Biological - Life Stresses

Question 1

What does SRRS stand for?

Answer 1

Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Question 2

Who and how did psychologists form the SRRS?

Answer 2

Homes and Rahe

• examined medical records of over 5000 of their patients.
• made a list of 43 life events
• made the patients rate the events in comparison to marriage (score of 500) then average out the scores and divide by 10.

Score over 300 meant an 80% chance of developing a serious physical illness in the following year

Question 3

Name a study looking at the application of the SRRS

Answer 3

Rahe
2700 navy personell filled in the SRRS for 6 months before a trip, and then for the next 7 months the number and severity of stress related illnesses was recorded and rated producing an overall illness score.

Question 4

What were the results of Rahe’s into the application of the SRRS?

Answer 4

Positive correlation of 0.12

Question 5

Evaluate Rahe’s study into application of the SRRS

Answer 5

• Low population validity (only male navy personnel so cannot generalise)
• Correlational research (can’t establish causality)
• Prospective research (more reliable)

Question 6

State 4 evaluative points about the SRRS

Answer 6

• Individual differences (i.e in a divorce, how long they have been together)
• Cause and effect (the scale implies a correlation between two factors, but one may not cause the other)
• Self report (unreliable; not a consistent form of measurement)
• Out of date (i.e ‘mortgage over £10,000’ is not longer an appropriate price for a house)

Question 7

What are daily hassles?

Answer 7

Minor everyday annoyances causing stress

Question 8

What are daily uplifts?

Answer 8

Positive everyday experiences which protect us from stress

Question 9

State 3 examples of daily hassles

Answer 9

• Health of a family member
• Home maintenance
• Property prices

Question 10

State 3 examples of daily uplifts

Answer 10

• Relating well to those around you
• Getting enough sleep
• Being healthy

Question 11

Who devised the daily hassles scale?

Answer 11

Kanner and Lazarus

Question 12

Name a study into the effects of daily hassles and life events on illness

Answer 12

De Longis

Question 13

State the procedure for De Longis’ study

Answer 13

100 participants (all over 45) were asked to complete four questionnaires each:

1. Hassles scale
2. Uplifts scale
3. Life events questionnaire
4. Health questionnaire.

Compared the results from the scales

Question 14

What were the results from De Longis’ study?

Answer 14

Hassles correlated with ill health, but life events did not

Question 15

Name and explain a study looking at depression and life events/daily hassles

Answer 15

Bouteyre
Got first year French University students to complete two questionnaires, one measuring life events, the other symptoms of depression (Beck’s Inventory). It was found that students showing the most depressive symptoms were also likely to be suffering from the most hassles.

Question 16

Evaluate Bouteyre’s study

Answer 16

It was a correlational study so cause and effect cannot be established. It could be that feeling depressed and having negative thoughts makes us focus more on negative events such as hassles.

Cultural differences - only in France

Question 17

State a factor that could be used to evaluate daily hassles. What study is this shown in?

Answer 17

Cultural differences:
Some cultures use social support as a protection against stressors (including daily hassles).
As shown in Kim and Mckenny’s study, African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics use social support more than white Americans and they are less effected by daily hassles

Question 18

How are daily hassles thought to be stressful? (2 ways)

Answer 18

• Minor hassles may build up leading to a decreased sense of wellbeing which could lead to more serious feelings such as anxiety and depression
• Can amplify the effects of an existing chronic stressor or life event

Question 19

Why shouldn’t daily hassles be considered in isolation?

Answer 19

If combined with daily uplifts, then the effects of daily hassles can be reduced

Question 20

What did Ruffin conclude about daily hassles?

Answer 20

That they produce greater psychological and physiological dysfunction than major life events

Question 21

What 4 factors lead to stress in the work place?

Answer 21

• Work overload
• Environmental factors
• Role ambiguity
• Role conflict

Question 22

What was the aim of Johansson’s study?

Answer 22

To investigate whether work stressors such as repetitiveness and machine paced work led to an increase in stress related illness and physiological arousal.
(a test of difference)

Question 23

What was the method of Johansson’s study?

Answer 23

Looked at 14 finishers (repetitive, isolated and machine paced, and responsibility for the wages of the whole factory) - high stress) and 14 cleaners (self paced, sociable).
Tested adrenaline levels in urine on a work day and rest day.

Question 24

What were the results of Johansson’s study?

Answer 24

Found higher adrenaline levels on work days, and finishers higher than cleaners.
Stress correlated with days off work due to stress related illnesses

Question 25

State two strengths of using correlations in stress research

Answer 25

• Involve no ethical issues (do not involve inducing stress onto participants
• High ecological validity (take place in natural environments)

Question 26

What did Karasek propose?

Answer 26

A model to picture the relationship between work demand and work control

Question 27

What kind of job is most vulnerable to stress?

Answer 27

High strain jobs (high demand, low control)

Question 28

What kind of job is least vulnerable to stress?

Answer 28

Low strain jobs (low demand, high control)

Question 29

Give an example of a high strain job

Answer 29

Factory worker

Question 30

Give an example of a low strain job

Answer 30

Shop owner

Question 31

Make an evaluative point on Johansson’s study

Answer 31

It does not identify which of the various work stressors may be the most stressful. To separate out the effects of different factors, a more controlled study (experiment) would be necessary but this would effect ecological validity.

Question 32

Name and explain a meta analysis for stress in the work place

Answer 32

Van der Doef and Maes
Reviewed research in stress in the workplace and concluded that a combination of high job demands and low control is associated with an increased chance of heart disease.
Supports Karasek’s model by that the PAS and SAM system would relate to increased chances of heart disease from a high strain job

Question 33

State a methodological point on Van der Doef and Maes’ research

Answer 33

Because it is a review of multiple studies, it is more reliable as it considers a lot of studies and findings rather than just one

Question 34

What was the method of Marmot’s study?

Answer 34

Began with the hypothesis that control negatively correlated with stress-related illnesses.
10,000 civil servants were investigated over 3 years, where their job control and stress related illnesses were assessed.

Question 35

What were the results from Marmot’s study?

Answer 35

Workers with less control were 4 times more likely to die of a heart attack than their colleagues with more control, as well as having other stress related illnesses. This was the same when other contributory factors were considered (smoking, diet etc.)

Question 36

State 3 methodological issues with Marmot’s study

Answer 36

• Based on self-report (possibility of biased responding. e.g lying about the amount they smoke)
• Extraneous variables (e.g those in similar ‘grades’ or jobs could be in those jobs for a certain reason, meaning that is why that group of people are more likely to have a heart attack)
• Population validity (just government civil servants)