Social Explanation 2 - Daily Hassles Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is the A01 content?
- Hassles and uplifts
- Research - Link to health
- Effect of hassles and links to support
What are daily hassles?
Everyday irritations that may cause us stress throughout the day e.g., lost your keys or argument with a friend. They are not major but can accumulate and cause stress levels to increase.
How are hassles and uplifts measured?
Using the hassles and up-lifts scale. Self report on questions about their hassles and uplifts.
- Research and impact on health
Kanner completed a longitudinal study on 100 men and women. He asked them to complete a Hassles and uplifts questionnaire, and SRRS, and two questionnaires on the psychological and emotional well being.
- What did Kanners research conclude?
They concluded that Daily hassles correlate with poor health more than life events. Hassles were better predictors of stress and anxiety. Hassles were better predictors than uplifts.
- What is the accumulation effect?
The accumulation effect is when a large amount of hassles continue to occur and accumulate and are difficult to avoid. This can have negative effects.
- What is amplification?
When someone is undergoing chronic stress the more irritated they are by minor hassles.
- What research links to social support?
Fleet et al did a study on students and asked them to read a story about an individual that was experiencing a daily hassle of life events. Students reported how much social support they were receiving and those that experienced life events and daily hassles were in more need of reaching out for social support.
Evaluation - Research Support
Sher et al found a correlation between experience of daily hassles and cortisol levels. Within healthy individuals, those who had experienced daily hassles had higher levels of cortisol and occurrence of anxiety and depression.
Evaluation - Kanner et al
The sample was bias and therefore lacks generalisability, decreases its usefulness. They also relied on self report which can have social desirability bias and be inaccurate. Can not directly establish causation as its correlational research. Does not prove what causes what.
Evaluation - Individual Differences (Age)
Aldwin et al did an experiment on males aged between 48-101. He found that between 48 and 70 they experienced fewer hassles as they may have become more settled. As they got older they showed an increase in hassles and decrease in uplifts. Any hassles had more of an impact.
Evaluation - Issues with validity
Clinical psychologists analysed the Hassles and Uplifts scale and found a cross over between things considered a hassle and symptoms of psychological illness. E.g., insomnia was considered a hassle rather than a symptom of anxiety, depression etc. Lacks construct validity.
