B1- Stress Flashcards
Causes of stress
- life events
- daily hassles
- workplace stress
- personality
Life events
a big event (+/-) that happens from time to time in our lives
They’re stressful because they require us to adapt and adjust to cope with the change
- the bigger the life event, the more we need to adjust
Measuring life events
Holmes + Rahe created the SRRS which measures how large a life event is, measured in LCUs
SRRS suggested a higher score meant a higher chance of developing a stress related illness
Evaluation
- strength
Supporting research
- evidence from a study showed 200 out of 17,000 people developed asthma after experiencing significant life events
- this is powerful as it predicts future illness from past events
Evaluation
- weakness
Positive and Negative life events
- it assumes both + and - life events can be stressful, but a study showed negative life events cause more stress
- negative life events have a higher LCU
- would be better to focus on + and - separately
Daily Hassles
everyday irritations/ frustrations that happen to us daily and cause stress after a build up throughout the day
- they threaten our health because we can experience lots of them and their effects add up
Secondary Appraisal
assessing our perceived ability to cope, can cause positive stress :) that helps us overcome the situation or negative stress :(
Primary appraisal
a quick assessment to decide if the hassle is a threat, if yes then you move onto secondary appraisal
Measuring daily hassles
Hassles Scale:
- every night select all the hassles you have experienced in the day and rate 0-3 with severity of hassle
- uplifts are small daily boost that can counteract the effects of hassles
Life events bring daily hassles
Evaluation
- strength
Supporting evidence
- research shows that daily hassles have a greater impact on health then life events as they’re everyday stressors
Evaluation
- weakness
Retrospective
- because daily hassles are minor and frequent, they are easily forgotten or alternatively magnified
- so people may under/over estimate their experience
Workplace stress
- Intra/Inter role conflict
- Workplace environment
- level of control
Intra-role conflict
when an employees role has competing demands
e.g. 2 jobs at work at once
Inter-role conflict
when a person has 2 roles with competing demands
e.g balancing work and home life
Effects of the work environment
Temperature:
- hot/cold work places can cause stress and aggression
Noise:
- loud sounds that are not in our control cause stress
Level of control
Not having control = stress (-)
Having/Can control = no stress (+)
Evaluation
- strength
Research support confirms importance
- a study showed employees who report low job control has stress related illness in later life
- lacking job control is a significant stressor
Evaluation
- weakness
Cultural differences
- study showed lack of job control is only considered stressful in individualist cultures than collectivist
- suggests lack of job control causing stress is not universal
Personality
Types:
- Hardy personality
- Type A
- Type B
Hardy personality
a personality used to explain why some people seem able to thrive in stressful circumstances
Consists of:
- commitment
- challenge
- control
Type A Personality
describes someone who is competitive, impatient and hostile in most situations
- research links this type of personality to stress-related illness such as cornoary heart disease
Type B Personality
describes someone who is laid back, relaxed and tolerant of others in most situations
- opposite of Type a
Evaluation
- weakness
2Cs or 3Cs
- we assume 3Cs contribute equally but there is a significant overlap
- we should abandon challenge and focus on commitment and control
- this means that research for hardy personality lacks validity and practicality
Evaluation
- strength
Research support for type A
- there is research suggesting Type As role in illness
- a study showed participants who had a stroke were more likely to have type A
- personality is a valid predictor of stress related illness
Physiological responses to stress
- the body’s response
The role of SAM and the HPA system in chronic and acute stress
- The general adaptation syndrome = GAS
- Sympathomedullary system = SAM
- Hypothalamic- pituitary- adrenal system = HPA
General Adaptation Syndrome
GAS
- a reaction to all stressors
- helps the body cope with a stressor
- includes a group of symptoms/ responses
3 Stages of GAS
The body responds in the same way to any stressor:
- Stage 1 = Alarm reaction
- Stage 2 = Resistance
- Stage 3 = Exhaustion
Stage 1
Alarm Reaction
when the threat is recognised, the hypothalamus triggers production of adrenaline ready for fight or flight
Stage 2
Resistance
- when the threat ends, functioning returns to normal
- if the threat continues, a longer-term response starts using up body’s resources causing physiological problems: immune system decrease
Stage 3
Exhaustion
- all the resources needed to resist the threat are used up
- you begin to re- experience initial symptoms
- stress-related illness is now likely
Acute stress
from a short-term threat requiring immediate response
Chronic stress
from a threat that continues over weeks/months
Sympathomedullary System
SAM
the body’s automatic response to an acute stressor
- the hypothalamus (regulator) triggers the SNS which causes a release of adrenaline from adrenal medulla (brain)
- this is the fight or flight response
Medullary
middle of our 2 adrenal glands
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal System
HPA
the body’s response to a chronic stressor
- the hypothalamus triggers pituitary gland to release the hormone ACTH which stimulates the release of cortisol from adrenal coretx
Cortisol
regulates the body’s stress response
Role of Adrenaline
Adrenaline is a hormone/ neurotransmitter produced by the adrenal gland
Adrenaline triggers the body’s fight or flight which:
- increases HR
- increases BP
- boosts energy
- redirects blood to major muscles
Weakness
Gender differences in physiological response
- the physiological response is different for males and females
- a researcher argued that fight/flight only applies to males as it would’ve been risky for our female ancestors to run away and leave offspring defenceless, instead they tend and befriend
- this suggests the physiological response is biased towards men
Weakness
The ‘freeze’ response and role of cognitions
There are more acute responses than just fight or flight
- another response is freeze, this has been observed when animals faced with a predator seem paralysed, predators become uninterested in non-responsive prey
- this suggests fight/flight is a part of a more complex response to stress
Link between stress and physical ill health
- immune system
- immunity
- suppression
- cardiovascular disorders
Immune system
the body’s defensive barrier
Innate immunity
a general immune response to any antigens that is fast acting
(you’re born with it)
Acquired Immunity
Immunity you develop over your lifetime that recognises and destroys specific antigens
Suppression of the immune system
(immunosuppression)
stress can cause illness by preventing the immune system for working efficiently
Direct suppression
cortisol disrupts acquired immunity as it inhibits production of white blood cells/lymphocytes
Indirect suppression
stress influences lifestyle behaviours that can affect our immunity
- smoking alcohol, sleep
Stress and cardiovascular disorders
long term effects:
- stress hormones (cortisol + adrenaline) can cause narrowing of the arteries and plaques on artery walls = high bp
immediate effects:
- cardiac emergency, heart attack
Evaluation
- strength
Support for stress effects on immune system
- studies show stress suppresses the immune system, women who experienced stress were more likely to develop precancerous illness
- stress has direct effect and can cause other diseases
Evaluation
- weakness
Short vs long-term
- stress can enhance the immune system
- short-term stress stimulates an immune response but long-term stress is damaging
- the relationship between stress and ill health is complex and not fully understood
