Johansson: Combined Physiological And Self Report Measures Of Stress and work as a cause of stress

Question 1

Method

Answer 1

Quasi experiment

Question 2

Participants

Answer 2

24 workers at Swedish sawmill

1 group - 14 workers, complex, set pace, responsible for wages

2 group - 10 workers, cleaners and maintenance

Question 3

Aim

Answer 3

To measure psychological and physiological responses of stress

Question 4

Background

Answer 4

Work may make you stressed because:

-Task related features 
(info overload/under load)
-Interpersonal factors 
(role ambiguity, conflict)
-Environmental factors 
(noise levels, heat etc)

Different things act as 
different stressors for 
different people
£28 billion lost last year
Due to mental illness

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

Jobs of group 1 (finishers) was machine paced, isolated, repetitive but highly skilled and productivity determined wages for entire factory.
These were compared to cleaners whose work was varied, self paced and more social.

Data collection: Levels of stress related hormones (adrenaline+noradrenaline) on work days and rest days.
Records kept of stress-related illnesses and absenteeism.
Self-reports on mood, alertness and caffeine+nicotine intake

Question 6

Conclusions

Answer 6

Combination of work stressors lead to chronic physiological arousal. This leads to stress related illness and absenteeism

Question 7

Results

Answer 7

Group 1 secreted more stress hormones on work days than rest days and more than control group

Group 1 shoes night levels of stess related illness such as headaches and higher levels of absenteeism than control