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SOC363 > SOC363: 6. Stress > Flashcards

SOC363: 6. Stress Flashcards

1
Q

Misconceptions

A

so generically used to explain everything - we can’t take it seriously
misleading that all stress same
problem with qualitative research - more stressful life

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2
Q

Misconceptions

A

illusion of personal stress: more stressful than others
illusion of constant stress: Life is constantly stressful
stress goes up and down

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3
Q

Misconceptions

A

illusion of useful vagueness: residual explanation of all that ails us
garbage explanation of doctors when can’t find problem

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4
Q

Misconceptions

A

illusion of ubiquitous stress: Basic, everywhere, all the time, all striving is stress
day to day life not full of stress

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5
Q

Misconceptions

A

illusion of simple solutions: Exercise, go to yoga, eat organic, breath deep
reduce only anxiety - stress is still there, but you just adjust levels

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6
Q

Misconceptions

A

illusion of biological determinism: People make their own stress – it is their problem
illusion that stress is an illusion: Stress is not real, just an excuse for failure

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7
Q

Stress, Stressors, Distress

A

stressors = (context) => stress = (coping) => distress
Fundamental terms to distinguish
Often misused

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8
Q

Stress, Stressors, Distress

A

A picture of a process……

stress is an input not an output - distress is more useful

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9
Q

The Process

A

Stressors exist in environment, not in people + they may:
Precipitate stress in people, if the context in which stressor occurs determines it is threatening….which then…..
context can intervene to define situation as threatening than not

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10
Q

The Process

A

not stressful, no need to cope
whether or not it results in distress
whether coping intervenes

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11
Q

The Process

A

Gives rise to necessity of coping with stressor, which, if not successful in reducing or removing the stressor + thus stress may lead to
Distress – state of persistent anxiety + depression

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12
Q

Definitions of Stressors

A

Now widely used: Conditions of threat, demand, or structural constraint that, by their very existence, call into the question the operating integrity of the organism

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13
Q

Definitions of Stressors

A

Threats: expectation or possibility of harm, requiring a response
Demands: overload, burden, being pushed

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14
Q

Definitions of Stressors

A

Constraints: severe and non-self-limiting social disadvantage, restriction of choice or opportunities or access to means to achieve goals, or under-reward or discrimination.

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15
Q

Contexts

A

circumstances in which the stressor occurs
e.g. can have diff stories about same marriage
history of experience of similar or contrasting stressors

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16
Q

Contexts

A

biography: history of experience…
less threatened by things familiar
knowledge and skills resulting from coping with previous stressors

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17
Q

Contexts

A

more stressors that occur - more chances to develop coping skills
Social contexts which determine meaning of the stressor

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18
Q

Contexts

A

Social comparison with other lives: look at networks and see if others go through similar hardships
Operative norms: what’s expected about occurence of stressors

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19
Q

Stress

A

Traditionally, in the biological model the state of alert or physiological arousal in the body due to the presence of the stressor…

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20
Q

Stress

A

! The alarm response in Selye’s four stage “General Adaptation Syndrome.”

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21
Q

Stress

A

! Important — this is the definition in the biological stress model only….

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22
Q

Coping

A

Behavioral, cognitive, or affective responses which are meant to control, remove, resolve, or redefine the meaning of the stressor.

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23
Q

Coping

A

! Only necessary if the stressor is determined to be threatening.
! A multi-stage sorting….

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24
Q

Coping

A

-

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25
What it Takes to Produce Distress
diff outcomes of stressors most outcomes is that most ppl don’t get distress not stressful = no distress stressors - context - stressful - coping - distress/no distress stressors - context - stressful - not stressful - no distress
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What it Takes to Produce Distress
stressful - successful coping = no distress only 1 situation when distress occurs: threatening context + failure to cope
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Two Stress Models...1) Biological - Selye (1956) : The General Adaptation Syndrome
``` Stressors • Sudden, Acute • Chronic - Alarm Response - Resistance - Exhaustion ```
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Two Stress Models...1) Biological - Selye (1956) : The General Adaptation Syndrome
Stressors here... | ! Extreme heat or cold, loud noise, shocks, overcrowding, hunger, weight, toxic substances...
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Two Stress Models...1) Biological - Selye (1956) : The General Adaptation Syndrome
! Stress is the “state of wear and tear of the body”, and a stressor is “that which produces stress.” stress is biological alert response to presence of stress resistance is coping exhaustion - distress - depression (giving up)
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Problems
The stressor is just a putative problem --- whether it is a threat is determined by context.
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Problems
! Stressors cannot be identified by consequences only, because people vary in what they find stressful --- will not help in identifying generally threatening social environments..
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Problems
! Can’t choose only extreme stressors ! Biological response not a necessary condition of a mental health response to stressors.
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Problems
! Typically, insidious, long-term, routine problems may not activate biologically based awareness.
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Problems
! Stressors have broader sociological consequences, spreading into many areas of life – not just an issue of mental health.
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Problems
! Translated to human research, stressors were thought to involve change by definition.. So only acute forms of stress evolved as the focus..
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Problems
extreme stressors are not only kind of stress no sense of what happened other than wondering how you got there alert system didn’t notice
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Problems
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Social Stress as Life Change Events
Key element of stress research was the problem posed by change, causing the need for adjustment and coping. ! Stressful Life Event...
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Social Stress as Life Change Events
! A discrete, observable, and objective event denoting a change in usual life conditions, patterns, or activities, requiring some social or psychological adjustment on the part of the individual.
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Social Stress as Life Change Events
``` ! Examples..... ! Fired from a job ! Getting a divorce ! Deaths of loved ones ! Assault ! End of a romantic relationship ! Miscarriage ```
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Multiple Forms of Stress
Does stress automatically involve change? Does it have to start with an event? ! Some things are stressful because they do not change.....
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Multiple Forms of Stress
! Refers to states or conditions of life that are persistently threatening and are not self- limiting. ! Is there a more general stress model?
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Multiple Forms of Stress
lack of change was not in early research
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Multiple Forms of Stress
! Smith (1986) --- The Stress Metaphor ! The study of the impact of external forces on the structural integrity of objects ! The Bridge Story.... ! and the search for causes ! The Engineering Model— ! Stress is an external force acting against a resisting body ! The stress becomes a stressor when it exceeds the limits of structural integrity... the elastic limit of the material (A next slide). ! The material adjusts by elongation or compression (coping), producing a greater elastic limit (B) ! ....Until an ultimate elastic limit is reached, and then “breakdown” (C)
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Two Two Stress Models...2) Engineering
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Two Two Stress Models...2) Engineering
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Two Two Stress Models...2) Engineering
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Two Two Stress Models...2) Engineering
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Two Two Stress Models...2) Engineering
difficulties talk about events, not conditions that reach limit
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Stress vs. Strain Curve
greater strength when elongated until ultimate limit | stress is external force + elastic limit is coping ability
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Stress vs. Strain Curve
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Beyond Life Events
In the engineering model, the phenomenology of stress varies... ! Two basic forms – ! Catastrophic events ! Continuous force ! Need to allow for social stress that is a continuous force in people’s lives ! Led to the concept of chronic stress (Pearlin et al., 1981, Wheaton, 1980.
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Beyond Life Events
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Beyond Life Events
catastrophic: life change events | continuous forces: weight consistently sitting on material
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Beyond Life Events
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Chronic Stress
Life events are acute, self-limiting, have a natural course and point of resolution, a clear onset and offset ! Chronic stressors, however,..... " develop insidiously; " are stable or continuous in nature; " are less self-limiting, and more open-ended; " can involve issues such as (besides threat, demands, and structural constraints): • Undue complexity; • Prolonged uncertainty; • Structured underreward; • Continuous conflict; and • Structured restriction of choice.
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Chronic Stress
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Chronic Stress
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Chronic Stress
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Chronic Stress
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Difference Phenomenology
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Difference Phenomenology
event stressor dissipates | chronic stressor: increases over time, stays with you
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Stress Universe
! Daily Hassles: the “irritating, frustrating demands that characterize everyday transactions with the environment.” ! Such as: traffic jams, grocery shopping, waiting in lines, losing things, house maintenance, the weather, street construction. ! Nonevents: “an event that is desired or anticipated but does not occur.” The unwanted waiting for a desired outcome ! Such as: not getting promoted, not getting married when you want to, not getting into a school you applied to, not getting a job you applied for
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Stress Universe
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Stress Universe
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Stress Universe
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Stress Universe
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Stress Universe
Traumatic Stressors: overwhelming, extreme experience, violent encounters with nature, technology, or other persons, more severe than life events. ! Such as: experience in combat, sexual assault, physical abuse, partner unfaithful, death of a child, natural disasters. ! Contextual Stressors: any form of stress that occurs at a level of social reality beyond the individual, such as in neighbourhoods, communities, workplaces, whole nations... ! Such as: recession, 9/11, Katrina, crime, downsizing,
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Stress Universe
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Stress Universe
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Stress Universe
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Two-way classification
continuum from most discrete to most continuous sudden traumas - life change events - daily hassles - nonevents - chronic stressors - chronic traumatic conditions
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Two-way classification
micro: divorce, discrimination meso: institutional stressor - downsizing, work-family conflict, neighbourhood crime, hurricane katrina macro: 9/11, recession social units that we share: university, community
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Levels of Social Reality
Micro: ! Individual is unique to the person: interpersonal. ! Meso: ! Proximal: Family, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces ! Distal: communities, social networks, regions. ! Macro: ! National, planet Earth....
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Levels of Social Reality
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Levels of Social Reality
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How do stressors combine in predicting mental health?
only study 1, underestimate effect of stress on ppl’s lives unique effects: whether stressor affects mental health 5/6 kinds of stressors have unique effects + each accumulates + adds on to stressors
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How do stressors combine in predicting mental health?
chronic stress is most important stress = biggest effects | centralized
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Main points
“Standardized Coefficients”: all stressors measured on the same scale --- comparable in size across stressors. ! Total vs. Unique Effects: Stressors occur in sequences over the life course. ! Unique effect: direct effects on mental health.
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Main points
! Total effects: overall effect on mental health, including impacts through other mediating stressors.
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Main points
! 5 of 6 stressors have independent effects in Stress Measurement study. ! Strongest impacts --- chronic stress, not life events ! Long-term: lifetime traumas ! Distinct: daily hassles. ! As usual: life events
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Main points
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Main points
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Stress Sequence
earlier stress can breed later stress reproduction of stress in adult life in terms of stressful life events which can lead to chronic stress then non events and daily hassles
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Growth in Stress Research: Contextual and Traumatic
growth in contextual stress after 9/11 traumatic stress since 1990 = have most potential to change lives dramatically - most damage sexual assualt, child abuse, witnessing violence changed focus in research in last 20 years
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Growth in Stress Research: Contextual and Traumatic
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Not just about stressors
(1970’s): Disappointing Findings about Life Events ! The .30 correlation.... ! Why? Four Hypotheses ! Trait Hypothesis: Stressors differ in their inherent characteristics, need to specify further (uncontrollable, negative, unscheduled) ! Differential Vulnerability: Differential access to coping resources results in differential vulnerability to stressors, so some people are affected a lot, some not at all. ! Context Hypothesis: Effect depends on context which determines level of threat. ! Stress Domain Hypothesis: Life events only a part of the Stress Universe --- need to specify all varieties of stress.
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Not just about stressors
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Not just about stressors
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Not just about stressors
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Not just about stressors
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Not just about stressors
why is correlation so modest? hypotheses in response trait: not all stressors are same didn’t work out differential: some ppl are more or less sensitive to stressors without looking at coping, we are just looking at avg context: history of exposure could habituate response stress domain: evidence operate somewhat independently chronic stressors are hard to pay attention to, but accumulate and have consequences
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differential vulnerability
b - .5 under conditions of high threat low threat: b= .1 gradual growth of distress avg of 2 groups - average line in middle - what we see miss responses of those who need our help

SOC363 (13 decks)

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