applied social psychology: shift work Flashcards
someone who starts or ends work outside of daytime hours =
shift worker
continuous shift system =
operates 24hr, 7 days a week
semi continuous shift system =
stops at weekends
discontinuous shift system =
stops during 24hr and at weeks
workers change from one shift to another e.g. day shift and night shift = what type of shift system?
rotating
workers work one type of shift = what type of shift system?
permanent
what are some of the organisational reasons for shift work?
maintains essential public services, sustain continual production processes, obtain return on investment in machinery, increased demand for extended serves, changing patterns of work
according to a US survey what were the most common reasons for working shifts?
nature of job, personal preference, better family/child care arrangements, better pay
what did night workers most commonly report as they reason?
personal preference (22%)
humans evolved as a diurnal species due to their ______ _______
circadian rhythms
what body rhythms peak at different times of the day and normally higher in the day than night?
body temp, urinary electrolytes, memory, alertness
what type of work disturbs the body circadian rhythms?
night work and early morning work
what are at least 2 of the processes that make up the circadian system?
strong endogenous body clock component, weaker exogenous component
what part of the brain regulates the body clock?
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus
what causes a mismatch between circadian rhythm and activity?
night work
rhythms adjust at different rates to night shift pattern producing internal dissociation =
shift lag
what is the difference in jet lag and shift lag?
unlike jet lag, may never fully adjust to nocturnal routine because cues are diurnal. rhythms shown to adjust more quickly back to diurnal routine on days off
how is shift workers sleep affected?
sleep disturbance > sleep of short duration and poor quality
what does the body clock influence on sleep?
ease of falling asleep and duration of sleep
sleep is governed by 2 processes, what are they?
circadian, sleep dependent
what are some of the social factors that shift work causes problems with?
interfere with domestic and leisure activities, free time has to be for family/friends, club membership difficult, evening and weekend work problematic for social life, may sacrifice health for social time due to reduced sleep
what are some of the physical and mental effects of shift work?
sleep disturbance and fatigue, gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders (e.g. diabetes), CVD, cancer, menstrual and pregnancy problems, mental health, family problems, absenteeism, performance, accident risk
disorder triggered by circadian misalignment and results in insomnia or excessive sleepiness =
shift work disorder (SWD) > about 1/5 of shift workers experience it
what might digestive problems be due to?
altered circadian functioning, meal patterns, changed meal content (e.g. snacks at night)
there is a __% increase in risk of obesity/overweight for night shift workers
23
there is a 40% increase in risk for CVDs. what are the potential possible mechanisms?
circadian disruption, social disruption, health behaviours (diet and smoking)
there is a ______ incidence of common infections and musculoskeletal disorders
higher
what 2 things may have circadian disturbance in common?
shift work maladaptation and depression
stress of altering work hours and sleep produces strain = what shift work model?
stress-strain model
shift work interferes with equilibrium between work, sleep and family. stages so that health problems appear after many years = what shift work model?
destabilisation model
what do shift work effects depend on?
work schedule, work environment, job characteristics, individual differences, workers control over schedule
what are some important shift system characteristics?
speed of rotation, direction of rotation, length/start times of shifts, rest periods, regularity of shift cycle, flexibility
why is rotation speed of shifts important?
rapid rotation minimises circadian disturbance, reduces sleep deficit, allows some normal social time
what are some of the problems with early start to morning shifts?
problematic for sleep, fatigue and psychosomatic problems
recovery may require _______ rest days
consecutive
what differs between individuals?
shift work tolerance
do evening types or morning types adjust better to night work?
evening types
what type of people are more tolerant to shift work?
evening types, flexible sleepers, vigorous types
why might younger workers be mire tolerant to shift work?
their circadian rhythm is more robust (however may adjust lifestyle less and still socialise)
are there many gender differences found with shift work?
no, but childcare responsibilities may increase women’s fatigue problems
why is schedule control important?
increases tolerance by participation in schedule design, choice to work a schedule and influence over which shifts worked
local, national and international regulations and agreements concerning shift work =
legislation
what are some of the organisational interventions?
shift system design (computer models help evaluate different schedules), global shift work, preventative medical consultation, occupational health service (offer regular assessments, counselling, maternity protection, option to transfer to day work)
what is global shift work?
work moves between day time workers in different time zones e.g. call centres
what are some interventions to help individuals adjust to shift work?
naps, fitness, drugs, behaviour modification, phototherapy, ingesting melatonin
what may have beneficial effects for alertness and performance but cause inertia problem on waking and prevent circadian adaption?
short naps before or during a night shift
give examples of alertness enhancing drugs?
amphetamine, caffeine, modafinil
______ building in organisations is important to achieve a successful intervention
consensus
