need of social support. Social support refers to the resources
that a person receive during the time of need or during the time when they are stressful. College
students who lack social support are more vulnerable to stress then the people who have social
support. Also, one of the major social influences is the social factors such as culture or societies
play an important role. Culture consists of various aspects and it possesses a serious impact on
human behavior. Therefore, a college student who has been in a stressful culture is like to be
stressful in the various situations and may feel difficult to cope with that situation. However it
may work the other way where they are familiar with the situations and make it easier for them
to face such situations (Brands et al., 2014).
Stress is a common part of college life experience that is faced by students. It is one of
the major challenges of life to cope with the stress of the college period. Although most of the
students are consciously or unconsciously making through it, it is still a big problem for a
substantial group of people. As discussed above, There are several factors that contribute
towards making the experience stressful that can be categorized into internal and external factors.
While the external factors are present in the environmental setting such as living away from
home, academic anxiety, finance, relationship and future plans, the internal problems are the
mental thought associated with it. Biological factors have a major influence on the way one
reacts to stress. Some people are genetically predisposed than others for developing depression
and anxiety to stressful situations. It has been discovered that personality has a major role to play
in the way a person respond to stress. Personality traits such as neuroticism, extraversion and

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openness certainly plays significant role in the way people react and respond to stress. Social
factors are huge factors that influences a college student’s way of coping with stress. Therefore,
a college student who has been in a stressful culture is like to be stressful in the various situations
and may feel difficult to cope with that situation.

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References:
Beiter, R., Nash, R., McCrady, M., Rhoades, D., Linscomb, M., Clarahan, M., & Sammut, S.
(2015). The prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of
college students. Journal of affective disorders, 173, 90-96.
Brands, I., Köhler, S., Stapert, S., Wade, D., & van Heugten, C. (2014). Influence of self-efficacy
and coping on quality of life and social participation after acquired brain injury: a 1-year
follow-up study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 95(12), 2327-2334.
Lovallo, W. R. (2015). Stress and health: Biological and psychological interactions. Sage
publications.
Mc Cubbin, H. I., & Sussman, M. B. (2014). Social stress and the family: Advances and
developments in family stress therapy and research. Routledge.
Saita, E., Acquati, C., & Kayser, K. (2015). Coping with early stage breast cancer: examining the
influence of personality traits and interpersonal closeness. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 88.
Sandi, C., & Haller, J. (2015). Stress and the social brain: behavioural effects and
neurobiological mechanisms. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(5), 290.
Thompson, R. A. (2014). Stress and child development. The Future of Children, 41-59.
Zhou, Y., Li, D., Li, X., Wang, Y., & Zhao, L. (2017). Big five personality and adolescent
Internet addiction: The mediating role of coping style. Addictive behaviors, 64, 42-48.