Life Changes And Hassles

Question 1

Holmes and Rahe

Answer 1

Developed the SRRS, a 43 item list of life changes, each with a different value. Participants make a list of life changes from over a year and then calculate the life change score

Question 2

Rahe

Answer 2

Investigated the effect of life changes on illness. 2,500 male American soldiers were given the SRRS for over 6 months, their medical records from that 6 months were correlated with the SRRS score.
There was a +0.118 correlation of illness and life changes

Question 3

Rahe evaluation

Answer 3

:) High control
:) Only 10% attrition rate
:( Correlation so can’t tell cause and effect
:( Low population validity - Androcentric
:( SRRS too simplistic

Question 4

Life Changes

Answer 4

Long term stresses that have an influence on life, for example, bereavement of a close family member

Question 5

Hassles

Answer 5

Short term, frequent stresses that interfere with everyday life, for example, missing the bus

Question 6

DeLongis

Answer 6

Investigated whether life events or hassles were a bigger influence on stress. She followed 109 over 45s for a year and measures their hassles, life events and stress using self report every month. 90% of the participants were followed.
They found that hassles had a stronger correlation with health than life events

Question 7

DeLongis Evaluation

Answer 7

:) Longitudinal study
:) Boutyre did a supporting study
:( Medical information was self report so they could want to appear desirable

Question 8

Bouteyre

Answer 8

Studies 233 1st year psychology undergraduates in France and used self report to asses hassles and depression. There was a correlation between hassles and depression suggesting hassles have a large impact on life.