Stress - Causes of Stress

Question 1

What is stress?

Answer 1

It is the physiological and/or psychological reaction that occurs when an individual is excessively pressured and worries that they cannot cope.

Question 2

What was the aim of Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress?

Answer 2

To investigate whether repetitiveness, machine-paced and high responsibility work can increase stress and stress related illnesses.

Question 3

What method was used in Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress?

Answer 3

Quasi experiment. (workers were already defined as being at high or low risk of stress related illnesses.

Question 4

Describe the sample used in Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress.

Answer 4

24 Swedish Sawmill workers. 14 high risk “finishers”, 10 low risk cleaners/maintenance workers.

Question 5

How was data collected in Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress?

Answer 5

1. Level of stress hormones - adrenaline and noradrenaline - in urine measured on work and rest days.
2. Self reports completed by workers on mood and alertness.
3. Records of stress related illness and absenteeism.
4. Records of caffeine and nicotine consumption of each worker.

Question 6

What were the results of Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress.

Answer 6

• High risk group secreted twice as much adrenaline and noradrenaline on work days than on rest days.
• High risk group secreted more adrenaline and noradrenaline than the low risk group.
• High risk group showed significantly higher levels of stress related illness and absenteeism than the cleaners/maintenance workers.

Question 7

What conclusions were made from Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress?

Answer 7

• A combination of work stressors (repetitiveness, machine paced work and high responsibility) can lead to chronic physiological arousal, which causes stress-related illnesses and absenteeism.

Question 8

What are 3 strengths of Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress?

Answer 8

+ 4 data collection methods - high concurrent validity.
+ Urine sample analysis increases scientificity of the study.
+ 3/4 were objective measures of stress.

Question 9

What are 3 weaknesses of Johansson’s 1984 study on work as a cause of stress?

Answer 9

• Ethnocentric and small sample. All participants were Swedish, all worked at the same Sawmill.
• Reductionist, as it assumes that work is the only possible cause of stress in participants - could be health of family member, relationship with partner/spouse or even daily hassles that are causing stress.
• Low external validity, as the study only investigated one job sector - other jobs may not cause as much stress.

Question 10

What was the aim of Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 10

To investigate whether daily hassles or life events cause more stress.

Question 11

What was used to measure the effect of daily hassles in Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 11

Hassles and Uplifts scale.

Question 12

What was used to measure the effect of life events in Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 12

The Berkman life events scale.

Question 13

What was used to measure stress in Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 13

The Hopkins Symptom Checklist.

The Bradburn Morale scale.

Question 14

What method was used in Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 14

A repeated measures design. (each participant completed the hassles and uplifts scale AND the Berkman life events scale.

Question 15

What was the sample used in Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 15

100 people who had previously completed a health survey in 1965. Of the 216 who were initially contacted, 109 agreed to take part and then 9 of those that agreed dropped out, leaving 100.

Question 16

What was the procedure of Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 16

1. Participants were asked to complete the hassles and uplifts scale once per month for 9 months.
2. Participants were asked to complete the Berkman life events scale ONCE after 10 months.
3. Participants were asked to complete the Hopkins symptom checklist and the Bradburn Morale scale every month for 9 months.

Question 17

What were the results of Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 17

• Hassles were consistent from month to month.
• The more life events men reported, the more hassles they reported, but the less uplifts they reported.
• The more life events women reported, the more hassles AND uplifts they reported.
• The frequency of hassles correlated positively with psychological symptoms of stress more than life events did.(hassles contribute more to stress than life events do)

Question 18

What conclusions were made from Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 18

• Hassles are a more powerful/accurate predictor of stress than life events are.
• Hassles contribute to psychological symptoms of stress, whatever life events have occurred.

Question 19

What are 3 strengths of Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 19

+ High internal reliability - self reports

+ Concurrent validity - HSCL and BMS.

+ Repeated measures design negates effect of individual differences.

Question 20

What are 3 weaknesses of Kanner’s 1981 study on Hassles and Life events as a cause of stress?

Answer 20

• Self reports - demand characteristics/SDB.
• Practice/fatigue effects - repeated measures design.
• Potentially invasive/unethical - life events and even hassles could be personal information.

Question 21

What was the aim of Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 21

To investigate whether perceived control or actual control can reduce stress responses to adverse stimuli.

Question 22

What method was used in Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 22

Lab experiment.

Question 23

What was the sample used in Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 23

60 Psychology Undergraduates from a New York University.

Question 24

Describe the procedure and the situation for each group in Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 24

Participants were divided up into 3 groups/conditions.

Group 1: Given control. Could press a button to terminate the image and were told that a tone would precede each image.

Group 2: Warned that photos would be 60 seconds apart, that each photo would last for 35 seconds and that a 10 second warning tone would preede each photo.

Group 3: Told that every now and then there would be a pictures and tones, but were not given any timings or control.

Each participant was wired up to a GSR (galvanic skin response) and an ECG monitor. The participants relaxed for 5 minutes while the machine was able to calibrate and a baseline heart rate and skin measurement could therefore be recorded. Instructions were read over an intercom and the GSR measurements were taken at the start of the tone, during the second half of the tone and in response to the picture.

Question 25

Describe the results of Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 25

• Group 2 showed the highest levels of stress.

- Group 1 showed the lowest levels of stress.

Question 26

What conclusions were made from Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 26

• Having control over your environment can reduce stress responses.
• Having no control over the environment, but knowing what is about to happen induces the most stress.

Question 27

What are 3 strengths of Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of Control as a cause of stress?

Answer 27

+ Objective measures of stress were used. (GSR)

+ Lab experiment, so high control of extraneous variables —> cause & effect.

+ High internal reliability.

Question 28

What are 3 weaknesses of Geer and Maisel’s 1972 study on Lack of control as a cause of stress?

Answer 28

• Low concurrent validity - no ECG.
• Reductionist - assumes that lack of control at that time was the only factor causing stress.
• Ethnocentric and small sample. Also Psych graduates.
  Therefore less useful.