Biological Psychology (Stress) Flashcards
Explain what is meant by stress (2 marks)
Stress is experienced when there is a difference between the perceived demands of a situation and the perceived ability to cope with that situation.
Outline the main features of the pituitary-adrenal system (3 marks)
L-imbic region H-ypothalamus C-RF A-nterior Pituitary Gland A-CTH A-drenal cortex C-ortisol
Outline the main feature of the sympathomedullary pathway (3 marks)
L-imbic region H-ypothalamus A-NS-sympathetic branch Adrenal Medulla Adrenaline Fight Flight
Alisa is at school studying of her GCSEs. She has spent the last 4 weeks revising and has been feeling quite stressed. Describe the likely response of her body to this stressful period in her life. (3 marks)
Must identify the CHRONIC STRESSOR and so describe the HPA axis.
-Because her stress is ongoing, the likely response involves the pituitary-adrenal system. The hympothalamus stimulates the production of CRF, which in turn causes the pituitary gland to release ACTH into the bloodstream. ACTH travels to the adrenal cortex, which releases the stress hormone cortisol.
I dislike watching scary films. My heart pounds, my hands feel clammy and I am just generally uncomfortable.
(a) explain how bodily processes are producing these systems. (2 marks)
(b) once the film is finished I feel much better. Explain why. (2 marks)
(a) Because watching a scary film is an ACCUTE stressor, that means that the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is activated and causing the body to sweat and heartbeat to increase.
(b) Once the accute stressor has passed, the parasympathetic branch of the ANS takes over, restoring the equilibrium resulting in an overall feeling of calm.
Outline what research has shown about the body’s response to stress. (6 marks)
Two ways of answering question…
1. TAYLOR et al (2000) suggests that the fight or flight response is a mainly male response and that female are more likely to display a ‘tend and befriend’ response where female response to stressful situations by protecting their young, and seeking social contact and support from other females when threatened. Taylor et al. found that higher levels of the hormone oxytocin in females are responsible for making women more sociable and less anxious during times of stress. Oxytocin is associated with reduced cortisol response to stress and fastery recovery following accute stress. Male hormones appear to reduce the effect of oxytocin.
- Outline how the body response to accute and chronic stress (the SAM response and the HPA axis)
What did Kunz-Ebrecht et al find about stress?
Kunz-Ebrecht et al. found that women are particularly sensitive to the anticipation of chronic stress, and this influences their cortisol output.
You can use this, as well as Taylor’s research, if asked to evaluate research into the body’s response to stress.
What it meant by ‘the immune system’? (2 marks)
A system of white blood cells which fights against antigens (viruses, fungi and bacteria) and tries to stop them entering the body and reproducing.
What is an NK cell?
- A natural killer cell which fights against cancer
- type of white blood cell
- Keicolt-Glaser (1984) measure NK cell activity in his experiment into chronic stress.
Explain the link between stress, the immune system and illness (3 marks)
-According to Evans, immune system can be under (lets infections take over) or over vigilant (immune system itself causes the illness).
Stress may adversely affect the immune function through…
- Diversion of energy resources away from maintaining immunity.
- Impact of stress hormones on immune processes (e.g cortisol has been found to suppress immune system function.)
- Maladaptive coping behaviours e.g. drinking/ violence
Outline and evaluate Marucha’s study into accute stressors.
Aim: To study the effects of commonplace stressors on wound healing
Procedure:
- 11 dental students
- Punch biopsy either during summer vacation or 3 days before their first major exam
- Two methods assessed healing (daily photographs and a foaming response to hydrogen peroxide
Findings:
-students took 40% longer to heal in the higher stress group than the low stress group.
Evaluation:
- small sample size, only dental students
- research is supported by Kiecolt-Glaser’s research into stress and the immune system.
Outline Kiecolt Glaser’s research in 1984 into accute stressors.
Aim:
To investigate whether stress of important examinations has an effect on the functioning of the immune system
Procedure:
This was a natural experiment. The researchers took blood samples from 75 first year medical students, all of whom were volunteers.
Blood samples were taken: (a) one month before their final examinations (relatively low stress), and (b) during the examinations (high stress)
Immune functioning was assessed by measuring NK cell activity in the blood samples.
The students were also given questionnaires to assess psychological variables such as life events and loneliness.
Findings:
Findings:
NK cell activity was significantly lower during the high stress period (during the examinations).
The volunteers were also assessed using behavioral measures. On both occasions they were given questionnaires to assess psychiatric symptoms, loneliness and life events. This was because there are theories which suggest that all 3 are associated with increased levels of stress.
Kiecolt-Glaser et al found that immune responses were especially weak in those students who reported feeling most lonely, as well as those who were experiencing other stressful life events and psychiatric symptoms such as depression or anxiety.
Conclusion: Stress (of the exam) reduced the effectiveness of the immune system.
Outline Kiecolt Glaser et al’s research into chronic stressors in 1987.
- Compared the immune system functioning between women married to their partners and those who had separated.
- Found that women who had separated from their husband had significantly poorer immune systems.
A02 for research into the immune system and stress.
mostly correlational, so no cause and effect and less control over confounding variables….
- -exercise (as it lowers stress)
- -gender (women ‘tend and befriend’ and so react better to chronic stressors)
- -demands (Kiecolt Glaser found lower levels of NK cells in carers).
Plan the essay: Discuss the relationship between stress and the immune system (12 marks)
AO1
- what is the immune system?
- body’s resonse to stress regarding the immune system (Evans, under or over-vigilant.)
- effects of accute and chronic stessors
A02
- research to support
- correlational/ confounding variables
- Segerstrom and Miller- flight or flight positive
What did Segerstrom and Miller find?
Segerstrom and Miller (2004) said that accute stressors boost our improve system to prepare for fight or flight. Just chronic stress is negative.
Give one example of a ‘life change’ and why it might cause stress. (3 marks)
An example of a life change is divorce. This might cause stress because it requires a major transition in the person’s life, and it is this transition that causes stress. Divorce is often stressful because it is accompanied by other life events (e.g. arguments, financial stress) that are stressful in their own right.
(a) Outline one study that has investigated the relationship
between life changes and stress. (6 marks)
(b) Give one criticism of the study you outlined in (a) (3 marks)
Don’t write about the SRRS scale, as it wants to know a study that INVESTIGATED i.e tested the relationship. Also, it is unlikely they will ask a 6 marker on the SRRS scale as there’s not that much to talk about.
(a) Rahe et al. (1970) used a version of the SRRS scale on 2,500 male US sailors. This scale contains items ranked in terms of how much readjustment would be needed by an individual. The SRRS then gives a total number of life change units for that individual, for example death of a spouse is 100 LCU and divorce is 73 LCU. Rahe et al. found a small but statistically significant correlation of +0.118 between LCU and the onset of illness experienced over the six months. As the SRRS measures both positive and negative life changes, this study indicated that whether a life change was positive or negative didn’t effect the stress caused but the amount of energy that was needed to deal with the event.
(b) A criticism of the study is that it only provides correlational data, therefore cannot show a definitive causal relationship between LCU and stress related illness. It is possible a third factor affects both, a confounding variable, e.g individuals who are more anxious are both more likely to report negative life events and also more prone to illness.
- could also mention individual differences/ hardiness to criticize the SRRS.
- are mention an alternative approch: Kanner et al’s daily hassles as they are more common.
Outline what research has shown about the relationship between life changes and stress. (4 marks)
Rahe et al. used a version of the SRRS scale on 2,500 male US sailors. They found a small but statistically significant correlation of +0.118 between life change units experienced by the men over the previous 6 months and their stress-related illness over the same period.
Hurst et al. found that life change scores based in an individuals rating of the event (rather than normative ratings) more accurately reflect the potential stressful impact of different life changes.
Sanjay got married at the beginning of the year and how his wife has just had a baby, so this has been a happy year for him. However, it has only been a sad one as his father died just after the wedding.
(a) What is the term used by psychologists to describe these stress-related events? (1 mark)
(b) Explain why Sanjay has been ill more frequently this year. Use research in your answer. (4 marks)
(a) Life changes
(b) (MUST TALK ABOUT SANJAY SPECIFICALLY) Sanjay has experience three critical life changes in a relatively short time. Research by Holmes and Rahe has shown that a combination of critical life changes, such as the death of a close relative as Sanjay has experienced, create stress in an individual because they involve a major transition in the person’s life. These life changes are associated with an increase in stress-related illness, and Holmes and Rahe stated that someone with 300 or more LCU has a 80% chance of developing a stress-related illness, and it is highly likely that Sanjay’s score would be 300 or above.
