Stressors In The Environment Flashcards
Environmental stressors
Stimulus that requires an adjustment or adaptation in order to deal with it
Could be either internal stressors such as feelings of anxiety or external stressors such as noise
Key research
Black and Black
Investigating effect of aircraft noise on stress and hypertension
Black and Black aim
Investigating if quality of life (health wise) is worse for a community chronically exposed to aircraft noise compared to one that isn’t
See if association exists between high blood pressure and exposure to aircraft noise (stress as mediating factor)
Sample of Black and Black
Received 704 complete responses across 2 different areas in Australia
Sample divided into 2 groups for Black and Black
Addresses near Sydney airport that experienced 50 aircraft noise events every day
Addresses in a similar socioeconomic background that experienced no aircraft noise
Controlling for individual differences in Black and Black
Both groups similar in socioeconomic factors
Survey asked for information on any variables that could effect stress eg employment and alcohol consumption and past health history
Sample method for Black and Black
Self selected: those who wanted to partake in study volunteered themselves by sending the answered survey back
Data collection method in Black and Black
Self report = sending out a survey asking for self reported info on annoyance to aircraft noise and past health issues such as hypertension
Survey for black and black composed of
Cover letter explaining aim to investigate environmental noise but vague on true aim: avoid demand characteristics
Questions on: health, hypertension, annoyance to noise, any outside factors
How in black and black did they ask about Ps health concerns?
SF-36, internationally recognised questions on physical health and mental health
Black and black scale to rate annoyance
Asked ps to identify 10 sources of noise at home and on rating scale, rate how annoying it is
1=not annoyed at all
10= very annoyed
Confounding variables that effect noise stress in black and black?
Employment
Alcohol
Smoking
Mean annoyance score of each group to aircraft noise
Chronically exposed to aircraft noise = 6.27
Not exposed to aircraft noise = 1.03
Hypertension results in black and black
Odds of hypertension in those chronically exposed to aircraft noise is significantly higher compared to those not effected by aircraft noise
Conclusions of Black and Black
There was a significantly higher difference in health related quality of life in those chronically exposed to aircraft noise than those who aren’t exposed
Association between hypertension and long term exposure to aircraft noise
Additional studies
Lundberg
Kenrick and MacFarlane
Glass and Singer
Ellis
Ludenberg research
On overcrowding in commuter trains
2 IVs of Ludenberg
Whether passengers were in low or high density train conditions
Whether passengers boarded at the start of the journey or middle of the journey
DV of Ludenberg
Adrenaline levels in male passengers urine samples
Results of Ludenberg
Higher adrenaline levels in urine (thus stress) of those in high density areas compared to smaller crowds
Lower adrenaline levels in urine samples of passengers who boarded at start compared to those who boarded later on
Why did boarding the train later like in Ludenberg mean there was more adrenaline in passenger’s urine?
Because despite having lower autonomous arousal (being on train later than those who got on early) they had no control over who to sit with and where thus there were social factors that influenced stress felt by commuters
Kenrick and Macfarlane
Investigating effect of higher temperature on stress
Where was Kenrick and Macfarlane set?
Exit road in Phoenix, Arizona with traffic lights controlling only 1 lane
Time period of Kenrick and Macfarlane
On 15 Saturdays between 11am-3pm from April- August
What did Kenrick and Macfarlane aim to find out?
How temperature can effect a person’s response to another (confederate) driver obstructing the lane for 12 seconds despite the light turning green
How did Kenrick and Macfarlane operationalise the stress/annoyance felt by participants?
Observer nearby counted number of honks, duration of honk and also latency until 1st honk by the participant
How did they measure temperature in Kenrick and Macfarlane?
Geography department from Arizona state university took temperature every time
Sample of Kenrick and Macfarlane
39 male and 36 female aged 16-65
Findings from Kenrick Macfarlane
Temps over 38°c meant 34% held horn for 50% of 12 second duration while none did this under 32°c
Conclusions of Kenrick and Macfarlane
Higher heat increases interpersonal hostility thus showing temperature is an environmental stressor
Ellis additional research
Rational emotive therapy
What is RET
Emotion based therapy program to manage environmental stress that arises from a problem rather than fixing the problem
Emotion focused vs problem focused therapy
Emotion focused = dealing with and managing emotions caused by stressor
Problem focused = directly preventing someone’s exposure to stress
The format of RET
ABCDE
All stands for different ages of rational emotive therapy
RET: A
Activating experience that causes stress: eg noise, temperature, overcrowding
RET: B
Beliefs someone has about the stressful experience that are irrational
RET: C
Consequences from the irrational beliefs, emotional reactions such as anger, anxiety
RET: D
Disputing of irrational beliefs by a psychologist or therapist
RET: E
Effects of the therapy such as a new set of rational beliefs about the stressor which can be used to cope with the same stressor in the future
Glass and Singer investigation
Investigate what aspect of noise is stressful: loudness, unpredictability, lack of control over the noise?
Glass and Singer procedure
Designed 8 recordings which had been manipulated based on the 3 aspects of noise
Ps completed cognitive task whilst this played to test for tolerance of frustration caused by noise
Ps had to identify SPAG errors in book to test for quality of performance
How had Glass and Singer’s recordings been manipulated?
Volume: either loud or quiet
Predictability: either at regular intervals or random bursts
Perceived control: either given a switch to stop noise or not given this option
8 Recordings of unique combos of the above aspects
How had Glass and Singer’s recordings been manipulated?
Volume: either loud or quiet
Predictability: either at regular intervals or random bursts
Perceived control: either given a switch to stop noise or not given this option
8 Recordings of unique combos of the above aspects
Worst combo of noise in Glass and Singer
Having no perceived control (ie no switch to stop noise) and it was at unpredictable intervals
Louder
Did loudness have as much of an effect as other IVs in Glass and Singer?
No
