individual differences in stress: hardiness

Question 1

What is hardiness?

Answer 1

• Aspect of personality, gives courage and will determine if we keep on going despite setbacks
• has 3 dimensions = 3 C’s

Question 2

What are the 3 C’s in hardiness?

Answer 2

• commitment
• challenge
• control

Question 3

Explain commitment in hardiness?

Answer 3

-hardy people are deeply involved in relationships + activities
-optimistic they will get something valuable out of any experience
-

Question 4

Explain challenge in hardiness?

Answer 4

• resilient and welcome change
• recognise life is unpredictable
• stress can help them learn

Question 5

Explain control in hardiness?

Answer 5

• believe they are in charge of events

- strive to influence their environment rather then being passive observers

Question 6

Evaluate a criticism or hardiness?

Answer 6

• some C’s aren’t important
• it is reasonable that control is a crucial factor determining a hardy response to stressors
• challenge seems to be a redundant factor
• should only focus on control and commitment

Question 7

Explain research into hardiness?

Answer 7

Procedure: Kobasa measured life changed in 700 Male senior managers Aged 40-50.
- to see who had experienced high levels of stress over past 3 years

Finding:

• didn’t all respond to stress the same
• some were more resilient
• resilient managers scored high on 3C’s challenge

Question 8

evaluate a weakness of how hardiness is measured?

Answer 8

• problems with how hardiness should be measured
• scales may be measuring something other than hardiness
• lacks validity
• but new scales have been developed to avoid confounding variables

Question 9

Evaluate indirect effects of hardiness

Answer 9

• debate whether effects of hardiness on health are direct or indirect
• found hardy peeps have lower blood pressure,
• one explanation could be that they engage in healthy activities (running)or being hardy reduces effects on body
• inconclusive
• but shows that hardiness has health benefits