Social Psychological Explanations - Daily Hassles Flashcards
What are the four evaluation points of daily hassles?
Supporting evidence
Age differences
The scale may measure psychiatric problems
Issues with self-report techniques
Explain the evaluation point of supporting evidence for daily hassels (Ev point)
Research on 233 French Uni students - out of 41% who showed depressive symptomps, the biggest risk factor was the daily hassels they have
Explain the evaluation point of issues with self-report techniques (Ev - daily hassles)
Social desirability may effect the answer of participants as they may be less likely to admit if they suffer from hassels , this is significant as hassles may not be recorded
Explain the evaluation point of the scale may measure psychiatric problems and not hassles (Ev - Daily hassels)
Research asked 371 clinical psychologists to asses instruments such as the HSUP scale and found a large degree of overlap between items on the scales and symptoms of disorders (e.g DH = lack of sleep but = insomina etc)
Explain the evaluation point of age differences (Ev - Daily hassles)
Rsearch on nearly 1400 men ranging from 48-101 found that those between 48-70 have less hassels, as they get older, uplifts decrease, hassels increase = age must be considered
What is a daily hassle? (description - Daily hassle)
They are relatively minor day-to-day irritations that can trigger our stress response (e.g can’t find keys or problems at work)
What is an uplift? (description - Daily hassle)
They are positive experiences, which can neaturalise the effects of hassles by making us feel more positive as they give us a break or give us enough energy to sustain any coping strategy (e.g getting a good grade in a test)
What did research into the impact of hassles on stress and health do? (description - Daily hassle)
100 ppts were asked to complete the Hassels and Uplifts Scale (HSUP) for events in the past month, for 9 months and measure their mental health status and emotional response using questionaires
What did research into the impact of hassles on stress and health find? (description - Daily hassle)
They found a negative correlation between mental well-being and frequency of hassles and also claimed that hassles were a better predictor of well-being than life events
What are the 3 reasons why daily hassels may have an effect on people?
Accumulation
Amplification
Lack of social support
Explain the accumulation effect (3 reasons why daily hassles may have an effect on people)
A build up of stressors over time leads to the negative effects, each hassels individualy may not be too stressful, but lots experienced together may cause long term feelings of stress, as they are often daily
Explain amplification (3 reasons why daily hassles may have an effect on people)
Its possible that chronic stress as a result of life changes makes people more vunerable to the effects of daily hassels, as their ‘resources’ are already depleted, they find minor stressors harder to deal with
Explain lack of social support (3 reasons why daily hassels may have an effect on people)
Research asked 320 students to read a story describing someone who had experienced a daily hassel or a life event, then were asked to rate the amount of social support the person would seek/receive from others
Life events = high support but daily hassels wasn’t so suggests reason why they hit is because people don’t seek help
