PSYA2: Biological Psychology (Stress)

Whitehead/Clarke

By Nicky

Body Response to Stress

Pathways…

1) Pituitary-adrenal2) Sympathomedullary pathway

- Sympathetic (fight or flight)- Parasympathetic (releases cortisol to calm)

3) Explain the difference between fight or flight4) Model answers

1. Describe the pituitary-adrenal pathway

2. Describe the sympathomedullary pathway

3. Explain the difference between “fight or flight” and “tend and befriend”

The sympathomedullary pathway is an alarm reaction. Often described as ‘fight or flight’. As this prepares your body for action. Fight or flight is what your body would do in a situation. You either run, or you stay to fight a problem. Women are often described to have a ‘tend and befriend’ attitude as they have to care for babies. However, if their baby was threatened, they could shift to the fight or flight reaction to defend their child.

Practice: ‘Describe how the body responds to stress (6 marks)

1) In the first shock response, the sympathomedullary pathway, an alarm reaction, also known as the ‘fight or flight’ response occurs. This prepares your body for action. The Sympathetic branch of the ANS (Autonomic nervous system) is activated by the hypothalamus, stimulating the adrenal medulla to produce adrenaline and non-adrenaline in times of stress. This leads to increased heart rate, blood flow, blood pressure, and pupil dilation.

2) In the counter shock response, the pituitary-adrenal pathway, tries to restore the body to it’s parasympathetic state. CRF chemicals are sent to the pituitary adrenal gland, which releases ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal cortex (situated slightly above the kidneys), to produce cortisol, which helps to calm us down. HOWEVER, cortisol can also act as an immunosuppressant, making us prone to illness.

Stress Related Illnesses…

• 1. Define immunosuppression• 2. APFC Kiecolt-Glazer’s study on medical

students• 3. Kiecolt-Glaser 1984’s AO2 points.• 4. Additional AO2

1. Define immunosuppression

Immunosuppression is a decrease in the amount of white blood cells meaning that your body is less protected from disease than usual, making you more prone to disease.

2. APFC Kiecolt-Glazer’s (1984) study on medical students and explain what it tells us about stress and the immune

system

Aim:To investigate whether stress of exams had an effect on functioning of the immune system.

Procedures:• 75 med students• Blood samples taken a month prior to exams (low stress), and

during the exams (high stress)• Measuring T-lymphocyte activity.• Also given a questionnaire to access other life events.Findings:

T-cell activity was significantly reduced in the 2nd sample.T-cell activity was most reduced in ppts who had high stress levels.

Conclusion:Exam stress reduces immune function, leaving them vulnerable to disease.

KIECOLT-GLASER 1984 A02:

• Objective – measuring T-lymphocyte cells is a method that we know words. It’s scientific.

• Additional questionnaire used to be able to evaluate external stressors.

• Backed up by KIECOLT-GLASER 1991 (carers of Alzheimer's patients)andKIECOLT-GLASER 1987 (women going through a divorce.)

• Small sample size – 75 students

• All medical students – will be feeling more stressed due to the nature of their course

• Can’t necessarily be generalised.

• Questionnaire used would be subjective.

Kiecolt-Glaser et al’s (1984), back ups:

• Immune function significantly reduced in highly stressed groups such as Alzheimer carer’s. Kiecolt-Glaser et al 1991.

• Immune function was also significantly reduced for women going through divorce Kiecolt-Glaser et al 1987.

- All female?

Stress in Everyday Life

1. Life Events and Daily Hassles• Life Events• Define life events• Explain the Social Readjusment Rating Scale (SRRS) as a

measure of life events• APFC Rahe et a (1970)• 3 detailed AO2 points on life events as a source of stress

including the historical validity of SRRS• Define daily hassles and uplifts• Describe Kanner (1987) research on daily hassles and uplifts• 3 detailed AO2 points on daily hassles as a source of stress

Life events:

Life events are discrete major stressors, things such as marriage, deaths, and divorce. There are also continuous minor stressors. These include things such as losing your keys, getting stuck in traffic. They are called daily hassles.

So…1) Life events – massively impacting, but brief.2) Daily hassles – small annoyances that can

occur regularly that just piss you off.

Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) by Holmes and Rahe (1967)

• A scale of 43 life events.• ‘Death of a spouse’ is at the top. With a rating

of 100 LCU.• ‘Minor violation of the law’ is at the bottom,

with a rating of 11 LCU.• They proposed that a score over 150 within two

years increased the chances of stress-related illness by 30%.

• A score of over 300 increased the chances by 50%.

A study of life changes as a source of stress (Rahe et al 1970)

Aim:To find if the SRRS correlated with subsequent onset of illness.Procedure:2500 American Sailors, given SRRS to see how many life events had happened to

them within the last 6 months.For the next 6 months (whilst they were on duty), their health status was

recorded.Findings:

Positive correlation of 0.118 between SRRS scores and illness scores. (perfect correlation = 1)

Indicating a meaningful relationship between LCUs and health (statistically significant correlation.) As LCU’s increased, as did the frequency of illness.

Conclusion: Positive correlation increased the chances of a stress related break down.Since the correlation was not ONE EXACTLY, there must be another contributing factor of stress.

Rahe et al 1970 – life events and stress AO2:

• HMM… • Ethnocentric – only Americans tested. Therefore not generalisable.

• Androcentric – only males tested.

• Only sailors tested, very specific job. Not generalisable.

• Correlations do not imply what caused what.

3 detailed AO2 points on life events as a source of stress including the historical validity of SRRS

1) Not very historically valid. It was created in 1967, and things such as ‘change in church activities’ would be less relevant in 2012, as there is less social pressures focused on Christianity.

2) Does not give a cause/effect relationship due to correlation only.

Define daily hassles and uplifts

Daily hassles include things such as losing your keys, getting stuck in a traffic jam, or forgetting your planner. Little things that don’t massively impact your life, however can build up over time and cause stress.

Uplifts are things which you gain pleasure from that counteract these daily hassles. For example, seeing your friends, reading, watching TV, and eating could all be considered as uplifts.

Describe Kanner (1987) research on daily hassles and uplifts

• Devised the ‘Hassles scale’• 117 daily hassles, and 135 uplifts.• Scores on Hassles Scale correlate with levels of

depression, and health problems KANNER ET AL (1981)

• Hassles score correlated health status moreso than life events DeLongis ET AL (1982)

Workplace

• Define workplace stress• APFC the study of Marmot• APFC the study of Johansson • 3 detailed AO2 points on the workplace as a

source of stress

1. Define workplace stress

Workplace stress is stress which can be found within the workplace. Can be due to:

- Physical environment- Work overload- Lack of control

2. APFC the study of Marmot et al (1991)

• 3 year longitudinal study• 3000 Whitehall civil servants, measuring job control,

and stress related illness.• People with low job control (DAD) (where aspects of

their job were determined by others) were four times more likely to die by a heart attack than those with more job control (MUM) (i.e self employed)

• Job control and illness were negatively correlated.• Supported by Van der Doef and Maes (1998) who

found that high job demands and low control is associated with increased heart disease.

3. APFC the study of Johansson et al (1978)

Aim:To investigate whether repetitive jobs, and high levels of responsibility increased

stress.Procedure:• ‘High risk group’ – 14 Swedish wood finishers, in a sawmill. Their work was fast

paced, isolated, and very repetitive.• ‘Low risk group’ - 10 cleaners, whose work was varied, and allowed more

socialising.• Adrenaline and nonadrenaline were tested in urine samples on work days and

rest days.Findings:• High risk group secreted more ad and non-ad on work days thant the low riskers.• Also, High Risk showed higher levels of stress related illness such as headaches.Conclusions:Repetitiveness, and high levels of responsibility cause lots of stress.

To reduce stress, bosses should introduce more variety into their work, and allow them to build their own sense of pace.

3. Johansson et al (1978) – AO2

• Objective – hormones are tested, which is a scientific test.

• High ecological validity, as tested in their ACTUAL work settings.

• Individual differences are not controlled. Maybe people with ‘Type A’ behaviour chose the fast paced jobs.

• Does not identify which of the work stressors is the most stressful.

• Ethnocentric, at a SWEDISH sawmill.

• Small sample size.

Personality

1. Define Type A and B personality2. APFC Friedman and Rosenman (1974)3. 3 detailed AO2 points on the research of

Friedman and Roseman (1974)4. Define hardiness5. Explain what Kobasa tells us about Hardiness

1. Personality types:Type A• Aggressive• Frantic• Competitive• Self-critical• HostileResearch includes:Williams et al (2003) 15 year study

focused on young individuals that showed Type A personality. They found that hostility and impatience could lead to heart attacks, and other cardiovascular disease.

Type B• Relaxed• Laid-back• Calmer

BALANCE = TYPE X

2. APFC Friedman and Rosenman (1974)Aim:Investigate links between Type A personality and

cardiovascular disease.Procedures:3200 Californian men, between 39 and 59. Split into• Type A• Type X• Or Type B personalitiesFollowed up for 8 and a half years (longitudinal study)Findings:Approx. 250 men had developed CHD, 70% were Type A.Could be linked to external factors such as smoking, and

obesity also.Conclusion:Type A behaviours increased risks of CHD.

3 detailed AO2 points on the research of Friedman and Roseman (1974)

• Large sample size.• Could be affected by other

variables such as HARDINESS, or obesity.

• Cause and effect can’t be assumed.

• Ethnocentric, only Californian’s.

• Androcentric, only men.• Longitudinal study – could

suffer from attrition.

4. Define hardiness

A range of personality characteristics that provide defence against the negative effects of stress.

5. Explain what Kobasa tells us about Hardiness

1. Belief you control what happens in your life.

2. Commitment: A sense of involvement in the world.

3. Challenge: seeing life changes as opportunities.

His studies were mostly done on men though.

Psychological Treatments

1. Explain Meichenbaum’s stress inoculation treatment

2. Explain Kobasa’s Hardiness training3. 3 detailed AO2 points of psychological

treatments for stress

1. Explain Meichenbaum’s stress inoculation treatment

• Form of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)• Meichenbaum 1983.• ‘dealing with stress’1. Conceptualisation – Imagine the situation,

and why is was stressful.2. Skills training and practise – Taught relaxation

techniques.3. Real-life application – Patients are allowed to

go out to the real world and put their skills to the test.

2. Explain Kobasa’s Hardiness training

• 3 Stages – similar to inoculation training by Meichenbaum 1983.

1. Focusing – Encouraged to spot signs of stress.2. Relieving stress encounters – Analyse

stressful situations & how they were resolved.

3. Self improvement – The BELIEF that you can cope in situations.

3. 3 detailed AO2 points of psychological treatments for stress

• Kobasa’s studies often used white, middle-class businessmen. = Not generalisable.

• There are few systematic studies.

• Systems of coping can be difficult to learn – not suited for everybody.

• Reductionist – splitting dealing with stress into 3 categories.

Biological Treatments

1. Explain the biological processes involved with BZ’s as a treatment of stress

2. Describe biofeedback3. 3 detailed AO2 points of biological

treatments for stress

1. Explain the biological processes involved with BZ’s as a treatment of stress

• BZ’s target stress.• They react with GABA-receptors.• They enhance the actions of the natural brain

chemical, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).• GABA tells the neurons to slow down. This

affects 40% of neurons, which gently slows the brain.

2. Describe biofeedback• Records the activity of

the psychological systems of the body. E.g. heart rate/BP/tension in the neck.

• Recorded by electrodes.• Patients encouraged to

try stress relieving activities such as muscle relaxation or meditation.

3. 3 detailed AO2 points of biological treatments for stress (e.g. BZs)

• Speedy and effective – in hormones, so it’s objective.

• HIDALGO ET AL 2001 – found that BZ’s were more effective than antidepressants.

• Drugs can be prescribed easily and quickly.

• Long-term use can lead to dependency.

• Side effects such as drowsiness and memory loss.

• Only targets symptoms, not causes.