Innovative Methods in Studying Stress

Exploring Stress: Methods and Measurement

• Why is the measurement of stress so important?• Different methods for measuring stress• Audio diaries

Is anyone feeling ‘stressed’?

• What do you understand by the term ‘stress’?• Under what circumstances do you feel ‘stressed’?

Clarifying the term ‘Stress’

• NOT ALL STRESS IS BAD

• Stress is:– “arousal” - ANY stimulus, event or demand impacting on the

sensory nervous system– a subjective experience (in the eye of the beholder)– an imbalance between ‘perceived demand’ and ‘perceived

ability’ to meet that demand– Stress is unwanted pressure

• Pressure vs. Stress?

• It is MISMANAGED stress which is damaging in its consequences

(Arnold et al, 2005; HSE, 2010)

What is stress?

• When the demands made of the individual do not match the resources available (in the person or provided by the organisation) or do not meet the individual’s needs and motivation

How should organisations or individuals ‘measure’ stress?

• How do you decide if you are feeling stressed?• How do you evidence stress in other people?• How do you determine if an organisation has a problem with work-

related stress?

The typical stress measurement technique…

Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

I am concerned that my workload is too heavy

1 2 3 4 5

My manager is not supportive 1 2 3 4 5

I feel unable to cope with the demands placed on me

1 2 3 4 5

A Stress Diary…

• Spend TWO minutes writing about your experiences of things that could cause you to feel stressed. Think about your time in work today….

Qualitative vs Quantitative

• Is it easier to reflect on your own stress through a numerical scoring system or through unstructured qualitative narrative?

• Which do you prefer and why?• How easy or difficult was it to write about your thoughts relating to

stress?

Methodological Pluralism in Stress Research

• Some fundamental assumptions about stress:- It is fluid and changeable- It is process-orientated- It is context-bound- The way that we ‘construct’ it and make sense of it is an individual

process- Editing our accounts: the need for spontaneity and ease

Audio Diaries

• Audio diaries involve the audio recording of participants’ responses and reflections over a period of time (Buchanan, 1991)

• Enables the accessing sense-making in periods of change and flux, and allows the researcher to capture phenomena as they unfold, thus increasing immediacy and accuracy of data capture (Monrouxe, 2009).

• They are often considered as favourable to their written counterparts due to the additional benefits for the participant, such as an ease in completion and lower levels of attrition (Markham & Couldry, 2007).

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework

Rationale for Methodological Pluralism in Stress Research

Capturing:• Process orientation of

stress• Relational meaning,

appraisal and coping

Via:• Level of Analysis

(momentary and retrospective accounts; inter and intra individual; holistic and microanalytic)

Relevance of Audio Medium

• Verbalization• Sense-making

• Cognitive Restructuring• Self-talk• Illumination of Coping

Complexity

Relevance of Qualitative Diary Medium

• Discursive and Narrative• Inter and Intra Design• Overcoming reliance on

retrospective accounts• Measurement of context

and fluidity• Transitional • Complementary to other

methodologies

Proposed Methodological Contribution

Figure 2: Framework for the use of audio diaries in work psychology

Research Context and Purpose:ProcessExploratoryFluidity TransitionalParticipant-led

Design Choices:Mixed methodology or stand alonePosition within study phasesPrompts and structureHeterogeneity of sampleCriteria for inclusionTechnological opportunitiesRemindersResearcher involvement /proximity

Analytical Framework:Idiographic/nomotheticApproach (narrative, discourse, thematic, template etc)Presenting /constructing results

ChallengesFor the ResearcherRehearsal as impeding immediacyAttrition and IncompletionManaging variation in recording length

For the ParticipantPrivacy (cf written diary)Setting contextCoherence in narrationConfidenceAuthenticity Adjustment to recording process

Contribution and OpportunitiesFor the ResearcherEliciting complexity and nuanceBridging gap between multi-methodological designs Emergence of new stressors/phenomenonOvercoming reliance on retrospective accounts

For the ParticipantSpontaneity/instantaneousEase Privacy (cf. written diary)

Key Findings.

• Illustrates the importance of verbalisation in documenting stress and affective experience, and as a mechanism for accessing cognitive processes in making sense of such experience

• Compares audio diaries with more traditional qualitative methods to assess applicability to different research contexts

• Provides practical guidance and a methodological framework for the design of audio diary research and design, taking into account challenges and solutions for researchers and practitioners.