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What are the bodily symptoms to stress?
If a threat/stressor is detected the hypothalamus is alerted.
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Describe what happens in the SAM (sympathomedullary) pathway.
- Responsible for the body's fast response to stress.
- When the hypothalamus is alerted, electrical signals are sent down the autonomic branch (ANS) of the peripheral nervous system.
- Activity in the sympathetic branch of the ANS causes various things:
- - Fight or flight mode: Increased heart rate, dry mouth.
- - Stimulates the medulla of the adrenal glands ⇒
- Adrenaline and noradrenaline released which prolong stress response.
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Describe what happens in the pituitary adrenal system.
- Slower than SAM pathway.
- When hypothalamus is alerted hormones are released ⇒ corticotrophin releasing hormone (CTR).
- CTR causes the release of ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) from pituitary gland.
- Release of ACTH stimulates adrenal cortex.
- Adrenal cortex releases corticosteroids (cortisol).
- Cortisol causes increased pain tolerance and hydrolysis of glycogen for energy.
- Prolonged cortisol release causes chronic stress, CVD, suppressed immune system.
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How does the body return to normal?
The parasympathetic nervous branch shuts down the production of adrenaline, cortisol and noradrenaline.
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How is stress related to the immune system?
- Immune system consists of phagocytes and lymphocytes.
- Lymphocytes include NK (natural killer) cells, T cells.
- Corticosteroids reduce size of thymus gland ⇒ produces T cells.
- ACTH inhibits immune cell function.
- How is the link investigated?
- Correlational studies
- Natural experiments
- Lab/field experiments
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Describe Kiecolt and Glaser's study.
- A: To determine the impact of real life stressors on immune function.
- P: Natural experiment
- Participants were 75 1st year medical students.
- Blood samples taken 1 month before exams and right after 1st exam.
- Participants given questionnaires to asses life events, loneliness and psychiatric symptoms.
- F: NK cell activity declined between two samples.
- Immune system most weak in students who felt lonely.
- C: Stress is associated with lowered immune response.
- There are different sources of stress factors.
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Evaluate Kiecolt and Glaser's study.
- ☑Natural experiment ⇒
- ☑Less ethical issues
- ☒Not a true experiment
- ☒Can only assume that there exists a negative correlation.
- ☒NK cells only one aspect of immune system
- ☒Only medical students used: unrepresentative☑Directly measured immune function.
- ☑Supported by Kiecolt-Glaser's wound-healing study.
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Describe Cohen et al's study.
- A: To investigate the effect of general life stress on vulnerability to the common cold virus.
- P: 400 participants completed questionnaires on stressful life events in past year.
- They rated the degree of stress and their levels of anxiety /depression.
- Were then exposed to common cold virus.
- 82% became infected. Tested again 7 days later to see if symptoms developed.
- F: Positive correlation between about of stress and developing cold.
- C: Life stress reduces effect of immune system.
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Evaluate Cohen et al.
- ☒Did not directly measure immune function. Assumed from symptoms.
- ☒No direct manipulation of IV - only a correlation.
- ☒Ethical problems with exposing people to viruses even if they have given informed consent.
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What are life events? And how are they measured?
- Life events are major events that dramatically change your life.
- A scale was created by Holmes and Rahe.
- It is the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS).
- The scores are measured in Life Changing Units (LCU).
- SRRS scale was created by making a list of 43 events that caused patients illness.
- Scale was given to participants to rate stressfulness of each in LCU's.
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Outline Rahe et al's study.
- A: To investigate whether scores on the Holmes and Rahe SRRS were correlated with illness.
- P: 2500 male US navy personnel given SRRS scale to measure life events in past 6 months.
- Medical records in last 6 months also accessed.
- Two covariables are LCU's and illness score.
- F: Weak but significant positive correlation between high LCU and illness.
- C: Experiencing stressful events leads to weak immune system.
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Evaluate Rahe at al's study.
- ☑Large sample = reliable
- ☒Naval personnel is unrepresentative of general population. Only males = bias.
- ☒Finding is only correlational not causational.Weak relationship shows that other factors are involved.
- ☒SRRS is self report = Unreliable. Exaggeration, some events may not have been on scale.
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What is a daily hassle and how are they measured?
- Daily hassles are small stressors encountered in daily life which cause irritation and stress.
- They are measured using Delongis' Hassles and Uplifts scale.
- This scale is a self-report method.
- Can lead to unreliable answers due to different perceptions of daily hassles.
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Outline Delongis' study.
- A: To see if life changes or daily hassles are more strongly correlated with health problems.
- P: 100 middle aged participants given 4 questionnaires throughout a months.
- Daily hassles and uplifts scale, life events and health questionnaire.
- F: Daily hassles show significant correlation with health score. Negative correlation.
- Life changes had no dramatic impact on health, unless they occurred in 2.5 years before the study.
- C: Daily hassles more strongly related to stress symptoms.
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Evaluate Delongis' study.
- ☑Supported by other evidence e.g. Assessment of Daily Experience scale.
- ☒Sample is not representative. Does not have population validity.
- ☒Rating scale didn't take into account chronic stressors.
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What are the sources of stress in the workplace?
- Control
- Demands
- Physical stressors
- Role conflict
- Psychosocial stressors
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Outline Johansson et al's study.
- A: To investigate weather machine-paced work, repetitiveness and responsibility increases stress.
- P: Research done on Swedish sawmill workers.
- Analysed 14 'finishers' whose job has high risk of stress.
- Compared them to low risk job - cleaners.
- Combined physiological (stress hormones) and behavioural responses (illness and absenteeism).
- F: Finishers secreted higher levels of adrenaline/noradrenaline and experienced more stress related illnesses compared to cleaners.
- C: Work stressors can lead to chronic stress.
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Evaluate Johansson's study.
- ☑Includes many different measures of stress; objective, physiological (hormones) = reliable.
- ☒Not clear what stressor is most important. Many differences between jobs.
- ☒Type A personalities might do finisher job, whereas type B might do cleaner = confounding variable.
- ☑Has useful applications and implications for the real world. Finishers offered less pressured work.
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Outline Marmot et al's study.
- A: Investigate relationship between job control and stress-related illness.
- P: 7500 male and female civil servants answered questionnaires and asked for signs of CVD.
- Longitudinal study. 5 years.
- Signs of CVD, presence of CHD risk factors, employment grade, job control, social support all measured.
- F: Low job control = 4x more likely to die from heart attack.
- Higher grades of job = less CVD problems.
- Lower grade workers more likely to smoke due to stress. Risk factors increase chance of CVD.
- C: Low control = risk of CVD, stress and illness.
- High job demand not linked to stress. and illness.
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Evaluate Marmot et al's study.
- ☑Huge sample with men and women.
- ☒Only civil servants - unrepresentative.
- ☒Socio-economic status was a confounding variable. More pay = less stress.
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What is the difference between Type A and Type B personality?
- Type A ☞
- Ambitious
- Impatient
- Aggressive
- Irritable
- High stress levels
- Type B ☞
- Low stress levels
- Creative/reflective
- Not competitive
- Laid back
- Poor sense of time schedule
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Outline Friedman & Rosenman's study.
- A: To test if Type A are more likely to develop CHD than type B.
- P: 3200 healthy men, aged 39 to 59.
- Categorised as type A(1/2) or type B based on responses in structured interviews.
F: After 8.5 years, 257 developed CHD. - 70% of CHD developers were Type A (twice as many as Type B).
- Effect still held if there were other risk factors.
- C: Type A = more chance of CHD.
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Evaluate Friedman & Rosenman's study.
- ☒Only consists of men = unrepresentative.
- ☑Findings supported by other research e.g. Framingham heart study.
- ☒Type A personality often drink, smoke = risk factors.
- ☑People who took part in behaviour modification had fewer second heart attacks.
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What is hardiness? And how is it measured?
- Hardiness is a type of personality which is very resilient to stress.
- It is measured with a questionnaire which measures:
- Control
- Commitment
- Challenge
- Hardy personalities score high.
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Outline Kobasas' study.
- A: Examine effects of protective factors on resistance to stress-related illness.
- P: A prospective study.
- Participants rated on presence or absence of; hardiness, social support, regular exercise.
- Followed participants for several years (longitudinal).
- Monitored presence of psychological and physical illness.
- F: Pp's with no protective factors = worse health outcomes.
- 2+ factors = less illness.
- Hardiness had best effect.
- C: Hardiness has greatest effect against prevention of stress related illness.
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Evaluate Kobasas' study.
- ☒Only used males - unrepresentative of females.
- ☒Concepts of control not well defined. Control could be part of commitment or challenge.
- ☒Other factors could have affected health e.g. smoking.
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How does stress inoculation therapy work?
- Conceptualisation:
- Analyse stressful elements in a stressful situation. Understand how person copes. Individually or in groups.
- Skills training and practice:
- Relaxation techniques, specific training e.g. exam technique, public speaking.
- Application with support:
- Patient applies learnt knowledge in 'role-play' with therapist. Then in real world. This is continued in next sessions.
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Evaluate stress inoculation therapy.
- ☑Targets both symptoms and causes of stress.
- ☑Clients learn new skills to help deal with stress in long term.
- ☒Few studies of effectiveness.
- ☒Expensive and requires time and commitment from patient.
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What are Benzodiazapenes and how do they work?
- Lower brain arousal associated with anxiety.
- Enhance action of brain chemical GABA.
- Blocks action by other neurotransmitters e.g serotonin ,which causes high arousal.
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What are beta blockers and how do they work?
- Act directly on bodily symptoms of stress.
- Reduce SAM pathway activity.
- Reduce activity of adrenaline and noradrenaline by blocking receptor sites in circulatory system.
- Lower heart rate and blood pressure.
- Have no effect on brain.
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Evaluate the use of drug treatments for stress management.
- ☑Large range, readily available, cheap.
- ☑Fast and effective, reduce anxiety and high blood pressure. Beta blockers can reduce formation of atherosclerosis.
- ☑BZP's more effective than antidepressants in most types of stress.
- ☒BZP's can cause dependency and addiction.
- ☑Beta blockers dont cause addiction.
- ☒Side effects of BZP's can include drowsiness, cognitive impairment. Beta blockers can affect circulatory system and cause breathing problems.
- ☒Does not treat the cause of the symptom. Only short relief, not long term.
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