Stress

SECTION Causes of stress SUB-SECTION RESEARCH EVIDENCE Method/procedure FINDINGS/CONC POSSIBLE EVALUATION Concurrent validity physical and self-report measures showed increased levels of stress in the high risk group. Situational vs dispositional explanations. Carried out in natural setting high ecological validity. Application employers can ensure people with high risk jobs have an opportunity to social interact. Is the sample representative? Validity of self-report methods due to socially desirability bias and demand characteristics. Reliability - Longitudinal study over 10 months. Self-report methods easy to repeat. Correlation can not infer cause and effect. Application can reduce stress by increasing uplift opportunities.

Work Johanson A quazi experiment of 24 High risk group had higher adrenalin What type of work Measurement of workers of a Swedish saw mill. levels that increased throughout the causes stress stress response High risk group complex job, day. The self-report revealed that the socially isolated and responsible high risk group felt more irritated and for the rate of production rushed than the control group. compared with low risk group cleaner and maintenance workers. Stress was measured by adrenalin levels in urine, temperature, self-rating scales and caffeine and nicotine intake. Hassles Kanner et al Repeated design each Men Pos correlation between life Are hassles and Comparison of participant completed the events and hassles and neg correlation uplifts a better two methods of Hassles rating scales (every with uplifts. predictor of stress stress month for 9 months) and the Women The more life events they than life events? management Life Events scale (after 10/12). reported the more hassles and uplifts Stress was measured using the they reported. Hopkins symptoms checklist Hassles often correlated with (HSCL) and the Bradburn Morale psychological stress symptoms. Scale. 100 participants from Therefore, hassles are a more Calafornia, mainly white, powerful predictor of stress. protestant, with a good income and level of education.

Lack of control

Geer and Maisel The effect of control in reducing stress

Laboratory experiment. Heart rate monitors proved inaccurate. Laboratory experiment controlled Independent measures design. The predictability group 2 with the conditions improves reliability but 60 undergraduate students tone because they new it was coming. can lack ecological validity. shown photos of car crash The control group (1) showed less Student participants validity can victims. Group 1 control over stress than the other two groups. be affected by demand how long they saw each photo via characteristics. a switch. Group 2 saw photos for Independent measures individual same length as group 1 but were difference could be a confounding

told there would be 60 second between each and given 10 sec warning. Group 3 saw photos for same time but had not control not predictability. Stress was measure via GSR and heart rate.

Measuring stress

Physiological measures

Geer and Maisel See above The effects of control in reducing stress

Self-report

Holmes and Rahe Cross sectional sample of 394 Life Events as participants. Rated 43 life stressors events

Combined approach

Section Managing stress

SUB-SECTION Cognitive Stress inoculation therapy

Johanson Measurement of stress response RESEARCH METHOD Meichenbaum Stress Inoculation

See above

variable can affect reliability and validity. Objective - GSR is a physiological measure of stress that can be scientifically measured and compared against a base line. Could they have improved validity by asking participants to complete self-ratings scales. Ethical issues. Application Highlights the importance of the level of control we have over our lives. See above Strengths and weakness of using physiological measures. Are physiological measures always a valid measure of stress eg heart rate could be increased by caffeine intake. Social Readjustment Rating Scale was Cross sectional sample based on mean scores. Strong Are some of these events more correlations were found gender, age westernised. religion but less correlation between Self-report methods reveal peoples white and black participants. Top five thoughts and feelings. It is also were death of a spouse, divorce, easy to collect data from a large marital separation, imprisonment and sample. death of a close relative. How valid are self=report methods people may lie due to social desirability bias or demand characteristics. See above Validity increased as measures can be compared. FINDINGS/CONC POSSIBLE EVALUATION Field experiment high level of ecological validity but lacks control. Blind assessment no researcher

METHOD

A field experiment to compare Both therapy groups had shown SIT with behavioural systematic improvement but performance on the desensitisation. 21 students tests improved in the SIT group

Step 1 awareness Therapy allocated to each therapy with a compared with the other two groups. of thoughts we have control group who were placed on in a stressful waiting list. Participants were situation. blind assessed via self-report Step 2 Coping (Anxiety adjective checklist) and strategies to enable grade averages. restructuring of thoughts. Step 3 Put into practice in a real life situation. Behavioural Budzynski Self-select sample of Group A muscle tension significantly The consequences Biofeedback and participants who were trained to lower than group B by end of training. of our behaviour reduction of use an EMG to measure muscle Group A reported less headaches. The determine whether tension tension. Patients also completed psychometric test on depression we repeat a headaches. a psychometric test on showed a reduction in depression for behaviour. depression and complete a all groups but group A showed a Biofeedback questionnaire on their headaches. significant reduction in hypochondria. feedback on our Group A Trained in biofeedback Conclusion biofeedback is an physiological and relaxation techniques. effective way of training patients to response to stress. Group B Relaxation techniques relax and reduce tension headaches. This enables us to but only pseudo-biofeedback. Relaxation techniques are more recognise when we Group C Control group waiting effective than just monitoring. are becoming list. stressed. We can then reduce stress (reward), Social support Waxler-Morrison Quazi experiment with 133 Marital status, support from friends, et al Socil women diagnoses with cancer. contact with friends, total support, relationships and Data gathered via interviews, social networks and employment were cancer survival questionnaires and medical all significantly linked to survival. records. Independent design Qualitatitive data showed practical where patient were divided help such as childcare and cooking was according to social network. important.

bias increases reliability. Validity of self-report methods. S and W of matched pairs design.

Validity affected by independent measures design individual differences. Small sample S and W of selecting sample via an advert. Independent groups individual differences affects reliability and validity. Budzynski overcome ethical issue of not giving some patients therapy by offering them therapy later.

Qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data objective and reliable. Qualitative data provides more indepth detailed information. Validity of questionnaires/interviews.