Stress: SIT (Modifying Behaviour) Flashcards
Who came up with SIT?
Miechenbaum
What does SIT stand for?
Stress Inoculation Training
What points can be made about SIT?
Innoculation
Importance of Perception
Process of SIT
How does SIT innoculate people against stress?
Gives them minor stressors so they are better able to deal with big ones and develop coping mechanisms
Why is the severity of the stressor given important?
It needs to be big enough to cause sympathetic arousal but small enough not to cause any psychological harm
How is perception important?
Uses the transactional model so how people perceive their ability to cope
Constructive natative perspective: People become theirr own story tellers and are more in control of negative behaviours
How is the transactional model of stress used?
SIT gives people the tools to perceive their stressor in a different way so are more effective in dealing with it.
How is the constructive narative perspective used?
People are able to construct their own naratives and those around them so feel more in control and are more aware of negative behaviours hindering their progress
What is the process of SIT?
Conceptualisation
Skills Acquisition
Application
How long does SIT normally last for?
8-15 sessions with some follow ups
What is conceptualisation?
A relationship is established between client and therapist
The client becomes more self aware and re thinks their problem by breaking it down into smaller, more managable componants
What is skills acquisition?
The client is taught coping skills and any barriers preventing sucess are removed.
Stratergies can be generalised to help in every day life
What is the application part of SIT?
The client applies the coping skills to real life situations that increase in severity. Their relapses are seen as learning opportunities
What points can be made when evaluating the effectiveness of the study?
Studies
Which part is effective?
Comparison to other methods
What were the supporting studies?
Saunders
Sheehy and Horan
What was Saunder’s supporting study into effectiveness?
Reviewed 37 studies of effectiveness in the workplace and found it helped to enhance performance in stressful situations in both high and low anxiety groups regardless of the experiance of the trainer
What was Sheehy and Horan’s supporting study into effectiveness?
Effect on anxiety in law students and found they had lower levels of anxiety over time
4 weekly sessions 90 minutes each
What can we say about which part of SIT is effective?
All phases are inter-linked so it’s impossible to know
Moses and Hollandsworth tried to seperate out componants and found those with coping skills were more likely to follow through
What did Moses and Hollandsworth investigate?
Which componant of SIT was effective
What was Moses and Hollandworth’s study?
Randomly selected 24 people with a fear of dentists and gave each group one componant of SIT. Those with coping skills were more likely to go to appintments so application is important.
How does SIT compare to other methods?
Foa compared SIT to prolonged exposure with victims of sexual assult and found both were effective in reducing PSD but PE was better at reducing general levels of anxiety so is better
Text may not have been fair
Who compared SIT and PE?
Foa
What other therapy is SIT compared to?
Prolonged Exposure
What does PE stand for?
Prolonged Exposure
Why might have comparisons between PE and SIT not have been fair?
Some parts of SIT were changed for Foa’s study
What are the ethical implications of the therapy?
Risk of harm
Use in the military
How might SIT have a risk of harm?
Rehersing situations the client finds stressful may have a negative effect. But as it has long-lasting benifits, the benifits may outweigh the costs
How is SIT used in the military?
Soldiers get direct exposure to a variety of stressors. But if the stressors are too intense they prevent effective aquisition of skills and are counterproductive. (Keinan and Friedland)
Less prepared to deal with chronic stress
What do Keinan and Fredland say about the use of SIT in the military?
Soldiers get direct exposure to a variety of stressors. But if the stressors are too intense they prevent effective aquisition of skills and are counterproductive.
What are the social implications of the therapy?
Stress in society
Impact on the econemy
How can SIT be used to treat the stress in society?
Effective intervention to combatting the increased range of stressors we have now
Effective across a range of stressors
How does SIT benifit the econemy?
Means workers are more productive and spend less time off work sick
Blumenthal: Men with heart disease and SIT had less health problems over the next 5 years which saved the NHS money in the long term?
What is Blumenthal’s study on the impact of SIT on the econemy?
Men with heart disease and SIT had less health problems over the next 5 years which saved the NHS money in the long term?
