Stress Flashcards
Opening stress paragraph
Stress is any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. It can be acute (everyday pressures with no long-term damage), episodic acute (frequent stress that causes a person to be angry and abrupt in their lifestyle choice), or chronic (wears away at them day after day causing serious health effects and is usually something an individual can not change). It is worthy of investigation as it can be detrimental to one’s health; better understanding of stress can decrease our risk of developing or aggravating non-communicable diseases. This explanation of stress (the __ perspective) explains stress as a result of (hormones, appraisal, hierarchy).
Bio approach to stress first paragraph
- physiological changes to the body are the result of the body responding to a stressor/threat from the environment. Our body is prepared to fight the threat or run away. This is known as fight-or-flight.
- This response is triggered by the hypothalamus which activates the SNS and the adrenal-cortical system. The SNS speeds up the bodies senses and increases alertness. Epinephrine and norepinephrine is released. This leads to increased HR, BP, pull dial action, and immune/digestive system suppression to allow more energy for emergency functions.
- Adrenal-cortical system is also activated which releases glucose into the bloodstream quickly.
- FOF is our stress response that is meant to be only short term but it has been argued that our stress response has been activated too often in daily life.
- An extension of the FOF model is the GAS model which explains how stress can cause physiological responses.
- Three stages include - alarm stage: hypothalamus activates FOF response. Resistance stage: adrenal cortex continues to release glucocorticoids to suppress the immune system until the stressor is resolved. Exhaustion: the body is unable to cope with the stress and major health effects occur. Revolvers: stressor is gone and coping was successful.
Bio approach key study 1
Kiekolt-Glaser et al (1984)
Aim: to investigate if the stress of an important exam had an effect on the body’s immune functioning.
Method: (natural experiment) using 75 volunteer medical students. Blood tests were taken 1 month before exams and after they had completed the first two exams. They assessed immune functioning by measuring the amount of natural killer cells (t-cells) in the immune system. They also completed scales of life events, bodily symptoms, and satisfaction with interpersonal contacts.
Results: a significant decrease in t-cells in the second blood sample. The high-stress exam situation had diminished the effectiveness of the immune system. Students who felt the loneliest also had the lowest t-cell count.
Conclusion: supports GAS model; as our body becomes more exhausted trying to deal with a stressful situation, we are more likely to become ill.
Kiecolt-glaser evaluation
+ objective measure of physiological response//immune suppression = less researcher bias -> high internal validity.
+ good predictive validity (applicability) as student will experience these stressors and we can assume the physiological responses will be the same.
+ results show p’s behaviour = similar and therefore there is a higher generalisability -> less biases.
- age bias: average age = 23 therefore can’t expect all ages to act the same.
- natural experiment = less control over extraneous variables although (+) they did somewhat measure participant variables.
Bio key study 2
Newcomer et al (1999)
Aim: to investigate the effects of cortisol on one’s VDM.
Method: 18 p’s between ages of 18-30 used w/ informed consent. P’s were from Washington uni med center. They heard a paragraph and had to recall as many ideas as possible in one of 3 conditions: high cortisol (160mg/day tablet), low cortisol (40mg/day), placebo. The experiment was a double blind procedure that ran over 4 days (1 pill/day).
Results: high cortisol performed the worst, low cortisol showed no VDM decrease. Placebo improved over the 4 days. High cortisol impairs performance on memory tasks.
Conclusion: cortisol impairs VDM as it interferes with STM to LTM transfer of memories from the hippocampus and therefore stress decreases VDM.
Evaluation of FOF model/ GAS model.
FOF:
T - response can be measured objectively and variables explain differences in results.
E - most support = lab experiments but has low ecological validity because p’s know they are being investigated which may increase stress.
U - unbiased as it is universally biological.
GAS:
T - low testability as one can not see the differences between the stages.
U - unbiased
P - provides a more detailed explanation with the parameters defined.
Bio approach power paragraph
Breaker et al (2003)
Measured the volume of the hippocampus of those who have experienced extreme stress. They used war veterans (some had PTSD) and female survivors of childhood SA. After a memory test and MRI scan, they found defects in the STM (mem test) and MRI’s showed hippocampus was smaller compared to control group. Most memory problems led to the smaller hippocampus. This shows a clear correlation between years of abuse, memory problems, and volume of the hippocampus.
Cog approach first paragraph
Cog explanation for stress follows the cog appraisal theory/transactional model which argues the interaction between cognitive and physiological responses leads to how we experience stress. Lazarus and Folkman’s model defines stress as both environmentally and individually driven. The theory argues our appraisal of environmental stressor leads to emotional response.
A stressor from our environment is perceived by an individual in primary appraisal. If it is deemed dangerous or threatening, it moves to secondary appraisal. This determines if the body has the resources to cope with it. If not we experience stress. To overcome this stress, we begin coping. This is either problem-focused or emotion-focused. Then we learn from the experience in re-appraisal.
Cog appraisal theory evaluation
T - researchers measure objectively but it is hard to measure outside of these (primary, secondary…)
E - bio evidence supports theories link to stress and negative health effects.
A - we can change our appraisal to stressful situations which should minimise our physiological response / stress damage.
C - defined by hard to prove/differentiate.
U - objectively measured but cultural differences could play a role as our appraisal may be different depending on how one was raised.
P - predicts how we respond to stressor.
Cog approach key study 1
Speisman et al (1964)
Aim: to investigate if it was possible to manipulate the p’s emotional reaction to an unpleasant film about genetically mutilation.
Method: young male college students were asked to watch a film about a tribal initiation ceremony which included genital mutilation. 3 conditions included 3 different soundtracks: 1) trauma condition which emphasised pain, 2) denial condition which emphasised the participants as willing and happy, 3) intellectualisation condition which provided an anthropological interpretation of the events. They measured levels of arousal and stress during the film and p’s answered questions on their response.
Results: denial and intellect = significantly less stress than trauma condition. They suggest that stress is not intrinsic to the unpleasant film, but relies on the p’s appraisal of it.
Conclusion: supports the theory of interpretation creating stress rather than the event itself.
Speisman et al evaluation
+ lab setting = high control (same film - cause effect relationship)
+ data triangulation = more reliable results
+ objective means no researcher biases
- lacks mundane realism
- unethical - subject to emotional distress
- gender bias (all males) therefore can not generalise.
Cog approach key study 2
Kiekolt-Glaser et al (1984)
Aim: to investigate if the stress of an important exam had an effect on the body’s immune functioning.
Method: (natural experiment) using 75 volunteer medical students. Blood tests were taken 1 month before exams and after they had completed the first two exams. They assessed immune functioning by measuring the amount of natural killer cells (t-cells) in the immune system. They also completed scales of life events, bodily symptoms, and satisfaction with interpersonal contacts.
Results: a significant decrease in t-cells in the second blood sample. The high-stress exam situation had diminished the effectiveness of the immune system. Students who felt the loneliest also had the lowest t-cell count.
Conclusion: supports GAS model; as our body becomes more exhausted trying to deal with a stressful situation, we are more likely to become ill.
Cog approach power paragraph.
Optimism and pessimism are based on human appraisal and own perception of life and events ahead of them.
Jobin et al found that pessimist have higher baseline stress levels than optimists and that with a higher average stress, their cortisol levels were elevated for longer than optimists.
Another study showed that optimistic women with breast cancer were more likely to have indicated that they had accepted their situation and used more humour to cope. They demonstrated lower levels of stress after their surgery.
However, it has been shown that when information is more relevant to an optimists, they are more likely to remember it. This suggests that optimism may not be linked to better health, but rather a disengagement with information that challenges them. This may lead to disengagement with potential negative outcomes.
Sociocult approach first paragraph
Our world is defined by hierarchies which are a method of categorisation whereby people are stratified into one group based on socioeconomic status (income, race, gender, etc.) Hierarchies are a huge part of human identity as they dictate how much power we have, how freely we live our lives, who we become friends with, how we behave, etc. Not only are hierarchies heavily inter grated into human lives, but also into animal’s lives. Sapolski investigated the social hierarchies of baboons and the relationship between stress and rank. He found that subordinate males had higher levels of cortisol than higher ranking baboons. Lower ranking baboons were also more likely to suffer from hypertension (liked to heart disease). This demonstrates the effect of status and rank on stress which is what the sociocultural approach aims to explain. Socioeconomic stressors can cause long term chronic stress. Control increases power to make decisions and thus alter working conditions.
Soc hierarchies eval
T - prevalent in humans and animals however, animal testings can not be extrapolated to human stress as we do not experience the same lifestyle.
E - bio evidence with animal is similar to the evidence found in humans however, our hierarchies are much different to those of other primates and animals can not be used to explain human behaviour: we are just too different.
A - applicable to the workplace as companies may re-evaluate their workload to employees and place a much higher value on respecting others regardless of rank.
C - meh
U - hierarchies exist every where for humans but differ based on culture/values and also cultural/racial/age/gender differences may impact this.
P - predicts increase in stress for lower ranking in the hierarchy.
