STRESS

a. Causes of Stressb. Measuring Stressc. Stress Management

HEALTH & CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY G543

a. Physiological b. Self-Reportc. Combined

2. Measuring Stress

EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS (ESQ)Measuring Stress

PHYSIOLOGICAL

COMBINED APPROACH

SELF-REPORT

June 2010Describe one physiological measure of stress. (10)Assess the validity of different methods of measuring stress. (15)

June 2012Describe the self-report method of measuring stress. (10)Compare the different measures of stress. (15)

Examplea. Describe combined methods for measuring stress (10

marks) b. Evaluate the reliability of methods of measuring stress.

Resources:

Information Booklet PowerPoint Essay Help Booklet Exam Style Questions (ESQ)

Worksheet 1: KEY WORDS

Complete the key terms related to this topic

You can use the resources and internet to help

Each definition should be at least two sentences long

You should use these terms where appropriate in your essays

Activity 1

Worksheet 2: Summary Notes

Complete summary notes for each study Physiological: Geer Self Report: Holmes & Rahe Combined Approach: Johansson

You can use the resources and internet to help

Activity 2

2a. Summary Information: PHYSIOLGICALGEER, 1972

What was the aim of this study?

How many university undergraduates were used?

Which university were they from?

Aims

Sample

Background What do people prefer? By definition, what can people do? If people can predict when a unpleasant events if going to happen, what should they have?

Results What did GSR show? Where was there no difference? Which group showed a lower skin

response? What was concluded?

What method was used? What type of design was selected? What happened?Group 2 was yoked to group 1, what does this mean?What did the control group see?What happened in the predictability and no control conditions?Why was each recording performed in a sound and electrically-shielded room?

Method & Procedures

Repeat Study: Geer

You should focus on the measurements in particular

Two physical measures were used: the heart rate and the GSR.

As described earlier, there were problems with the reliability of both measures.

2a. Summary Information: PHYSIOLOGICAL

GEER, 1972

AimDoes lower stress result from being able to predict the occurrence of an unpleasant stimuli or is the lower stress related to the controlling behaviour itself?

Background

People prefer predictable rather than unpredictable averse events. By definition, people who control the termination of a stimulus can also predict it length. Therefore, people who can predict when an unpleasant event is going to stop should have lower response to it.

Sample60 psychology undergraduates from New York University.

2a. Summary Information: PHYSIOLOGICAL

GEER, 1972

MethodA laboratory experiment involving three groups and using an independent measure design.

Procedure

The control group saw ten pictures of victims of violent death at 60-second intervals with a warning tone ten seconds before each one. They could press a button to change the picture as they wished. The ‘predictability’ and ‘no control’ group had no button and instead were ‘yoked’ to the control group. The ‘predictability’ group were unable to terminate or control the presentation but they knew about the relationship of the warning tone to the picture so they know when it would come and how long it would last. The ‘no control’ group had no control and no idea how long each picture would last. They thought pictures and tones occurred at random. Data was collected by heart rate monitors and galvanic skin response via a polygraph.

Results & Conclusion

GSR results showed a clear difference between the prediction group and the other two, with a much greater stress response to the warning tone. There was not difference in response to the photographs between the predictability and not control groups but the control group itself show a lower skin conductance. Therefore, being able to predict what was coming did not seem to prevent the stress response, whereas being able to stop it did. Heart rate monitors malfunctioned and were not included in the analysis.

2b. Summary Questions: SELF-REPORT HOLMES & RAHE,

1967

What was the aim of this study?

What sampling technique was used? How many males and females were used? What was the age range of the participants? Provide any additional details about the

sample

Aims

Sample

Background

What is assumed about major life events? Why would major life events cause the onset of illness? What was needed for doctors?

Results Where was they very high agreement? Did males and female agree? Where was the lowest correlation?

What method was used in this study? What type of questions were used in the design of this study? What did each person do? How were the final scores created?

Method & Procedures

2b. Summary Questions: SELF-REPORT HOLMES & RAHE, 1967

AimTo create a method of measuring stress to take account of major events in a person’s life.

Background

It is assumed that certain major life events such as marriage, bereavement and divorces are major stressors because they require change and cause the onset of stress-related illnesses. A tool was needed which would given an idea of the scale of such disruption in people’s lives so that doctors has some idea of the extent they were affecting their patients.

Sample

An opportunity sample of 394 people were used: 179 males and 215 females, of which 171 were single and 223 were married. They were aged between 20-60yrs and were mainly middle class and white.

2b. Summary Questions: SELF-REPORT HOLMES & RAHE, 1967

Method/ Procedure

A questionnaire containing 43 items was used. Each person assigned a value to various life events, starting with marriage which was given an arbitrary value of 500, and working down a list of 43 items. For each item, participants had to decide whether the life event would need more or less readjustment than marriage. The final scores were then created by working out the mean value for the entire sample for each item. They were then put in order and the most stressful event – the death of a spouse was given a value of 100.

Results & Conclusion

Very high agreement (>.90) was achieved between each group in the sample for each item. Males and females agree, as did participants of various ages and religions. The lowest correlation was 0.82 between black and white individuals.

2c. Summary Questions: COMBINED

JOHANSSON, 1978

What was the aim of this study?

What are the details of the sample? How many high risk workers? How many workers were in the control group?How were shift workers paid?

Aims

Sample

Background What are stressors?What does adrenaline attack?What do modern production methods require? What has this lead to?

Results What happened to the adrenaline levels of the high-risk group throughout the day?What was twice as high in the high-risk workers?What happened to the control group?What did self-reports show? When was positive mood, most reported?

What type of experiment did Johansson carry out?What research method was used in this study? What were the IVs? What happened? What was measured? Where did Johansson carry out his research?

Method & Procedures

Repeat Study: Johansson

Work measures were collected through urine tests, body temperature and self-ratings of mood and alertness as well as consumption of caffeine and tobacco on the first or second day of the working week.

These measures were compared to a day spent at home where the participants were asked to stay up as if there were at work.

The same four times a day were used for the tests in both conditions.

2c. Summary Information: COMBINEDJOHANSSON, 1978

AimTo measure the amount of stress experienced by sawmill workers and to look for a causal relationships on work satisfaction and production.

Background

Modern production methods require constant attention to detail on monotonous repetitive production lines which have increased efficiency by requiring workers to specialise in particular tasks. However, this has led to low self-esteem and a lack of work satisfaction in the workforce, increasing stress-related illness.

Sample

14 high-risk workers, who cut, edged and graded wood and a control group of 10 repair and maintenance workers. The mean age of both groups was 38.4. All were shift workers paid by piece rate based on group performance.

2c. Summary Information: COMBINEDJOHANSSON, 1978

MethodThis was a quasi-experiment where the workers fell naturally into the two groups.

Procedure

Work measures were collected four times a day through urine tests, body temperature and self-rating of mood and alertness and consumption of caffeine and tobacco on the first or second day of the working week. These were compared to a day spent at home where workers were asked to stay up as if they were at work.

Results & Conclusion

Excretion of adrenaline in the urine of the high-risk workers was twice as high as the baseline and continued to increase to the end of the day, while the control group peaked in the morning then declined for the rest of the day. Self-reports showed the high-risk group feeling more rushed and irritated than the control group. More positive mood was reported by those doing non-repetitive tasks.

Worksheet 3: Evaluation

Part 1: EVALUATION & DEBATES

Part 2: EVALUATION GRID

Activity 3

3a. Evaluation Questions: PHYSIOLOGICAL

EVALUATION Why is this study unethical? Is GSR a reliable measure? Why What are issues with other measuring techniques?

DEBATESWhy is this study a poor reflection of ‘psychology as a science?’ Why is this study low in usefulness?

3a. Evaluation Questions: PHYSIOLOGICAL

EVALUATION The images may have caused stress to the participant, breaching ethical guidelines. GSR is know to be unreliable as are polygraph test and the hear rate measures.

DEBATESThis was a poor reflection of ‘psychology as a science’ with weak generalisabilty and validity. It was low in usefulness and failed to clarify the mechanism involved in prediction and control of aversive stimuli.

3b. Evaluation Questions: SELF REPORT

EVALAUTIONWhat are the strengths and limitations of using self-report?Consider why these may be particularly relevant to asking people about their stress?Comment of the generalisability of the sampleIs it a problem that uplifts were not included? Consider how valid these results will be?

Why is this research useful to doctors?

DEBATESHow will individual /situational debate link with this method?How does this related to the nature-nurture debate? Why could this research be seen as ethnocentric?

3b. Evaluation Questions: SELF REPORT

EVALUATION The usual issue with self-report techniques apply. However, the powerful agreement and large sample suggest this was a minor effect. Contrast with the hassles and uplifts scale: this has only the negative life events and they are major and quite irregular.

DEBATESNature-Nurture – are some people more prone to stress? Is it natural and do some people benefit? Items conformed to a western way of life so it could be seen as ethnocentric. Usefulness – the tool has been used by doctors for many years and can give a score of how much stress a person may have been subjected to in the recent past.

3c. Evaluation Questions: COMBINEDEVALAUTIONWhy does this study have good reliability?Does this study have good validity? Why? What are the problems with using self-report?What are the limitations with the sample?

DEBATESAre some people more stress prone than others?

Is it useful to know about the type of work environment that promotes stress?

3c. Evaluation & Debates: COMBINED

EVALUATIONGood reliability with the two methods supporting each other’s findings. Good validity because it is a quasi-experiment in the field.Small sample and self-reports could mean problems with generalising these results to a wider sample in more interesting occupations. DEBATES

Situational vs. Individual explanations of behaviour – are some people more stress prone or is it situationally determined?Usefulness – useful to know how to improve conditions for factory workers. Moving them around the factory gives variety and therefore reduces monotony and stress.

Worksheet 4: Essay Plans

10 Mark Questions

15 Mark Questions

Activity 4

EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS (ESQ)Measuring Stress

PHYSIOLOGICAL

COMBINED APPROACH

SELF-REPORT

June 2010Describe one physiological measure of stress. (10)Assess the validity of different methods of measuring stress. (15)

June 2012Describe the self-report method of measuring stress. (10)Compare the different measures of stress. (15)

Examplea. Describe combined methods for measuring stress (10

marks) b. Evaluate the reliability of methods of measuring stress.

Physiological Measurement [10]

Introduction:

Conclusion:

Method: Geer:

Self-Report [10]

Introduction:

Conclusion:

Method: Holmes & Rahe:

Combined Approach [10]

Introduction:

Conclusion:

Method: Johansson: