Stress Flashcards
(35 cards)
What is stress
-Stress is the gap between life demands and ones perceived ability to cope with them.
-The lower the perceived ability to cope the higher the stress
What are the three sources of stress
1)Physiology of stress;
General adaption syndrome model of stress (GAS)
2)causes of stress; Holmes and Rahe’s life events, work/Engineering model
- Personality model
1) Describe the GAS model of stress (Hans Selye)
-The GAS model describes a stage process through which the body changes biologically as a response to stress experience.
The body goes through 3 stages ; Alarm stage , Resistance stage , Exhaustion stage
-THE ALARM STAGE is the initial stage of stress response.The body mobilises the resources in readiness for flight or fright.
The amygdala is then activated and sends signals to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
-The activated SNS causes the adrenal medulla to release cortisol catecholamines. The hypothalamus also signals the pituitary glands to release ACTH which stimulates the production of cortisol from the adrenal cortex.
-Adrenaline and cortisol help in increasing the heart rate and increases blood flow to the muscle to transport O2 , relaxation of airway muscle and increased blood sugar levels (liver is activated to breakdown glycogen) vasovagal constriction for increased blood pressure.
2)The RESISTANCE STAGE ,
after the alarm stage the body starts to resume normalcy via the parasympathetic division of neurons.
-If stress terminates the body repairs itself i.e heart rate and blood rate.
-However if the stress persists the body remains on high alert and adapts to living with a high stress level.
The adrenal gland will continue to secrete the stress hormone leading to an eventual depletion of resources
3)EXHAUSTION STAGE ,
-Here if the stress is chronic and prolonged the resources get depleted and the body will no longer be able to fight effectively.
-Stress related illnesses such as high blood pressure , type 2 diabetes will eventually develop.
What are the 3 stages in the GAS model of stress (only list them)
1)Alarm stage
2)Resistance stage
3)Exhaustion stage
Describe the Alarm stage in the GAS model of stress
-THE ALARM STAGE is the initial stage of stress response.The body mobilises the resources in readiness for flight or fright.
The amygdala is then activated and sends signals to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).
-The activated SNS causes the adrenal medulla to release cortisol catecholamines. The hypothalamus also signals the pituitary glands to release ACTH which stimulates the production of cortisol from the adrenal cortex.
-Adrenaline and cortisol help in increasing the heart rate and increases blood flow to the muscle to transport O2 , relaxation of airway muscle and increased blood sugar levels (liver is activated to breakdown glycogen) vasovagal constriction for increased blood pressure
Describe the Resistance stage in the GAS model of stress
2)The RESISTANCE STAGE ,
after the alarm stage the body starts to resume normalcy via the parasympathetic division of neurons.
-If stress terminates the body repairs itself i.e heart rate and blood rate.
-However if the stress persists the body remains on high alert and adapts to living with a high stress level.
The adrenal gland will continue to secrete the stress hormone leading to an eventual depletion of resources
Describe the Exhaustion stage in the GAS model of stress
3)EXHAUSTION STAGE ,
-Here if the stress is chronic and prolonged the resources get depleted and the body will no longer be able to fight effectively.
-Stress related illnesses such as high blood pressure , type 2 diabetes will eventually develop.
Evaluate the GAS model of stress
One strength of GAS is that it is a useful theory that helps us understand why people are
more likely to suffer with physical illnesses when they have been under chronic stress. For
example, it notes sustained levels of cortisol due to chronic stress causes suppression of the
immune system. This is a strength of the theory as understanding the links between stress
and illness may mean that we can attempt to identify people under stress earlier and be able
to mitigate its effects in order to reduce the harmful effects of it on a person’s health.
ISSUES AND DEBATES
Reductionism versus holism
Another weakness is that the GAS model fails to take into account gender differences
in stress response. For example, men are more likely to adopt the ‘fight or flight’
response whereas women tend to adopt a more ‘tend and befriend’ response (Taylor
et al., 2000). Tend and befriend is where women try to protect their children and
themselves from harmful stress (tend) and seek out social support from others, such
as friends, to help them to do this (befriend). This suggests that the GAS model is too
reductionist and does not take into account the complexities of the stress response in
different people.
Idiographic versus nomothetic
It takes a nomothetic approach, assuming that everyone will react to stress
in the same way. It does not take into account how different people react to stress. For
example, some people view it as a challenge than a threat and research has shown
e Windows
that those people are less likely to experience the negative physical effects of stress,
suggesting a more idiographic approach to stress would be more appropriate.to
2) Describe the engineering model by Holmes and Rahe
-According to this model stress is what happens to an individual and not what happens within them.
-Holmes and Rahe proposed that life events are the main cause of stress. They claim that life events could be major or minor.
-Major life events are those that cause major readjustments in a persons daily functioning. They affect finances, living conditions, eating habits etc.
-The more readjustments a person has to make the more adverse the life events
2) Work stress
-Work stress is another cause of stress. There are many dynamics at the workplace that are potentially stressful for example the physical environment , poor pay, strict deadlines etc.
These dynamics have been found to cause stress either directly by changing neuroendocrine mechanisms or indirectly by affecting health behaviours.
What are the two key topics under the engineering model
-Life events
-Work stress
Describe the example study by Chandola et al
(it is under work stress in the engineering model)
Aim:
-To investigate the link between work stress and coronary heart disease (CHD)
Sample :
-10,000 male and female civil servants in London UK obtained from 1985-2004.
-Obtained from the Whitehall II
-There were 7 phases over this time period (making this a longitudinal study) which involved postal questionnaires as well as alternate phases including a clinical examination.
Procedure :
-Work stress was assessed using the job strain questionnaire.
-When ss report job demands as high and job control as low this is recorded as job strain.
-Similarly iso-strain is recorded when job strain is reported alongside social strain at work.
A total work stress score was assigned to each ss based on the total number of reported incidents of work strain/iso strain in phase 1 and 2.
Results:
1) For those aged 39-49, at phase 2 there was a significant association between greater reports of work stress and higher risk of CHD events.
2) There was little association between work stress and CHD incidents for those aged 50 and over.
3)For the younger age group, greater work stress was associated poor health behaviours including eating less fruit and veggies , drinking more alcohol and being less physically active.
Conclusion :
-The study shows that work stress is a significant indicator of CHD events in those under the age of 50, partly due to the increase of unhealthy behaviours but partly due to physical changes (increased cortisol) as a direct result of work stress.
Evaluate the engineering model
3) Describe the personality model by Friedman and Roseman (1978) - Under sources of stress
-Friedman and Rosenman argue that type A behaviour pattern (TABP) is a risk factor to cardiovascular disease.
-Cardiovascular disease is when the arteries get plaque and therefore the heart cannot receive sufficient O2 and nutrient supply.
Type A is characterised by;
- high competitiveness and achievement orientation.
These people strive towards goals without feeling a sense of joy in their achievements.
-They are self critical and have a significant life imbalance.
b)Time urgency
-these people become impatient with delays and wasted time very quickly
they keep very tight schedules and often try to do more than one thing at a time. They eat too fast, walk too fast.
Type B is characterised by;
-> More relaxed patient and easy going
-> They enjoy their achievements and are more compassionate and tolerate of others.
-Friedman and Rosenman conducted a longitudinal study to test the hypothesis that type A personality predict the likelihood of CHD
-They gave out questionnaires to 3000 men aged between 39-59 years. Based on the responses to the items on the questionnaire they were classed as either type A or B.
-The men were followed for 8 1/2 years and data about their health records were checked. Results showed that twice as many type A than B developed CHD.
Evaluate the Personality Model
1) Useful application to everyday life
What are the measures of stress?
-Biological measures
-Psychological measures
What are the biological measures of stress
1)Cerebral blood flow measures
2) Heart rate
3) Salivary Cortisol measures
Describe Cerebral blood flow measures as a biological measure of stress
functional magnetic resonance imagery measures blood supply to the active region of the brain during a stressful experience.
-MRIs capture changes in cerebral blood flow e.g blood contrast MRI
-One structure associated with processing is the Ventral Right Prefrontal Cortex (RPFC). This implies that during a stressful experience the Ventral RPFC has the highest CBF.
Describe Heart rate as a biological measure of stress
-During a stressful experience the pulse rate increases.
A pulse oximeter can be used to measure changes in pulse and blood oxygen levels as a measure of stress.
Describe the example study by Wang et al (measuring CBF changes due to a math task)
Aim;
-To measure CBF changes in response to mild to moderate stress as a result of a maths task
Sample;
->3o Americans
->23 in the stress experiment (11 females , average age of 24)
->7 in the control experiment ( 4 females, average age of 23)
Procedure;
-Each ss had 4 scans of 8 minutes each. The first and last scans were baselines each.
-The second scan was done during a low stress task, the 3rd during a high stress task.
-THE LOW STRESS TASK involved the ss counting aloud backwards from 1000. The last track was designed as a control for auditory and verbal centers
-THE HIGH STRESS TASK involved subtracting 13 from a four digit number everytime answering aloud and receiving prompts to speed up. They also had to start again if an error was made.
-Control ss did not complete any tasks
-Both experiment and control groups completed self report heart rate and saliva tests.
-The self-report measures were ratings of stress and anxiety on a scale of 1-9 and ratings of effort frustration and task difficulty on a scale form 1-9.
-Saliva samples were tested for cortisol immediately after entering the scan and after each scan for the experimental and control group
RESULTS;
-In the experimental group the self-reported stress and anxiety heart rate and cortisol levels all increased with the high stress task, the reduced again during the 4th scan. (2nd baseline scan)
-There was a positive correlation between the change in the CBF in the RPFC and subjective ratings of stress
CONCLUSION;
-Psychological stress leads to higher self reported anxiety, higher saliva cortisol levels and higher heart rate.
Evaluate the study by Wang et al
1) Ethics
One strength of perfusion fMRI as a technique for measuring stress is that it uses an internal contrast agent. This means that it is a non-invasive method compared to a PET scan which
uses a radioactive tracer. This is a strength as it makes it safer for the participant reducing the risk of psychological harm.
2) Objective
Another strength is that fMRI scans are a more objective way of measuring stress than some other methods. For example, questionnaires or observations rely on the participants being
accurate/truthful in their recall or observers interpreting behaviour the correct way, whereas fMRI requires less interpretation. This makes the use of fMRI scans a more reliable way of measuring stress.
3) Generalisability
One weakness, however, is that fMRI scans are often expensive and time consuming. This means that the number of participants in studies is often low, such as the 32 in the study
by Wang et al. (2005). This reduces the validity of the results. It also restricts the ability to generalise the findings to a wider population.
The study by Wangwas high in standardisation as it used both fmri’s and saliva cortisol tests to measure stress. This makes it high in reliability
Describe Salivary Cortisol measures as a biological measure of stress
-Here a sample of saliva is taken from the ss while undergoing a stressful experience.
Cortisol levels are then measured to asses the stress levels in the ss. The higher the cortisol levels in the saliva , the higher the stress levels.
Describe the example study by Evans and Wener (2017) (Crowding on stress levels)
Aim;To investigate how density and proximity of other train passengers affect stress in commuters.
METHODOLOGY
During their morning commute, 208 American commuters self-reported how stressed they felt using five-point Likert scales. Near the end of their journey, they completed a proofreading task to measure motivation/persistence.
A saliva sample was taken
to measure cortisol levels at the end of the journey. Crowding was measured via observation; researchers noted the total number of passengers in the carriage, number of available seats per carriage and per row in which the participants were sitting. At the weekend, the researchers visited the participants’ homes and another cortisol sample was taken, at the same time as the workday one. The researchers recorded the
difference between the cortisol level at the weekends and on the train as a measure of
stress. The participants’ spouse/partner was also asked to evaluate the participants’
interactions with them on a five-point rating scale using a questionnaire.
RESULTS
. The density of crowding in close proximity to the participant (proximal crowding) was significantly correlated with cortisol levels, self-reported mood and percentage of
errors on the proofreading task.
· The density of crowding within the train as a whole (distal crowding) was not correlated with stress.
- Longer commutes were associated with significantly higher cortisol levels indicating higher stress
Evaluate the biological measures of stress
objective;
-Both measures are objective
reliability;
Fmri is low in reliability
Ethics
Both ethical and non-invasive do not cause any psychological or physical harm
What are the Psychological measures of stress
1)Personality test (Friedman and Roseman)
2) Life events questionnaire Holmes and Rahe
