Johansson Flashcards
what did Johansson look into ?
work as a cause of stress
what are some stressors at work ?
repetitiveness
machine-regulated pace
high levels of responsibility
isolated
what is the aim of this research ?
to investigate whether work stressors increase stress related illness and stress-related physiological arousal
what was the method?
Quasi
what design was used ?
independent measures- p/s naturally working in one of three areas
how many finishers were there ?
14
where were they from?
Swedish sawmill
what is a finisher?
finish off wood at the last stage of processing timber
productivity determined the wage rates for the entire factory
who were the finishers compared to?
a low-risk group of 10 cleaners ,
what was the cleaners work like?
varied, largely self-paced and allowed more socialising with other workers
how was the data collected ?
level of stress related hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline ) in the urine on work and rest days
records of stress related illness and absenteeism
self-reports used about their mood and alertness
caffeine and nicotine consumption were recorded
what were the findings ?
finishers secreted more stress hormone on work days compared to rest days more than control groups
the high risk group showed higher levels of stress-related illness and higher levels of absenteeism than cleaners
what were the conclusions ?
a combination of work stressors lead to chronic physiological arousal
leads to stress-related illness and absenteeism
application ?
if employers want to reduce illness and absence they need to find ways of reducing stress
