Geer and Maisel -Stress
- Created by: Steff06
- Created on: 04-02-16 13:14
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- Geer And Maisel
- Aim:
- To see if perceived control or actual control can reduce stress reactions to aversive stimuli (photos of crash victims).
- Methodology:
- Laboratory experiment where participants were shown photos of dead car crash victims.
- Stress levels were measured by GSR and HR electrodes.
- Independent measures design - randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions.
- Participants:
- 60 psychology undergraduates from New York University,
- Procedure:
- Each sat in a sound-shielded room, wired up to GSR and heart rate monitors. Baseline measurements taken.
- Group 1 - Given control over time they saw photos for. Press a button to terminate photograph for max of 35 seconds. Were told tone would precede each photograph.
- Group 2 - Saw photos for same time as group 1. Told 10 second tone would precede each photo. Had no control, but knew what would happen.
- Group 3 - Told from time to time they would see photos and hear tones. Had no control or predictability.
- Findings:
- Data from heart monitors seen as invalid so data was discarded. Group 2 were most stressed by the tone as they knew what was coming, yet had no control.
- Group 1 were less stressed by the photo than group 2 and 3 who had no control.
- Conclusions:
- Results suggest that having the control to terminate aversive stimuli reduces the stressful impact of those stimuli.
- Aim:
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