stress Flashcards
define an life change as a source of stress? why is it stressfull?
“a significant infrequent event that causes stress”
because we have to expand our psychological enegry coping with them
what does LCU and SRRS mean?
life changing units
social readjustment scale
who investigated LCU? describe his investigation
RAHE
he investigated the link between LCU and illness. 2,500 male naval personal completed the SRRS and total LCU was calculated. they embarked on a 7m tour in which the ship doctor recorded illness in terms of frequency and severity and they were assigned an illness score. he found a significant correlation between illness scores and LCU.
who invented the SRRS and how did they does this?
HOLMES and RAHE
they examined the records of 5000 Ps and complied a list of 43 life events which occurred prior the onset of illness. they then devised a scale yo measure the impact of different life events by asking 394 Ps to give a rating.
what are the top 3 on the SRRS scale?
1 death of a spouse
2 divorce
3 jail time
give 2 positive and 2 weakness of the SRRS
easy to use and replicate
culturally specific because it was made in the USA, which questions its ability to generalise
retrospective questionnaire
evaluate life events causing stress, give 3 weakness including LAZARUS
LAZARUS suggests that daily hassles are more important because the accumulation of many minor stressors is greater than fewer major events
LCU and illness are only correlated, this doesn’t mean one caused the other which questions internal validity
individual differences, not all life events affect us all in the same way
what are the 2 significant aspects when considering work place stress?
control- the degree of freedom a worker had to perform their job how they wish
workload- amount of work
describe decision latitude
the degree of control you have over what you do
when is work place stress at its highest
when workload is high and control is low
what 2 psychologists investigated work place stress?
MARMOT and JOHANSSON
describe research into workplace stress
MARMOT, the whitehall study
investigated the link between work place stress and heart disease in regard to social class. there were difference in health outcomes between workers in lower-grade jobs and higher grade jobs.
results- employees reporting having a lower degree of control were more likely to have CHD 5 years later. a later study identified that this wasnt affected by individual differences or coping skills.
JOHANSSON, the swedish sawmill
2 groups, wood ‘finishers’ who jobs was repetitive, they were cut off from other workers and it was demanding. it carried a lot of responsibility because the wages of everyone else depended on the finishers. 2nd group the cleaners who had more control and greater flexability and more responsibility. the researcher measured employee illness and adrenaline and noradrenaline once before leaving home and 3 times during the day.
results- higher level of stress hormones in the finishers. these hormones increased during the day but the cleaners decreased. there was more stress related illness among the finishers and higher absenteeism.
evaluate work as a source of stress, including 2 weaknesses involving GYOVKOS and MELER
cultural differences; GYOVKOS reviwved cross-cultural studies and found that a lack of control was seen as stressful in individualistic culture but desirable in collectivist culture. this therefore lacks generalisability
higher levels of control can also be stressful, MELER used a questionairee to measure feelings of stress and found that employees reported feeling more strain in jobs that gave them more control
define imminosypression in terms of role of stress in illness
stress can cause illness by preventing the immune system from working effectively.
whats the difference between natural and specific immunity
natural is non-specific, the body detects pathogens which stimulates NK cells. this response is quick and is our first line of defence
specific develops over days as blood cells begin to recognise the pathogen and produce specific anti-bodies to kill them
describe riley studies into immuniosation, give 1 strength and 1 weakness
RILEY investigated this using mice. stress was created by putting mice on a rotating table, he measured the mices white blood cell count after 5 hours and found a decrease.
S- behaviorists would support this because animals and humans are biologically the same
W- ethics
describe klecolt-gaser study using medical students, give 1 strength and 1 weakness
investigated exams on 75 medical students. they gave blood months prior to their exam and on the day of their exam. they also completed a questionnaire on stress. results- the NK cells decreased. this decline was more apparent in students that had reported feeling lonely. therefore exam stress reduces immune function.
S- methological, took direct measures of immune function
W- questionnaires are prone to demand characteristcs
what studies investigated acute and chronic stress in relation to illness?
WILBERT-LAMPEN investigated acute stress in the germany world cup, when germany played heart attacks emerged by 2.66
YUSUF investigated chronic stress, he investiagted 52 counties trying to discover the major factor of CVD, they compared 15000 people who had had a heart attack. they found that stress was a greater cause than obesity and 3rd to smoking and cholesterol levels
describe COHEN investigation into stress and illness, give 3 weaknesses
he investigated the link between stress and the cold virus. 2 conditions; ps were injected with the virus and ps were injected with a harmless solution. they also completed a questionnaire which indicated the number of stressors in the year and how much they felt they could cope. ps went on to show signs of infection but only 33% developed a cold. there was a positive correlation between stress and cold symptoms.
1 retrospective recall meaning they could misremember
2 only measured illness outcome not immune system functioning
3 ps could develop complications
what are the 3 ways of measuring stress (self report scales)
uplifts
SRRS and LCU
skin conductance response
who invented uplifts and what does it consist of? give 2 weaknesses
KANNER, he proposed the hassles and uplifts scale to measure stress. the daily hassles consisted of items including boring job, washing dishes. the scale measures the severity of each hassles; mild, moderate or extreme. the uplifts included getting enough sleep. the individual identifies all the uplifts and indictes how often they’ve experienced them over a specific period
1 rather than protecting illness, these scales reflect it
2 researchers believe that self-report are too compromised with methological issues that they should be abandoned
describe skin conductance as a measurement of stress, give a strength and weakness
when we experience stress the automatic NS becomes aroused and we sweat more. this can be easily detected in the hand so electrodes are attaches to our middle and index finger. a tiny current is applied to measure how much electricity is being conducted. the more sweat the more conductance.
S- supported by biological explanations which suggests that stress activates the autonomic NS leading to an increase in sweating
W- individual differences in sweat proclamation
in terms of skin conductance response, what does toxic conductance and phasic conductance refer to?
toxic- researcher measures a persons baseline skin conductance
phasic- measures it again after asking questions
describe the characteristics of a person with type A, B and C personaility
A- highly competitive, hostile/aggressive, impatient and fast talking/thinking
B- opposite of A, they’re relaxed and easy going
C- ‘people pleasers’ who strive to be compliant and patient. they suppress their own negative emotions to avoid conflict
describe research into type A personality and CHD
type A personality are twice more likely to suffer from CHD compared to type B
ROSEMAN examined the relationship between type A and CHD. it involved 3500 men who completed a questionaire to see if they were type A or B. the Ps were also interviewed in a way to incite type A behaviour. they were studied over 8 1/2 years during which 7% developed signs of CHD, 66% were identified as type A.
type A had higher blood cholesterol and adrenaline and noradrenaline. these hormones led to increase fatty acids which may led to a heart attack.
describe research into type C
DATTORE studied 200 war veterans, 75 of whom had cancer. these cancer suffers reported greater suppression of emotions and fewer symptoms of depression
evaluate type C personality, 1 strength regarding GREER and MORRIS and 1 weakness
S- GREER and MORRIS found a link between type C and breast cancer in women under 50.
W- however come studies have found no link between type C therefore the relationship between type C and cancer isnt straight forward and probably moderated by different factors
evaluate the link between type A personality and illness, give 2 weaknesses including BAREFOOT
1- BAREFOOT indicated that hostility linked to CHD rather than personality. law students were given a questionnaire in order to measure hostility rates. those with high hostility were 5x more likely to die before 50
2- culturally biased- was studied in the USA. gender bias, type A or B has different effects on health depending on female or male
what are the psychological methods of dealing with stress?
stress inoculation therapy is designed to reduce anxiety.
and biofeedback that enables Ps to learn to control
what is Ellis theory for stress inoculation therapy
ellis maintained that people become habituted to their irrational beliefs resulting in anxiety. clinets are taught to tune into their thoughts in order to change meladaptive thinking
CONCEPTUALISATION- begin to understand that stressors can be overcome
skill acquisition- learn social skills, relaxation skills and communication skills. theyre taught coping self statements e.g. you can do this
real life applications- role play to practise skills. homework is issued and the clinent gives weekly updates. also teaches how to deal with set backs
evaluate stress inoculation therapy
S can be tailored to individual needs. this isnt possible with drug therapies
W involves heavy involvement from the clients which means drop out rates are high
describe biofeedback
turns physiological processes into signals that clients can learn to control.
electrodes are attached to your skin which sends signals to a display monitor. the therapist helps you pracitse relaxation techniques ( deep breathing, guided imagery and mindfulness meditation) which you can fine-tune to control different bodily functions.
evaluate biofeedback
S LEMAIRE trained doctors to use biofeedback 3 times a day for 28 months. they completed questionaires on their perception of stress, the stress scores came back lower after 28 days compared to control
W inidividual differences for biofeedback to work the client needs to be able to understand the relationship between their thought processing and their body and need to be highly motivated
W found that biofeedback was no better than CBT or no treatment at all
describe emotion focused coping in gender differences
involves trying to reduce the negative emotional responses associated with stress
emotional disclosure- involves expressing strong emotion by talking about negative events
describe tend befriend in gender differences
a womens repsonse to stress. tending is protecting and nurturing offspring and befriending for social suport at times of stress rather than confronting the stress
describe problem focused coping in gender differences
a mens repsonse to stress. targets the causes of stress in a practical way which tackles the problem and therefore reduces the stress. it aims to remove the cause of stress through problem solving, time management and social support
describe oxytocin in gender differences
the hormone which makes us feel good and connected to others. it helps the body to recover more quickly from stress. TAYLOR found that high levels of oxytocin and low corisol in her female Ps
evaluate gender differences in coping with stress, PORTER AND STONE
S role restraint theory says that men and women have different coping styles because they face different stressors
W PORTER and STONE point out that gender differences are related to stressor not gender.
which psychologist identified the different types of social support and what are they?
SHAEFER
instrumental (practical)
emotional
esteem
what was COHENS research into social support
phoned 404 healthy Ps nightly to record how many hugs they had revieved that day. they also completed a questionaire to access perceived social support. stress was measured in terms of conflict. Ps were then exposed to cold virus. the Ps who experienced the most conflict became ill. those who had high social support had reduced riskcof illness and those who had most frequent hugs were less likely to become injected
evaluate the role of social support, FENZY
S FANZY allocated people with cancer to a support group with instrumental support. after 6 weeks the Ps had better NK cells than the control
W what matters is who provides the support and what type they give. emotional support is welcomed from friends and family but instrumental support is welcomed from professionals. support is more benefical when it is sought rather than when it is imposed
cultural variations- american asians are less likely to seek social support they were concerned not to disrupt the dynamics of the group
What are the 2 types of stressors
ACUTE- stressors that have a short term duration. This triggers the SAM pathway
CHRONIC- stressors that have a long term duration. This triggers the HPA pathway
Describe general adaptation syndrome GAS and who came up with it
SEYLE- long-term stress can be harmful
Stage 1- ALARM a stressor is received which activates the HPA and SAM. As a result cortisol surges, heart rate increase and energy reserves are mobilised in preparation for fight or flight
Stage 2- RESISTANCE the body attempts to adapt to stressful situation by resisting the stressor. Physiological activity is high which uses a lot of energy. The bodies resources are being consumed at a potentially harmful rate. Therefore the parasympathetic NS is activates to conserve energy for the long term
Stage 3- EXHAUSTION adaption to chronic stress is now failing because the resources to resist have become around. The individual begins to re-experience stage 1 symptoms. The adrenal gland may become damaged and immune system compromised stress related illness is now likely
Evaluate the GAS
S seyle experimented on rats, subjecting them to various stressors; extreme cold and and surgical injury. He concluded that the same stress remained occurred with all stressors. He then recorded the rats response to continuing stress through resistance and exhaustion providing evidence for GAS
W the key to the GAS is the idea that the stress is non-specific regardless of stressor. MASON replicated SEYLES procedure using 7 stressors with monkeys. He measured the monkeys levels of urinary cortisol levels, extreme heat reduced them and excessive exercise procured no change
Describe the pituitary adrenal gland (HPA)
Hypothalamus
Pituitary gland releases ACTH which travels to the adrenal gland
This stimulates the adrenal cortex to release corticosteroids
These convert fats and proteins into energy and also suppressed the immune system
Describe sam pathway sympathomedullary
Hypothalamus
Sympathetic NS which has direct connections via neurons to the adrenal medulla which release adrenaline and noradrenaline
Stimulates fight or flight response- increase heart rate, blood pressure etc
What is the hypothalamus
“It controls the autonomic NS and detection of all hormones released by piturity gland”
What is the adrenal gland
“Compromises the adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex”
Piturity gland
“Releases ACTH which stimulates the adrenal cortex to release corticosteroids”
Corticosteroids
“Corticosteroids converts fats to energy”
Evaluate the physiology of stress
Male bias
Psychological
Male bias; there are evolutionary disadvantages for females in the fight or flight response leaving her children would leave them vulnerable. TAYLOR describes the ‘tend befriend’ in which a threat is met with tending of offspring and befriending of other females to provide social support, therefore these results can’t be generalised to females
Psychological factors are ignored; LAZARUS argues that we make appraisals of a stressor by working out if it’s a threat (primary appraisals) and it we have the resources to deal with it (secondary)
What is the major criticism of life changes as a source of stress as suggested by LAZARUS
SRRS as it only accounts for acute life events requiring readjustments, also doesn’t ask Ps to indicate how they feel about the event. LAZARUS argued that ongoing daily hassles are more significant in terms of health
Who developed the daily hassles scale (DHS) and what was it
KANNER
Developed the daily hassles scale. It is a 177-item self-report scale, developed to measure everyday sources of stress and annoyance over the past moments. ps are the indicate if they’ve experienced each event but also their experience in terms of severity
DHS scores correlate with illness
Evaluate daily hassles as a source of stress
S ps were given daily hassles scale and SRRS to compete. Daily hassles were found to be more closely related to poor health
W however research into daily hassles is retrospective, daily hassles are minor and can be easily forgotten
Amplification hypothesis suggests that daily hassles contribute to ill health at times when we experience life changes. Research wld be better focused on how they act together
W they’re only correlated
What are the 2 drug methods in managing and coping with stress
Benzodiazepines
Beta blockers
Describe benzodiazepines
They’re commonly used for anxiety. They increase the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA which is an inhibitory
Benzos binds to the GABA receptors and therefore reduces the activity of other neurotransmitters
By increasing this inhibitory actions of the GABA, benzos therefore produce greater inhibition of neurotransmitters making us feel less anxious
Describe beta blockers
These block receptors for adrenaline in the sympathetic NS. This reduces heart rate and therefore stops symptoms of the SAM pathway.
There are different types: some act on heart only and others in heart blood vessels and lungs.
They reduce anxiety without altering consciousness and therefore adrenal for people who want to remain alert
Evaluate drugs as managing and coping with stress
Side effects- weight gain or paradoxical reactions which include criminal behaviour. Treat the symptoms not the cause, they give short term relief
Dependency- become dependent on BZ because they need more of the drug overtime and experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking them
ASHTON argues it is possible to manage withdrawal syndrome if done carefully with support
what personality protects people from stress and who was interested in it and what was her research
hardiness
KOBASA
devised a questionaire to measure hardiness. she measured the life changes of 670 male americans middle and senior managers. she found that managers didnt all repsond to stress in the same way. some where resilliant because they tolerated high levels of stress wothout becoming ill, she found that resilliant managers scored high on the 3CS
what are the 3 dimensions of hardiness
commitment- individuals sense of involvement and purpose in life. hardy people are deepy involved in everything they do, theyre very optimistic
challenge- hardy people view change as an opportunity rather than problem. theyre resilient. they learn from stressful situations
control- hardy people strongly believe that they have control over their life. they strive to influence rather than become powerless
