Stress - Managing Stress Flashcards
What was the study in stress inoculation therapy (SIT)?
Meichenbaum
What was the aim of Meichenbaum’s study?
To compare SIT with standard behavioural systematic desensitisation and a control group on a waiting list.
What was the method of Meichenbaum’s study?
A field experiment where students were assessed before and after treatment using self report and grade averages. It was a blind situation in that the people assessing them did not know which condition they had been in.
Who were the participants in Meichenbaum’s study?
21 students aged 17-25 who responded to an advert for treatment of test anxiety.
What was the design in Meichenbaum’s study?
Matched pairs with random allocation to the SIT therapy group, the waiting list control group or the standard systematic desensitisation (a behaviourist treatment) group. Although randomly allocated, gender was controlled to be equal in each group and also anxiety levels were matched in these groups.
What was the procedure of Meichenbaum’s study?
Each participant was tested using an anxiety questionnaire. They did some IQ tests and were then given a baseline score and allocated to their groups. In the SIT group, participants received 8 therapy sessions. They were given the ‘insight’ approach to help them identify their thoughts prior to the tests. They were then given some positive statements to say and relaxation techniques to use in test situations. In the systematic desensitisation group, participants were given 8 therapy sessions with progressive relaxation training which they were encouraged to practice at home. They were told to practice relaxation while imagining progressively more anxiety-causing situations. The control group were told they were on a waiting list and that they would receive therapy in the future.
What were the findings of Meichenbaum’s study?
Performance on the tests improved in the SIT group compared with the other two groups, although the significant difference was between the two therapy groups and the control group. Participants in the SIT group showed more reported improvements in their anxiety levels, although both therapy groups showed overall improvement compared to the control group.
What were the conclusions of Meichenbaum’s study?
SIT is an effective way of reducing anxiety in students who are anxiety prone in test situations. It is more effective than behavioural techniques such as systematic desensitisation, as it adds a cognitive component to the therapy.
What was the behavioural study on managing stress?
Budzynski
What was the aim of Budzynski’s study?
To see if previous research on biofeedback as a method of reducing tension headaches was due to the placebo effect or whether biofeedback was an effective method of reducing tension headaches.
What was the method of Budzynski’s study?
Experimental method, with patients being trained in a laboratory,and data collected by measuring muscle tension using an EMG (electromyography) feedback machine with electrodes on the muscles producing a graph of muscle tension. Patients were also given a psychometric test of depression (MMPI) and asked to complete questionnaires on their headaches.
Who were the participants in Budzynski’s study?
18 people who replied to an advertisement in a local newspaper in Colorado. Respondents were initially screened by telephone, and then underwent psychiatric and medical examinations to ensure there was no other reason for their headaches. There were 2 males and 16 females aged 22 - 44 with a mean age of 36.
What was the design of Budzynski’s study?
Independent design, the participants were randomly placed in 3 groups of 6. Group A had biofeedback sessions with relaxation training and EMG feedback. Group B had relaxation training but only had pseudo-feedback. This was a tape recording of real biofeedback, from another persons session, but it was obviously not linked to the participants relaxation. It controlled the use of noise, which might have influenced the outcome. Group C were the control group who were told they were on a waiting list, but asked to come to the laboratory for appointments to keep them in the study.
What was the procedure in Budzynski’s study?
For 2 weeks patients kept a record of their headaches, rating them from 0 (mild) to 5 (severe) every hour. This gave a baseline headache reading. They also completed the MMPI which tested depression, hysteria and hypochondria. Groups A and B were given 16 sessions of training over 8 weeks. Group A were taught relaxation and told that the clicks of the biofeedback machine would reflect their muscle tension. Group B were told to to concentrate on the varying clicks. Both groups were told to practice relaxation at home for two 15-20 minute sessions each day. Group C were told they would begin training in 2 months. Each participant recorded their headache activity. After 3 months Group A and B were given an EMG test and completed a questionnaire, plus the MMPI.
What were the findings of Budzynski’s study?
Group A’s muscle tension was significantly lower than Group B’s by the end of the training. Only Group A’s reported headaches dropped significantly from their baseline, and reduced. The MMPI tests showed high levels of hysteria, depression and hypochondriasis for all groups at the beginning of the study and after the end of the study these had reduced for all groups, most significantly Group A. Both groups reported better social relationships.
