StressAS Psychology – PSYA2

Name: __________________

TitleWhat you/your

teacher/peer said you did well

What your you/your teacher/peer said you

needed to improve

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ofGrade

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Name: Target Grade:

Class Teacher: Study Buddy’s Name:

Introduction

We will be working through this booklet in lesson time, it can also be used as a revision aid nearer to the exam. Inside this booklet are resources that have been designed to help you to understand and revise stress. Two different areas are covered;

Stress as a bodily response Stress in everyday life

The booklet also contains a list of the specification requirements which you can use as a checklist to monitor your progress.

These are useful sites which may help you with your revision; some of them have been used within the booklet.

http://psyonline.org.uk/ http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2180-W-SP-10.PDF http://www.oxfordschoolblogs.co.uk/psychcompanion/blog/category/psychology-

as/stress/ http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/

When preparing resources, the following textbooks have been used: Cardwell, M. & Flanagan, C. (2012) Psychology AS: The Complete Companion.

(Third Edition) Folens Limited.

You will be expected to: develop knowledge and understanding of concepts, theories and studies in

relation to Biological Psychology develop skills of analysis, evaluation and application in relation to Biological

Psychology develop knowledge and understanding of Research Methods associated with

Biological Psychology develop knowledge and understanding of ethical issues associated with

Biological PsychologyKnowledge and understanding of Research Methods should be developed through analysis and evaluation of studies relevant to the Biological Psychology

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PSYA2 Assessment1 hr 30 minutes exam = 50% of total ASMarks, or 25% of the total A level marks.Structured compulsory questions based on

Biological Psychology, Social Psychology, & Individual Differences.

Questions include short answer, stimulus material and one or more 12-mark questions requiring extended writing in which QWC will be assessed.

How your work is assessedAO1 – knowledge and understanding of psychology (as a science) and of how science works.AO2 – Application of knowledge and understanding of psychology and of how science works: analysis and evaluation of knowledge and processes; application of scientific knowledge and processes to unfamiliar situations, including issues; assessment of the validity, reliability and credibility of scientific information.AO3 – How science works. Psychology candidates should be able to describe ethical, safe and skilful practical techniques and processes; know how to make, record and communicate reliable and valid observations and measurements; analyse, interpret, explain and evaluate methodology, results and impact of their own and others’ investigative activities.

Stress as a bodily response

How do you respond to stress?Objective: record and analyse a personal profile of stress

Keeping a stress diary is a good way of becoming aware of your own sources of stress, your reactions to stress and the everyday uplifts you experience that help to counteract the stressors.

You will need one week to gather the data for this activity. Working on your own, complete the following:

Identify and make a list of your own reactions to stress (e.g. anger, headaches etc.)

From the list choose the five symptoms most typical of how you feel when you are stressed and put them in the first column of Table 1 which also has a column for every day.

At the end of each day enter in the table your stress score for each symptom (1 = low, 10 = high).

In Table 2, identify each day the stressors that have occurred (e.g. the bus was late) and also any uplifts (e.g. you enjoyed a game of football).

At the end of the week plot a line graph of your stress symptoms using the axes over the page. Use a different coloured pen for each symptom. Complete the key.

Discuss your findings (next week’s class)

Stress Diary

Table 1: Stress symptoms scores

Symptom

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Table 2: Stressors and uplifts

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Mon Tues Weds Thur Fri Sat Sun

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

1

2

Day of the Week

Stress score for each sym

ptom

Stressors/hassles Uplifts

MonTuesWedThuFriSatSun

Graph Key to symptoms

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1

2

3

4

5

Label the gingerbread man with the

effects the SNS activation has on the body

The body’s response to stress

What is Stress?

Stress is an innate, defensive, adaptive reaction that promotes survival, in the past quick responses were a matter life or death. Stress no longer affects people in the same ways, as situations such as escaping form a sabre tooth tiger no longer exist. The response may not be universally adaptive, however it still has an impact on peoples’ lives as different situations have now arisen such as pressures of work which trigger stress responses.

The body’s response to stress involves two major systems: 1. Acute: sudden stressors (such as a personal attack)2. Chronic: ongoing stressors (such as a stressful job)

Acute Stress-The Sympathomedullary Pathway-

Acute stressors arouse the autonomic nervous system (ANS); the ANS is part of the central nervous system and it called autonomic because it controls itself.

This system is needed because some bodily functions, e.g. your heart beat, would not work if you had to think about them.

The ANS is divided into two parts:

Sympathetic Branch(or Sympathetic Nervous System - SNS)

Prepares the body for fight or flight.A key part of this response is the

sympathetic adrenal medullary system (SAM).

SNS + SAM = sympathomedullary pathway

Parasympathetic Branch

Returns the body to relaxation.

The SNS

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1

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Neurones from the SNS travel to most organs around the body preparing for rapid action. Responses include:

Noradrenaline is the neurotransmitter released to activate these internal organs.

The SAM (Sympathetic Adrenal Medullary) system Adrenaline is released into the bloodstream at the same time as the SNS is activated. It is transported around the body in the blood to prepare the animal for flight or flight. The SAM is regulated by the SNS and the adrenal medulla (see below).

Adrenal MedullaThe adrenal glands are positioned above each kidney and have two zones:

1. Adrenal medulla – centre of the gland2. Adrenal cortex – around the outside

Neurones of the SNS activate the adrenal gland and adrenaline is released. Adrenaline has a widespread affect on the body, e.g. boosts oxygen supply and glucose to brain and muscles and suppression of digestion.

Can you name 3 acute stressors?Chronic Stress

-Pituitary-Adrenal System-

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You should draw a flow chart to show how the body responds to acute stress. You should include what each part does during the stress response.

Negative

The pituitary-adrenal system is traditionally known as the ‘stress system’ controlling the levels of cortisol and other important stress hormones.

Activation of the pituitary-adrenal system is less easy to achieve compared to SAM; it is only activated under chronic stress situations.

The pituitary-adrenal system (or pituitary-adrenal axis):

Can you name 3 chronic stressors?

HypothalamusThe hypothalamus is passed messages when stressors are received by the brain. When a particular region of the hypothalamus is activated (paraventricular nucleus – PVN), chemical messengers are produced (corticotrophin-releasing factors – CRF). These are released into the bloodstream in response to the stressor.

Pituitary GlandWhen CRF reaches the pituitary gland, adnrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) is produced and released. ACTH is transported in the bloodstream to the adrenal glands, on top of the kidneys.

Adrenal CortexCortisol, released by the adrenal cortex, has positive and negative effects on the body. Prolonged release of ACTH causes the adrenal cortex to increase in size to cope with cortisol production. Long-

term ACTH deficiency causes the adrenal cortex to shrink.

FeedbackAfter 20 minutes of the perception of an acute stressor, cortisol levels have risen sharply. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland have special receptors to monitor cortisol levels; if cortisol gets too high, CRF and ACTH are reduced to bring cortisol levels back to normal.

Evaluation

The stressors of modern day life rarely require the energetic behavioural response we’ve just learned about.

The problem for us is if the stress response is repeatedly activated; the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels) can begin to suffer from wear and tear.

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Increased blood pressure in SNS activation can cause damage of the lining of blood vessels and can lead to heart disease.

Although cortisol helps fight infection and heal damaged tissue, too much can suppress the immune system and shut down the process that fights infection.

Some researchers even believe that under chronic stress, the very important ‘feedback’ system can break down.

Task By now you will have recognised that there are lots of new words in this first part of the topic. You should now start creating your own glossary similar to the one below. Be concise with your definitions; too much detail may only confuse you!

Key Term Definition

Practice Questions1. You are a passenger in a car that has suddenly slammed on its brakes to

avoid hitting a dog.Your breathing quickens, your mouth is dry and you have a feeling of ‘butterflies’ in your stomach. But after a few minutes these physical changes start to disappear. Using your knowledge of the body’s response to stress, explain why you are likely to have experienced:

(a) the changes that occurred in the first 30 seconds;Jan 2009 [2 marks]

(b) the changes that occurred after a few minutes. Jan 2009 [2 marks]

2. Outline how the body responds to stress.Sample Questions [6 marks]

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Stress-related illness-The immune system-

The main function of the immune system is to protect the body from infectious diseases and viruses. Research has suggested that stress might be associated with immune dysfunction.Research has found differing effects of acute stress on the immune system. Kiecolt-Glaser et al. (1984) found stressors decrease immune cell function, while Fischer et al (1972) found higher immune cell counts in Apollo astronauts during splashdown.

Acute Stressors: Examination StressKiecolt-Glaser et al. (1984)

Aim: To find out whether short-term stressors have an effect on medical students’ immune system.Procedure: Blood samples were taken one month before (low stress) and during the exam period (high stress). Immune system functioning was measured using NK cell activity in the blood samples (see page 120) which protect against viruses. Findings: NK cell activity was significantly reduced during the exam period. They also found that the loneliest students also had lowest NK cell activity,Conclusion: In the short-term, stressors reduce the immune system.

Chronic Stress: Relationship StressKiecolt-Glaser et al. (2005 & 1987)

2005 - Tested the impact of interpersonal conflict on wound healing and found…

1987 – Compared women separated from partners with matched married controls and found…

Malarkey et al. (1994) asked 90 newlywed couples to discuss marital issues in a lab for a 24 hour period. Issues of marital conflict (e.g. finances) lead to increased adrenaline and noradrenaline

which could result in poorer immune functioning. If this was at home, the effects could be greater.

Evaluation Can stress enhance the immune system?

Evans et al. (1994)

Looked at the antibody slgA which coats the mucous surfaces of the mouth, lungs, and stomach to protect against infection.Procedure:

Findings: These students showed an increase in slgA, but over longer exam periods slgA decreases.Conclusion: Stress has two effects on the immune system, up-regulation (increased efficiency) for short-term stress and down-regulation for chronic stress.

Meta-AnalysisSegerstrom and Miller (2004)

A summary of 293 studies conducted over 30 years found:1.

2.

3.

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Lazarus (1992) suggested three reasons why it is difficult to find a relationship between stress and illness:

Stress-related illness

Stress and Cardiovascular disorders

For the exam you need to know about how stress affects the immune system; if there is a question about illness you could also use this information.

How do acute and chronic stress effect the cardiovascular system?

Stress leads to increased glucose levels which can build up and clump, blocking the blood vessels.

Williams et al. (2000) asked __________ people to complete a ___ question ________ scale. Questions asked if they were hot-headed or not, if they wanted to _____ someone when they were angry, or if they got annoyed when no recognition was given at ______. ______ of the participants had ___________ ___________ at the start of the study. ____ years later _____ had experienced a heart attack. Those ______ on the anger scale were ________ times more likely to have had a heart attack than those lower on the scale. Those individuals who were high on the anger scale could benefit from anger management training.Russek (1962) studied heart disease in medical professionals. One group of high

stress doctors (GPs and anaesthetists) were compared to low stress doctors (pathologists and dermatologists). Russek found heart disease most common among GPs and lowest in dermatologists.

Stress and Psychiatric DisordersStress and depression:Brown and Harris (1978) found that women suffering from chronic stress were more likely to develop depression. Working-class women are more prone to depression than middle-class women due to having to leave their children in the care of others when returning to work.

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Stress and other disorders:Rohlf and Bennett (2005) found that one in ten workers whose job required then to euthanise animals experienced moderate levels of PITS symptoms (a form of post traumatic stress disorder experienced when you cause trauma).

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Life ChangesLife changes are events, such as getting married or bereavement, which have a major impact on our lives. Although life change suggests that something happens in your life, it doesn’t always have to in order to create stress, e.g. not being promoted, or not getting into university.Holmes and Rahe (1967) – were two medical doctors who observed that medical illness is often preceded by life-changing events. Holmes and Rahe developed a Social Readjustment Ratings Scale (SRRS), which lists 43 positive and negative life events (see text box for examples). Total life events scores are calculated by adding up the life change units (LCUs) or stress value for each event ticked on the scale.5000 patients’ records were analysed in the development of the SRRS. 400 participants then had to give a score in terms of how much adjustment the life event required. Marriage was the arbitrary baseline and was given a score of 50. If the event would take longer to adjust it would have a score of greater than 50, scores were averaged to find the LCU (life changing units).Rahe et al. (1970) used the SRRS to test the hypothesis that life events are positively correlated with illness. Rahe et al tested the SRRS on naval officers.

Aim

Procedure

Findings

Conclusion

Criticisms

Michael and Ben-Zur (2007) studied 130 men and women. Half were recently divorced, half were recently bereaved; they looked at their life satisfaction. The widowed group had higher life satisfaction before bereavement, the divorced group

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had higher satisfaction after. This could be explained by stress – the divorced group are more stressed before the divorce.

Evaluation You need to create an acrostic evaluation for life events. You can use studies, findings, criticisms or a conclusion…the only rule is that the first letter has to be one of the letters on the left-hand side of this page!

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Daily HasslesAlthough major life events have an impact on our lives, they are rare in our day-to-day living. Psychologists have started to look at daily hassles, such as a broken computer, to see what influence they have on psychological wellbeing.

Daily hassles are minor events but they have an emotional effect, and although often short-lived, sometimes they can linger if unresolved and can become entwined with other hassles. The negative effects of hassles can be offset by daily uplifts, e.g. a smile from a colleague.

Complete the boxes below about daily hassles:

Hassles and Uplifts ScaleDelongis et al. (1982)

Daily HasslesBouteyre et al. (2007)

Daily HasslesDaily Uplifts

Gervais (2005)Daily Hassles vs. Life Changes

Flett et al. (1995)

Evaluation You need to make some evaluation notes using page 143 of the textbook. Attach them to this page

Practice Questions

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1. In a study of stress, the number of life events individual participants experienced was measured as well as an illness score for each individual. Data from the study were plotted on the graph below.

Outline two conclusions that could be drawn from the graph above. Exemplar work

[4 marks]

2. Sandy and Vandita play for the same netball team. Two weeks ago, while playing in a competition, they both grazed their elbows. Vandita’s wound is healing well, but Sandy’s wound is taking much longer to heal. Sandy is very worried about the plans for her wedding and her forthcoming house move.Using your knowledge of psychology, explain why Sandy’s wound is taking longer to heal than Vandita’s. Jan 2010 [4 marks]

3. During the last few months, Paula has suffered from headaches and colds,

and has been having difficulty sleeping. She decided to keep a diary and found that her headaches, colds and sleep problems were associated with experiences such as having too much homework, losing house keys and being stuck in traffic.

(a) What is the name for these sorts of stress-related experiences? Jun 2009 [1 mark](b) Use your knowledge of psychology to explain why Paula might be feeling unwell. Jun 2009

[4 marks]

4. Define what is meant by the terms ‘hassles’ and ‘uplifts’. [2 + 2 marks]

5. The following article appeared on the BBC news website on 14th May 2003: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3027935.stm. Read through the article and write an answer to the following question: “How does this contribute to the current research on daily hassles?” [6 marks]

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Workplace StressEach of us interacts with the environment differently and this makes it difficult to label ‘workload’ or ‘responsibility’ as stressful.

There seems to be two conditions of the working environment which are stressful, these are: 1. Physical stressors – noise, length of the working day2. Psychosocial stressors – relationships with co-workers or role

responsibilityThese two conditions have the potential to cause stress and affect physical and psychological health.

Workplace StressorsMarmot et al. (1997) investigated the job-strain model, which proposes that the workplace causes stress in two ways:

1. 2.

Aim To investigate how high workload and low control can cause stress and illness.

Procedure

7372 civil servants working in London answered a questionnaire on workload, job control, and amount of social support; they were also tested for cardiovascular disease. 5 years later patients were reassessed.

Findings

Workload:

Control:

Conclusion

1. Job demand is not a significant factor in stress.2. Higher grade jobs had fewer cardiovascular problems – this

could be because lower grades jobs had less control and poorer social support.

Other studies have investigated aspects of demand and workload. Johansson et al (1978) looked at the effects of performing repetitive jobs that required continuous attention. Outline the study below:

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Evaluation Individual differences in the role of control:Marmot et al’s results suggest lack of control is a source of stress, however Schaubroeck et al (2001) found that workers respond differently to lack of control, some are less stressed because of no control or responsibility.

Stress and coronary heart disease:Kivimäki et al (2006) carried out a meta-analysis of 14 studies – including Marmot et al. – looking at the risk of coronary heart disease in association with workplace stress, 83000 employees across Europe, the US and Japan were involved. The findings were…

Workplace stress and mental health:Work is generally good for our mental health. But when stress at work is combined with other problems (e.g. at home or daily hassles), depression might be more likely to occur.

Problems with the study of workplace stress: Lazarus (1995) says that there are individual differences in the way people react to,

and cope with, stressors. High job demands and role ambiguity may be stressful for one individual, but not for another (particularly those with a ‘hardy’ personality).

Current knowledge of workplace stressors is out-of-date; this is due to new technology, virtual offices and the blur of the home/work environment.

Most research has used questionnaires. When interviews are used people rarely mention role conflict and ambiguity as sources of stress, whereas time-wasting job demands and interpersonal conflict are. This suggests that interviews are a more valid form of measurement.

Practice Questions1. (a) Identify one source of stress in the workplace. [1

mark](a) Outline what research has shown about how this source of stress can affect an individual.

Additional Sample Questions [2 marks]2. Psychologists have found that the physical environment (e.g. noise and heat) can be a source of

stress in the workplace. Apart from the physical environment, outline two other sources of stress in the workplace. Jan

2009 [2 + 2 marks]3. Mr Harris is about to move his business into a brand new building. He is very keen to create a

healthy working environment and reduce workplace stress. In this way, he hopes to increase productivity and reduce absenteeism.What advice would you give Mr Harris? Use your knowledge of psychological research in this area.

Jan 2010 [6 marks]

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Personality factors and stress

Some people seem to be able to face very stressful situations and remain healthy. Others buckle under the pressure. It seems that there might be a ‘personality’; made up of behaviours, attitudes and temperament, that distinguishes who we are from others around us.

Type A PersonalitySomeone who wants to achieve more

and more in less time

Hardy PersonalityThis personality can provide protection against the negative effects of stress.

¬ Friedman and Rosenman (1959) outlined three major characteristics:1. Competitive and achievement striving2. Impatient and time urgent3. Hostile and aggressive

¬ These characteristics lead to raised blood pressure and raised stress hormones which can lead to CHD.

¬ Type B personality is said to be laid back, patient, and easy-going; this decreases the risk of stress-related illness.

¬ Friedman and Rosenman set up the Western Collaborative Group Study in 1960. 3000 men aged 39-59 were interviewed in a provocative manner (interviewer speaks slowly and hesitantly, the Type A would want to interrupt) to try to elicit the Type A personality. They were also examined for signs of CHD. Questions included “how would they cope if they waiting in a long queue?” Findings were alarming; after 8.5 years twice as many Type A had died of cardiovascular problems and 12% had a heart attack; also had higher BP and cholesterol, more likely to smoke and have family history of CHD. Only 6% of Type B had a heart attack.

¬ Kobasa and Maddi (1977) suggested some people are more psychologically healthy than others. The characteristics of the hardy personality are:1. Control – hardy are more in control of their

lives2. Commitment – hardy are more involved in

the world around them; have a strong purpose in life

3. Challenge – hardy see challenges as something to be overcome, not as a threat; they enjoy change.

¬ Kobasa (1979) studied 800 US business executives using the SRRS. 150 were rated as high stress on the scale; of these 150 some had a high illness score, some low. Kobasa suggested the hardy personality encourages resilience; the high-stress/low-illness individuals had all three characteristics of the hardy personality. Thos who had high-stress/high-illness scores were lower on all three characteristics.

¬ Lifton et al (2006) found students low on hardiness were more likely to drop out. Those high on hardiness were more likely to complete their degree.

Eval

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Ragland and Brand (1988) did a follow-up of the Western Collaborative Group in 1982-3; 22 years after the first study. Found that 214 (15%) had died of CHD. This shows the importance of CHD risk factors (age, smoking, high BP); but found little evidence of the link between Type A and mortality. Myrtek (2001) did a meta-analysis of 35 studies and found an association between CHD and hostility. Other than this, there was no evidence of an association between Type A and CHD.

Eval

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Most data collected for the hardy personality have used self-report questionnaires. Recent efforts have used the Personal Views Survey. This new questionnaire addresses the issues raised on the original measure, such as long and awkward wording and negatively worded items. But all is not solved; some items on the questionnaire have low internal validity measuring ‘challenge’ as a hardy component. In the 1990s Gulf War, those with a hardy personality were better at coping with combat-related stress with no negative side effects such as PTSD.

ICT Task

Your task as part of a group is to carry out a research project about personality factors and stress.

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You need to investigate Type A, Type B and the Hardy Personality. Is there any information that you can add to the previous page? HINT: You need more Type B!!!

Find some articles about individuals or groups of people who are have either a Type A or B personality, or who have a hardy personality.

You could also create your own case studies of the different personality types.

In your collage you could also include elements of a questionnaire designed to test hardiness (originally by Kobasa) http://www.mhhe.com/catalogs/sem/hhp/faculty/labs /index.mhtml?file=/catalogs/sem/hhp/labs/stress/04 or the personality type questionnaire (originally an interview by Friedman and Rosenman) http://discoveryhealth.queendom. com/questions/type_a_personality_1.html

You will need to create a ‘personality co

llage’. The collage will include psychological evidence that you have in your booklet, textbook or that you have found on the internet. The collage should be annotated throughout, and must contain evaluation commentary.

The best collages will be displayed in the classroom.

By the end of the lesson you will be able to answer the following questions and hand them in to me:

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Harry always meets deadlines. He hates being late and always likes to keep himself busy with plenty to do. Alex does not mind being late for anything and although he tries to meet deadlines, he is not worried if he misses any of them.

(a) Is Harry or Alex more likely to have a Type A personality?(b) Explain why having Type A personality make him more likely to suffer the negative

effects of stress. Jun 2010 [1 + 3 marks]

(c) Outline one way in which psychologists measure Type A personality. Jun 2010 [2 marks]

Personality Factors &

TYPE A TYPE B

1. Conceptualisation phase

2. Skills acquisition

phase (and rehearsal)

3. Application phase (and follow-through)

Psychological methods of stress management

When we learned about problem-focussed coping you discovered that techniques are used to help the individual focus on the situation rather than the symptoms; this helps to minimise the stress associated with the situation. There are psychological treatments which aim to train people to deal with the stressful situations differently, or increase their resistance to the negative effects of stress.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-Stress inoculation therapy (SIT)-

Meichenbaum (1985) believed that you cannot control the source of stress but you can change the way that you think about the stressor. Negative thinking leads to negative outcomes, while positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. By thinking more positively you can cope better in the future.

Meichenbaum’s SIT is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy specifically for stress; it is different to other stress treatments as SIT starts before a problem arises. Basically, you inoculate yourself against a disease before you get it; the same is true for stress. There are three phases to SIT:

Evaluation Copy and complete the following table using page 147. Attach your notes here.

Strengths of SIT Weaknesses of SIT

Biological methods of stress management

Benzodiazepines Benzodiazepines (BZs) are the most common drugs to treat stress and

anxiety;

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they slow down the activity of the CNS. Nerve cells communicate by sending chemicals (neurotransmitters) to the next nerve cell. One neurotransmitter in the brain is GABA. 40% of neurons in the brain respond to GABA. GABA gives relief from anxiety by altering other neurotransmitters; it reduces serotonin (which reduces arousal and anxiety). Drugs interfere with this process; benzodiazepines increase the activity of GABA in order to decrease serotonin activity, which in turn reduces arousal.

Beta-BlockersBeta-Blockers (BBs) reduce the activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline which are part of the sympathomedullary response to stress (see page 5-6 of this booklet). These do not enter the brain, instead BBs bind to the receptors in the heart and other parts of the body that are stimulated during arousal; this reduces the activity of the autonomic nervous system associated with arousal, i.e. reducing heart-rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. There is therefore less stress on the heart and the person feels calmer and less anxious. These are sometimes used by snooker + darts players and musicians to reduce the negative effects on their performance.

Evaluation Complete the following table using page 151 of the textbook:

Strengths of Drug Treatments Weaknesses of Drug TreatmentsKahn et al. (1986)

Real-world applications:

Easy to use…

Addiction…

Ashton (1997) found BZs should only be used for four weeks.

Side effects…

Drugs treat the symptoms of stress but not the cause. As soon as you stop the treatment the signs of stress return. It could be suggested that psychological methods are better

Key study glossaryYou hear me say it all the time…don’t get caught up in remembering all of the psychologists’ names. Try to remember a range of studies, but the names are less important. You need to create a glossary of key studies you are going to try and remember. Aim for 1-2 per double page spread.

Name of psychologist(s) Outline of study (method, findings, conclusions)

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Stress-related illness

Life changes

Daily hassles

Workplace stress

Personality and stress

Psychological methods of stress management

Biological methods of stress management

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Revision Crossword

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Across

1. These people are resilient to the negative effects of stress3. These people are laid back and patient5. The cells measured by Kiecolt-Glaser (1984)6. These drugs bind to the receptors of the heart12. The problem with diaries are that you are asking people to rate events in their past13. These drugs increase GABA to decrease serotonin14. Who investigated the job-strain model?15. Released by the SNS16. Released by the SAM17. This is an explanation that daily hassles are worse when you are also experiencing a life change19. The first phase of SIT20. These people want to do more in less time21. A version of the SRRS given to US Navy officers by Rahe et al (1970)

Down

2. The third phase of SIT4. The second phase of SIT7. According to Segerstrom and Miller (2004) these stressors boost the immune system8. Gervais (2005) asked these people to keep a diary for a month9. The acute stress response10. Holmes and Rahe developed this in 196711. Who carried out a meta-analysis of 14 workplace stress studies and found links between job strain and CHD?18. The chronic stress response

PSYA2 – Biological Psychology (Stress) Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure that you have covered all the areas needed for success in your exams. The following topics will be covered in class.

Topic AreaCovered in Class

Revised

Stress as a bodily response

The body’s response to stress, including the pituitary-adrenal system and the sympathomedullary pathway in outline

Stress-related illness and the immune system

Stress in Everyday Life

Life changes

Daily hassles as sources of stress

Workplace stress including the effects of workload and control

Personality factors, including Type A and Type B behaviour, hardiness

Psychological and biological methods of stress management, including stress inoculation therapy and drug therapy

However, it will be your responsibility to catch up with any topics you miss and to actively revise the different areas.

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