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Psychology Unit 3 > Stress - Methods of Modifying > Flashcards

Stress - Methods of Modifying Flashcards

1
Q

What are the Methods of Modifying Stress?

A
  1. Beta Blockers

2. Stress Inoculation Training

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2
Q

Why are Beta Blockers Needed?

Explanation

A
  • Key aspect of body’s response to stress arousal of sympathetic nervous system - match physical symptoms use experience- increased blood pressure/heart rate - symptoms can cause long-term negative health effects (e.g. cardiovascular disorder)
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3
Q

How do Beta Blockers Work?

A
  • BBs have a antagonist action - work by reducing activity in sympathetic nervous system + reducing subsequent symptoms
  • Beta Adrenoceptor Blocking Agents = block receptor sits for the hormones adrenaline + noradrenaline
  • Adrenaline binds with target receptors stimulates associated muscles (causing heart to beat faster) - usual physical reaction to stress is dampened - breathing + heart rate doesn’t increase + person feels calmer + less anxious
  • Beta blockers don’t completely stop anxiety but mask outward signs
  • Useful for acute stress
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4
Q

What are the Types of Beta Blockers?

A
  1. Non-Selective

2. Selective

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5
Q

Describe Non-Selective Beta Blockers

A
  • Propanlol
  • Block adrenaline + nurodrenaline
  • Block beta 1 (B1) + beta 2 (B2
  • Affects heart/kidneys/liver/etc
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6
Q

Describe Selective Beta Blockers

A
  • Atenolol
  • Affects mostly the heart + therefore has less effect on the rest of the body
  • Only blocks Beta 1 (B1) - cause reduced cardiac output
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7
Q

Describe the Off-Label Use of Beta Blockers

A
  • Primarily prescribed + approved for high blood pressure + angina
  • Prescribed off-label for anxiety conditions
  • Manufacturer has not applied for licence for Beta Blockers to be used to treat anxiety - drug will not have gone under clinical Trial
  • Doctors feels prescribing Beta Blockers for anxiety has benefits outweigh any risk
  • Prescribed as a lower dose than that used for cardiac conditions
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8
Q

How Do Some Musicians use Beta Blockers?

A
  • Use to overcome stage fright + more able to perform under pressure
  • Lockwood (1989) = 2000 musicians in major Us orchestra - 27% use Beta Blockers for performance + 19% used it everyday
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9
Q

How are Beta Blockers Used in Sport?

A
  • Since 2010 all Beta Blockers have been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for all Olympic sports
  • In Golf 2015 Christian Bezuidenhout tested positive for BBs + faced a 2 year ban from golf - appealed as he was taking them for anxiety - ban was reduced to 9 months
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10
Q

What are Benzodiazepines?

A
  • Increase activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - increases serotonin - reduces arousal
  • BZs only used to help those suffering from severe stress in a short term crisis - HIGHLY ADDICTIVE
  • Causes drowsiness/impaired judgement - individuals need to be weaned off
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11
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Effectiveness
Benefits On Performance + Self-Reported Levels of Stress

A
  • Positive
  • Neftel (1982) = gave string players atenolol (BBs) or placebo 6 1/2 hours before performing - atenolol group had lower heart rates + were more able yo play complex parts of the music accurately - also reported less stage fright after performance compared with placebo
    HOWEVER
  • Schweizer (1991) = compared effects of different types of BBs in maths test - all BBs had expected physical effects there were differences in subjective ratings of stress amougst groups
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12
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Effectiveness
Benefits for Other Aspects of Stress

A
  • Schwabe 2011 study
  • Negative effects of stress is stressed people falling into bad habits (e.g. addiction) rather than focusing on important goals
  • Lab experiment concerning food rewards - 3 groups
    1. No Stress
    2. Stressed + BB
    3. Stressed + placebo
  • Findings - stress + placebo continued with habits formed
  • Stress + BBs just as goal directed as those that had received no stress - BBs prevented the stress induced bias towards habit behavior
  • Although research was in an artificial environment - potentially useful application of BBs for dealing with psychological effects of stress
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13
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Effectiveness
Long Term Effectiveness

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • BBs criticised for their long term effectiness
  • BBs don’t address the psychological + emotinal side
  • Root cause of stress + individual’s reaction to it may not be addressed
  • SIT may be more appropriate in giving individuals long term coping strategies to use across a range of situations
  • BBs may only be useful for specific performance based scenarios + may not work for chronic stress
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14
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Ethical Issues
Side Effectiveness

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Side effects tend to be mild + temporary (e.g. dizziness/diarrhoea/nausea/blurred vision/cold feet/cold hands/issues with sleep/shortness of breath)
  • Compared with BZs effects are minimal
  • Stopping taking BBs suddenly could cause problems (e.g. heart palpitations/higher blood pressure) as body will be so used to drug’s effects in slowing down sympathetic response - individual may become psychological dependent, feeling as they cannot cope without it
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15
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Ethical Issues
Use of Beta Blockers to Enhance Performance

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Ethical question
  • BBs are banned in most sports- suggesting that its unethical
  • Key parts of high level performance in sport is the ability to perform under pressure - providing an unfair advantage
  • BBs specifically don’t enhance performance - simply stop any anxiety interfering with performance
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16
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Social Implications
Off Label Use

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Due to off label use prescribing of BBs they’re well controlled + long term research is limited
  • Lin (2006) = proportion of off label BBs was an average of aprox. 52% of all BBs prescribed - creates a dilemma for health health professionals
17
Q

Beta Blockers Evaluation
Social Implications
Possible Over Prescriptions

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Statistics from prescribing +primary health + social care information centre (2014) = prescriptions of BBs (proponlol) rose by 7% between 2012/13
  • 7% increase may be due to an increase use for heart problems, medical professionals are concerned that they’re being over prescribed for stress
  • Anxiety becoming a bigger issue + treatment are limited - psychological therapists are more expensive - prescribing BBs may be more cost effective - unlikely to deal with root cause
18
Q

How did Meichenboum Describe SIT?

A
  • Individual should develop a form of coping before a problem arises so they are protected
19
Q

What is Inoculation?

A
  • Gives individuals experience of minor stressor that makes them more prepared + resilient
  • Help person develop coping mechanism + confidence in their ability to deal with stressful situation
  • The thing they encounter as part as inoculation process needs to be strong enough to make person’s deference aroused but not so strong that causes negative psychological effects
20
Q

Describe the Transactional Model

A
  • Identifies the importance of how person perceives the stressor + how the person sees these ability to cope with it
  • SIT aims to give people the tools to perceive stressor in different ways + therefore deal with it more effectively
21
Q

What is Constructive Narrative Perspective (CNP)

A
  • Individual are storytellers who construct tales about themselves
  • Nature of stories influence how they cope
  • Help people become more aware of behavior that may be hindering rather than helping
  • Helps person adopt a more constructive narrative when stressed
22
Q

What is SIT?

A
  • Flexible - exact nature is customised to individual
  • Therapy depends on stressor being experienced + tailored to clients exisiting coping abilities
  • Carried out over 8-15 sessions + follow up
  • Employed in a wide variety of settings
23
Q

What are the Stages of SIT?

A
  1. Conceptualisation
  2. Skills Acquisition + Rehearsal
  3. Application + follow through
24
Q

What is Concepualisation?

A
  • Relationship between client + trainer established
  • Open questions used to help increase the clients awareness of the nature + impact of stress + their existing coping strategies
  • Trainer also helps the client to reconceptualise their problems be breaking down stressor into smaller. more manageable amounts
25
Q

What is Skills Acquisition + Rehearsal?

A
  • Clients helped to acquire coping skills + consolidate those they have already
  • Important that any barriers that prevent them from being able to use strategies are removed
  • Once participant taught they need to be practiced + generalised to everyday settings
26
Q

What is Application?

A
  • Client practises applying coping skills in a variety of different situations that become increasingly more demanding
  • Techniques such as role play/modelling/imagine used
  • Taught to prevent relapse by rehearsing situations in which Stressors might reappear
  • Booster sessions used to make sure coping skills are being applied properly
27
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Effectiveness
Supporting Evidence

A
  • POSITIVE
  • Effective regardless of trainer experience
  • Saunders (1996) = reviewed 37 studies into effectiveness of SIT in workplace - concluded that effective enhancing performance under stress + reducing anxiety - improvements for high + low anxiety groups
  • Sheehy + Horon (1984) = SIT + effective on academic performance- 4 (90 minutes) sessions - lowered anxiety levels
28
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Effectiveness
Determining Which Part is Effective

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Difficult to pinpoint which component is effective part - all overlap with each other
  • Moses + Hollandsworth (1985) = randomly allocated 24 dental phonics to 4 conditions - some given only stage 1 while others given later stages - found no significant difference in terms of anxiety levels between groups - however more patients who received coping skills training went to their appointments - stage 1 alone was not effective
29
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Effectiveness
Comparison to Other Methods

A
  • A point to consider
  • Foa (1991/99) = carried out a series of studies comparing SIT + prolonged exposure - SIT + PE were both effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD + depression
  • Meichenbaum (2007) = Highlighted that in order to carry out their research som elements of SIT process were removed - not a fair compassion
30
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Effectiveness
SIT in the Military

A
  • A point to consider
  • Driskell + Johnstone (1998) = adopted SIT could be very useful in military
  • Stage 1 = aware of stress training + Stressors - appreciable physical response
  • Stage 2 = Control cognitive skills, focus on task - acquire skills in practical setting that resembles active service setting = intensity increases - improved performance
  • SIT = performance better in flight task
  • Assessing impact in real life situation is difficult
31
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Ethical Implications
Risk of Harm

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Process = cause distress??
  • Rehearse situation = cause a form of psychological harm
  • Compared to drug therapies the effect may be more long lasting - benefits outweigh costs
32
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Ethical Implications
SIT in the Military (pt.2)

A
  • NEGATIVE
  • Stressor too intense = counter productive
  • Directly exposed to stressor
  • Special forces = prepared for Acute but chronic stress
  • Trainers experienced feelings of despair
  • Prevent effective acquisition
33
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Social Implication
Stress in Society

A
  • POSITIVE
  • SIT shown to be useful across a larger range Stressors
  • Meichenbaum (2007) = highlights need for effective interactions to combat stress - given an increased range of stressor in society
34
Q

Stress Inoculation Training Evaluation
Social Implications
Impact on the Economy

A
  • POSITIVE
  • Effects of Stress + mental health has a cost on the NHS
  • Blumenthal (2002) = long-term effectiveness of stress management techniques- men with coronary heart disease given stress management training + compared to control (exercise regularly) - SMG experienced less health problems over 5 year follow up + health care costs were significantly less

Psychology Unit 3 (17 decks)

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