Stress Studies

Question 1

who da best?

Answer 1

hetstar

Question 2

Kiecolt-Glaser et al.

Answer 2

• 1984
• Natural experiment with 75 medical students preparing for exams
• NK cell levels monitored
• Found that NK cell activity significantly reduced in high stress samples, so stressors (brief naturalistic) reduce natural immunity

Question 3

Social Readjustment Rating Scale

Answer 3

• 1967
• Holmes and Rahe
• 394 patients answered questions to devise the scale by saying which events they found to be stressful

Question 4

Sarason et al.

Answer 4

• 1978
• Developed a more sophisticated version of the SRRS, called the Life experience survey
• 7 point scale from -3 to +3 so includes positive life events

Question 5

Rahe et al.

Answer 5

• 1970
• 2500 male Aerican sailors in prospective studies
• Fill out SRRS for past 6 months, then followed on tour of duty for next 6 months
• Positive correlation of 0.12 between LCU and illness (very imperfect correlation, so other factors must be involved)
• Causality issues
• Ethnocentric and andocentric
• Big sample so good

Question 6

Bouteyre et al.

Answer 6

• 2007
• To link daily hassles with mental health
• Students starting university in France
• 233 students answered hassles scale questionnaire
• Issues with self report and generalisability
• 41% had depressive sympyoms

Question 7

Johansson et al.

Answer 7

• 1978
• 14 Finishers and 10 Cleaners in a saw mill
• The finishers have a low control and high demand job
• Leads to higher absenteeism, higher illness levels and higher adrenaline levels
• So stress at work can affect health
• Individual differences- some may seek out a stressful job

Question 8

Cohen et al.

Answer 8

• 1993
• Linking general life stress with vulnerability to cold virus
• Stress index was made through severity and number of stressful events in one year + level of negative emotions
• Pps exposed to cold virus with 82% infected
• The chance of developing a cold was significantly correlated with high stress, therefore life stress reduces effectiveness of immune system

Question 9

Meichenbaum

Answer 9

• 1975
• To investigate how effective his own 1972 SIT was
• Studied anxious pre-exam college students
• 3 conditions, 1 with 8 weeks of SIT
• Efficiency measured through exam performance and self report
• SIT found most positive self reports and best exam performance
• BUT self report not reliable

Question 10

Marmot at al.

Answer 10

• 1997
• 7,000 participants followed in a prospective study for 5 years
• Rate of heart disease in low control jobs were 1.5 times higher than in high control jobs
• Therefore stress levels correlate to heart problems

Question 11

Friedman and Rosenman

Answer 11

• 1974
• To link CHD and Type A behaviour
• 3200 Californian men from 39-59 were classified as Type A, B or X through structured interviews
• Followed for 8.5 years in a prospective study
• 70% of those who developed CHD were Type A
• So Type A behaviour increases vulnerability to heart disease

Question 12

Kobasa et al.

Answer 12

• 1985
• To link hardiness to stress related illness
• Prospective study where pps are given a hardiness score and then followed
• Those with a low hardiness score had a much higher chance of developing a stress related illness
• BUT mainly white businessmen and individual components of hardiness could have an effect

Question 13

Langer and Rodin

Answer 13

• 1976
• To link control to health
• Compared 2 wards in a nursing home in Conneticut, USA
• High control group had choice of film, could move plant pot where they liked and were given a feeling of personal responsibility in a talk
• Those that had been given more control were happier, more alert, more active and healthier 18 months later

Question 14

Shekelle et al

Answer 14

• 12000 male pps assesed TAB with self report questionnaire and structured interview
• 7 years
• Found no differences in levels of CHD between Type A/B groups