significant changes in a person’s life that disrupt normal routines. They include both positive and negative events.
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SRRS creation
Holmes and Rahe were GPs who examined medical records of 5000 people. They selected 43 life events that often occurred before people became ill and asked 394 people to rate the degree of social readjustment that each event would cause.
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the use of the SRRS
People are asked to tick which events occurred in a 1-2 year period. The score is added up and used as an index of stress. People with higher scores suffered more stress related illness
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Rahe et al (1970)
Prediction of near-future health change from subjects’ preceding life changes
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Rahe study Aim
Aim:
The aim of the study was to investigate whether scores of the SRRS correlated with the subsequent onset of illness
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Rahe study procedure
Sailors on a tour of 6 months where ask about number of significant life events. And then on tour records where kept of their illnesses.
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Rahe study Findings
The results showed that there was a small but significant positive correlation (+0.118) between life change scores and illness scores.
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Rahe study Conclusion
The researchers concluded that the higher numbers of life events led to a greater chance of stress-related to ill health. Most of the illnesses reported were minor, but this may be due to the nature of the participants.
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Evaluation of Life events as a cause of stress
weakness
The research is correlational; therefore, we cannot infer cause and effect. meaning we cannot tell if the stress causes the illness or did illness cause the stress
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Evaluation of Life events as a cause of stress
weakness
assumes all change is stressful, so it muddles together both positive and negative events. Many psychologists have questioned this assumption.
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Evaluation of Life events as a cause of stress
weakness
individual differences may be a weakness for this study The events on the SRRS may be perceived as more stressful for some people compared to others due to personal circumstances.
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Evaluation of Life events as a cause of stress
weakness
the study used a self-report method. This means items are open to different interpretations by participants.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Holmes and Rahe were GPs who examined medical records of 5000 people. They selected 43 life events that often occurred before people became ill and asked 394 people to rate the degree of social readjustment that each event would cause.
Back
SRRS creation
Card 3
Front
People are asked to tick which events occurred in a 1-2 year period. The score is added up and used as an index of stress. People with higher scores suffered more stress related illness
Back
Card 4
Front
Prediction of near-future health change from subjects’ preceding life changes
Back
Card 5
Front
Aim:
The aim of the study was to investigate whether scores of the SRRS correlated with the subsequent onset of illness
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