Measuring Stress (AQA A Level Psychology): Flashcards
Exam code: 7182
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How did Holmes and Rahe (1967) develop the SRRS?
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How did Holmes and Rahe (1967) develop the SRRS?
From hospital patients' medical records they listed 43 life changes, then had several hundred people rate the readjustment each needed on a 1–1000 scale with marriage set at 500.
Mean SRRS ratings were divided by to give the life change unit (LCU) score for each event.
Mean SRRS ratings were divided by ten to give the life change unit (LCU) score for each event.
How is the SRRS completed and interpreted?
People tick events from the last 12 months and add the scores. 150 or fewer predicts no health problems; 300 or more suggests an 80% chance of stress-related illness.
Why did Kanner et al. (1981) develop the Hassles and Uplifts Scale?
They argued too much focus was on life events and not enough on the daily hassles that wear people down and create chronic stress.
How many items are on the Hassles Scale and the Uplifts Scale?
117 hassles and 135 uplifts, drawn from seven categories such as work, health and family.
True or False?
The Hassles Scale measures how often each hassle happens.
False.
It measures severity on a three-point scale, as the psychological meaning of a hassle matters more than its frequency.
Which physiological samples can be analysed for stress hormones?
Blood and urine samples, checked for cortisol and adrenaline levels.
How does stress affect the voice?
It alters respiration, raising pitch and causing microtremors in speech muscles, so the voice sounds higher and shaky.
Define skin conductance response (SCR).
The SCR, or galvanic skin response, measures the skin's ability to conduct electricity using electrodes on the index and middle fingers.
Why does the SCR reading rise during stress?
Sweating increases, which enhances the skin's conductivity.
Along with heart rate, respiration and blood pressure, the SCR makes up a , or 'lie detector'.
Along with heart rate, respiration and blood pressure, the SCR makes up a polygraph, or 'lie detector'.
What is the difference between tonic and phasic skin conductance?
Tonic (skin conductance level) is the baseline with no stimulus. Phasic is the response when something happens. SCR measurement compares the two.
What did Rahe et al. (1970) find when testing the SRRS?
In over 2,000 sailors, there was a positive correlation between pre-cruise life changes and illnesses reported at sea.
What did DeLongis et al. (1988) find using the Hassles and Uplifts Scale?
Daily hassles were more strongly correlated with stress and ill health than life events.
Villarejo et al. (2012) found SCR detected participants' stress levels with a success rate of %.
Villarejo et al. (2012) found SCR detected participants' stress levels with a success rate of 76.5%, supporting its validity.
How are SCR measurements used in stress management?
Biofeedback uses SCR readings to indicate stress responses so individuals can learn to control their stress levels.
What is intracategory variability?
Items like 'serious illness' are general categories interpreted in many ways, from flu to a heart attack (Dohrenwend et al., 1990), reducing validity.
What are 'stabiles' and 'labiles'?
Stabiles have SCRs that vary little at rest; labiles show the opposite. Ignoring these differences threatens the validity of SCR research.
True or False?
Stress measurement tools take an idiographic approach.
False.
They are nomothetic, using standardised scales that assume a general pattern of stress response.
Why are physiological measures biologically reductionist?
They reduce stress to biological indicators, ignoring cognitive and emotional aspects of the experience.
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