Stress
healthy living - stress
- Created by: Laura
- Created on: 12-06-11 15:36
Causes of Stress
Work
(Johansson)
Causes of Stress
Swedish saw mill workers - High risk group - 14 finishers - machine-paced, repetitive, isolated, high responsibility, highly skilled
Control group - 10 cleaners - varied, self-paced, social contact
Self reports of mood and caffiene/nicotine consumption, urine tests for stress hormones (adrenaline/noradrenaline) absenteeism records
Work stressors - repetition, machine-paced work, high responsibility
High risk group secreted more stress hormones on work days than rest days & showed higher levels of stress related illness e.g. headaches & higher absenteeism
If employers want to reduce illness/absenteeism they need to find ways of reducing work stressors e.g. by introducing more variety, allowing more sense of control over pace of work
Causes of Stress
Hassles & Uplifts
(Kanner)
Causes of Stress
100 people from California
P's asked to complete hassles rating scale, life events scale and psychological symptoms of stress tests
Hassles were consistent month to month.
Males: life events positively correlated with hassles and negatively for uplifts.
Females: the more life events, the more hassles AND uplifts
Hassles correlated more positively with psychological symptoms than life events
Causes of Stress
Lack of Control
(Geer and Meisel)
Causes of Stress
60 undergraduates at NYU (limited sample, ethnocentric)
P's shown photos of dead car crash victims & stress levels measured by GSR (galvanic skin response) and ECG monitoring
G1: given control over how long they looked at images, G2: no control but knew what was happening, G3: no control, told they would see photos and hear tones but not given timings
ECG recordings discarded as appeared inaccurate
G2 showed most stress, G1 the least
Having control over your environment can reduce stress responses
Managing Stress
Cognitive Approach
S.I.T
(Meichenbaum)
Managing Stress
To compare SIT with systematic desensitisation
Stress Innoculation Therapy - 3 stages: conceptualisation (identifying stressors) skills acquisition, application of skills
Systematic Desensitisation - gradually exposed to causes of stress until can cope
21 students (not representative)
SIT group (8 therapy sessions + relaxation) systematic desensitisation (8 therapy sessions + relaxation) and control group (told on waiting list)
SIT performance improved BUT significant differences between therapy groups & control group
SIT showed most improvement in anxiety levels and more effective than other techniques
Managing Stress
Behaviourist Approach
Biofeedback
(Budzynski)
Managing Stress
To see if biofeedback effective or just placebo effect
18 participants (not representative)
P's kept record of headaches (rating 0-5) and completed psychometrics on depression & hypochondria
G1: Biofeedback, G2: Relaxation training, G3:waiting list
G1 had less muscle tension & headaches than G2
G1 less depression and drug use
G1 & G2 better social relationships
Biofeedback effective in reducing tension headaches & relaxation more effective than just being monitored
Managing Stress
Social Approach
Social Support
(Waxler-Morrison)
Managing Stress
133 women diagnosed with breast cancer - looked at how social relationships effect response and survival rates
P's sent questionnaire about demographics & social networks, education, family life and perception of support & medical records looked at
Psychometric tests of martial status, contact with friends and church membership
Qualitative data showed importance of practical help, e.g. childcare, cleaning
Martial status, support from friends, contact with friends and employment all linked with survival
The more social support women receive, the greater their chances of survival BUT most important factor in survival is nature of cancer & early detection
Measuring Stress
Combined Approach
(Johansson)
Measuring Stress
Psychological - self report about mood and alertness, caffeine and nicotine consumption
More in-depth info, qualitative data
Physiological - urine tests for stress hormone levels
Objective, no reseacher bias/social desirability/demand characteristics. More scientific, quantitative data
Can use both measures to back the other up so more reliable
Measuring Stress
Physiological
(Geer & Meisel)
Measuring Stress
GSR and ECG - more reliable as objective and more scientific BUT can be unreliable if machines don't work (had to discard ECG readings)
Measuring Stress
Psychological
(Holmes & Rahe)
Measuring Stress
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