Personality and StressHARDINESS

Learning Objectives To recap Type A and B personality types

To outline the “hardy” personality

To describe and evaluate research into the hardy personality

Recap!

Decide which characteristics represent a Type A personality and which represent a Type B personality

The Hardy Personality

We found out last lesson that not all people who have high stress levels develop stress related illness

Kobasa believed that some people are more psychologically “hard” than others – have a personality which enables them to defend against the negative effects of stress

The “buffer effect”

Kobasa (1979)

Assessed 800 American executives using the SRRS 150 p’s classified as high stress

◦ Only a small number of these had a high stress related illness record

Tested on personality scored high on all three characteristics of hardy personality…

1. Control:

The idea that you can influence events in your life

Don’t attribute control to outside influences (e.g. environment)

This includes the stressors we may experience

2. Commitment:

This is the individuals sense of involvement in the world around them

Engage with it – jobs, people, places

Resist giving up in times of stress

3. Challenge: The idea that life changes should be viewed as an opportunity to overcome

A challenge rather than a source of stress

Personality Quiz

Have a go and see whether you have a hardy personality or not!

Kobasa research Use the information sheet provided to APRC and evaluate the research on hardiness

Then….

Exam question – Jessica has been told she has a “hardy” personality. How is she able to better cope with stress? (4 marks)

Complete assessment 4 in booklets