Revision Session Notes RE: Stress

Selye’s GAS
1)   Alarm Reaction

2)   Resistance Stage – Body maintains a heightened state of physical activity (Immunosupression)

3)   Exhaustion Stage – Body becomes unable to maintain heightened activity and things start to go wrong = ‘Disease of Adaptation’ (Stress-related illness)

Research

-      Kiecolt-Glaser = Medical students = Natural killer cell activity. More stress, the less natural killer cell activity.

-      A researcher = ‘High stress’ group caring for a relation with Alzheimers compared with a low stress group. Scar tissue took an average 9 days longer to form in high-stress group.

-      Another researcher = _sI_gA  help defends us against influenza. Lower levels in high stress groups.

Coping Strategies

Cognitive/behavioural efforts to manage demands that are perceived as taxing or exceeding our resources.

Problem focussed coping strategies (PF)

Emotion focussed coping strategies (EF)

 Problem Focussed

Also known as optimistic strategies or coping mechanisms

These aim to deal constructively with a stressor in order to wither reduce it or terminate it.

Examples:

·        Seeking information about the stressor

·        Using social support systems

·        Formulating a plan of action (logical analysis)

·        Implementing the plan of action

Emotion Focussed

Also known as pessimistic strategies or ego defence mechanisms

They don’t deal constructively with the stressor and so whilst they might be effective in the short them, they are ineffective in the long term

Frequently used behavioural therapy is going to the pub

Cognitive strategies involved distorting reality in some way so as to deal with the stressor

Displacement:

Directing anger towards a readily available target

Denial:

Refusing to accept that something is the case

Regression:

Returning to an earlier stage of development when a behaviour reduced stress

Rationalisation:

Justifying ones behaviour or failures by plausible or socially acceptable reasons in place of a real reason

Repression:

Burying a memory deep within the ‘unconscious’ so that it is ‘forgotten’

Most people use a combination of PF and EF strategies

People only have problems when they rely exclusively on EF strategies

As a rule:

PF strategies are effective when the stressor is judged to be changeable.
EF Strategies are effective when the stressor is judged to be unchangeable

Workplace Stressors

·        Quantitative work overload or underload

·        Qualitative work overload or underload

·        Role ambiguity

·        Role conflict

·        Job security

·        Lack of a career structure

·        Interpersonal relationships (e.g. Bullying)

·        Degree of latitude

·        Degree of control

Friedman and Rosenman believed CHD was most strongly linked to diet. Research focussed on job-related stress, and the idea that personality may influence the likelihood of developing CHD. Conducted lengthy interviews with employees with CHD and employees without CHD.

Two personality types:

Type A
Non-Type A (Type B)

 Type A:

Very competitive

Would like to rapidly advance in a career

Very fast at doing things

Feel uneasy if waiting – Impatient

Always in a hurry

Hostile to the outside world

Highly self critical

Friedman and Rosenman

-To test the hypothesis that Type A personality is correlated with the development of CHD

-Type A more likely to develop CHD