Lack of Control as a cause of stress - Geer and Maisel Flashcards
What was the aim of the study by Geer and Maisel?
To see if perceived or actual control can reduce stress reactions to averse stimuli
What type of experimental method was used?
Laboratory experiment
What were participants shown?
Images of dead car crash victims
How were their stress levels measured?
Galvanic Skin Response and Heart rate through ECG monitor
Describe the sample
60 undergraduate psychology students at New York University
What was the design of the experiment?
Independent measures
How many conditions were there?
3
How were participants in Group 1 treated?
They were given control over how long they looked at the images for using a button that could terminate the image and they were told that a tone would procede each image
How were participants in Group 2 treated?
They were warned that the photos would be 45 seconds apart, they would see the image for 35 seconds and a 10 second warning tone would procede each image
How were participants in Group 3 treated?
They were told that they would see photos and hear tones but would not given any timings or control
What had to be done before the experiment could start for each participant?
Each participant had to be wired up to the GSR machine which was calibrated for 5 minutes while the participant was relaxed and a baseline measure was taken
How were instructions read to the participants?
Over an intercom
Which group showed the most stress?
Group 2
Which group showed the least stress?
Group 1
What did Geer and Maisel conclude from their results?
That having control over your environment can reduce stress responses
