Chapter 5 Define and measure stress,Shirley xie 2010,Contents:,Measurement of stress Sources of stress Coping with stress,1Methods of measurement,Two broad categories: Physiological measures: stress is a biological response that can be measured much as any other biological response. Self-reports: measure either life events or daily hassles.,Physiological measure,one method of measuring stress uses various physiological and biochemical measures, including blood pressure, heart rate, galvanic skin response, respiration rate. Polygraphs: “lie detectors”,Physiological measure,A more common approach to the physiological measurement of stress is through its association with the release of hormones. Usually by testing hormones in blood or urine. Epinephrine and norepinephrine Cortisol,Disadvantage and advantage of Physiological measure,Disadvantage: The mechanical and electrical hardware and clinical setting that are frequently used may themselves produce stress. Advantage: being direct, highly reliable and easily quantified.,Self-report measures,Life-events scales Everyday hassles scales Reliability and validity of stress measures,Life-events scales,Self-report instruments: 1950s-1960s SRRS: social readjustment rating scale, developed by Thomas H. Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967. Total scores: 300 points,Hassles scales,Lazarus(1981): Hassles scale: 117 items Uplift scale: 138 items Revised hassles and uplift scales(1988) Hassles scale: 53 items Uplift scale: 53 items Much short and better predictive power,Reliability and validity of stress measures,Reliability: the consistency with which an instrument measures whatever it measures. Validity: the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to measure. Overreporting or underreporting problems,2Sources of stress,Cataclysmic events Life events Daily hassles,Cataclysmic events,Cataclysmic events: “sudden, unique, and powerful single life-events requiring major adaptive responses from population groups sharing the experience.” Unintentional events: such as natural disasters as hurricanes, typhoons, fires, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes Intentional events: such as kill large numbers of people and create stress, grief, and fear among survivors.,Intentional acts seem to produce more widespread stress than do natural disasters.,Life events,Life events: when people are required to make some sort of change or readjustment, they feel stressed. Life events usually evolve more slowly.,Daily hassles,The stress brought on by daily hassles can originate from both the physical and the psychosocial environment. Urban press: the crowding, noise, pollution, fear of crime, personal alienation. Discrimination,Population density: a physical condition in which a large population occupies a limited space. Crowding: a psychological condition that arises from a persons perception of the high-density environment in which that person in confined.,Daily hassles and psychosocial environment,The stressors originate in the everyday social environment from sources such as community, workplace, and family interactions. Discrimination. High demand and low control in workplace. Multiple roles,3Coping with stress,Coping: strategies that individuals use to manage the distressing problems and emotions in their lives. Personal resources that influence coping Personal coping strategies,Personal resources that influence coping,Health and energy Positive belief Problem solving skills Material resources Social skills,Social support,Social support refers to a variety of material and emotional supports a person receives from others. Social contacts and social network Social isolation: refers to an absence of specific, meaningful interpersonal relations.,Stress-buffering hypothesis,Social support lessens or eliminates the harmful effects of stress and therefore protects against disease and death.,Personal control,Personal control: confidence that they have some control over the events that shape their lives. Julian Rotter: locus of control Internal locus of control: people who believe that they control their own lives . External locus of control: people who believe that luck, fate, or the acts of others determine their lives.,Personal hardiness,Kobasa and Maddi(1977): The hardy personality model: authentic, psychologically healthy people do not passively accept their fate, but rather seize and maintain control of their life.,Personal coping strategies,Problem-focused coping: aimed to changing the source of the stress. Emotion-focused coping: oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress.,Personal coping strategies,Social coping: seeking support from others Meaning-focused coping: the person concentrates on deriving meaning from the stressful experience.,Personal coping strategies,Proactive coping: involves anticipating a problem and taking steps to avoid it. Disadvantage: expending effort for an event that may not occur or may not be as stressful as anticipated.,