Stress Revision Notes
Subject: Psychology | Level: A-Level | Exam Board: AQA
This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the AQA A-Level Psychology topic of Stress. It delves into the physiological responses (SAM and HPA), psychological factors like personality and workplace stress, and crucial evaluation of management techniques, ensuring candidates are prepared to maximise their marks."
Revision Notes & Key Concepts
Worked Examples
Worked Example
Question: Outline and evaluate research into the relationship between stress and illness. (16 marks)
Solution: **Introduction**: The relationship between stress and illness is complex, with psychological factors influencing physiological processes. Research has focused on how stress, particularly chronic stress, can lead to immunosuppression, increasing vulnerability to illness. Key research by Kiecolt-Glaser et al. and studies on life changes and daily hassles provide evidence, though methodological issues offer points for evaluation. **AO1 - Kiecolt-Glaser et al. (1984)**: This study aimed to investigate the effect of exam stress on the immune system. They took blood samples from 75 medical students one month before their exams (low stress) and during the exam period (high stress). They measured the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells. They found that NK cell activity was significantly lower in the second sample, suggesting that the stress of the exams had suppressed their immune function. This provides direct evidence for the physiological mechanism linking stress to illness. **AO1 - Holmes and Rahe (1967)**: They proposed that major life events were a key source of stress. Using the SRRS, they found that individuals with high LCU scores in the preceding year were more likely to experience physical illness. This suggests a positive correlation between the number of life changes and stress-related illness. **AO3 - Evaluation of Kiecolt-Glaser**: This was a well-controlled, natural experiment that has high internal validity. The repeated measures design reduced the impact of individual differences in immune function. However, it only shows a correlation; it does not prove that stress *caused* the reduction in NK cell activity. Other factors, such as changes in diet or sleep patterns during exams, could be confounding variables. **AO3 - Evaluation of SRRS**: A major criticism is its reliance on correlational data, which cannot establish cause and effect. Furthermore, it uses retrospective data, which can be unreliable as people may not accurately recall events or their severity. The scale also assumes that all life changes are perceived equally; for example, a divorce could be stressful for one person but a relief for another, an issue better addressed by the Hassles and Uplifts Scale. **AO3 - Issues and Debates**: The biological explanation for stress-related illness can be seen as reductionist. It reduces the complex human experience of stress to the level of hormones and immune cells, ignoring cognitive factors like how an individual appraises a stressor. Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress argues that stress is a result of the interaction between the individual and their environment, and our cognitive appraisal of the situation is key. This provides a more holistic, and arguably more complete, explanation.
Worked Example
Question: Describe and evaluate the role of personality type and hardiness in stress. (16 marks)
Solution: **Introduction**: The response to stress is not uniform; individual differences in personality play a significant role in mediating the stress-illness relationship. Research has identified specific personality types, such as Type A, which may predispose individuals to stress-related illness, while concepts like Hardiness suggest some personality structures can provide resilience against stress. **AO1 - Type A Personality**: Friedman and Rosenman's research identified the Type A personality, characterised by competitiveness, time urgency, and hostility. In their longitudinal Western Collaborative Group Study, they followed over 3000 men for 8.5 years and found that Type A individuals were twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) as Type B individuals (who are relaxed and patient), even when other factors like smoking were accounted for. **AO1 - Hardiness**: In contrast, Kobasa proposed the Hardy Personality as a protective factor. This personality type consists of the 'Three Cs': Control (a belief in one's ability to influence events), Commitment (a sense of purpose), and Challenge (viewing change as an opportunity). Kobasa (1979) studied managers at a high-stress company and found that those who scored high on the hardiness scale were less likely to suffer from stress-related illness. **AO3 - Evaluation of Type A Research**: While influential, the concept of Type A has received mixed support. Later research suggested that it was not the entire personality type but the specific component of 'hostility' that was most strongly linked to CHD. Furthermore, the original study used an all-male sample from the US, limiting the generalisability of the findings to women or other cultures. This is an example of beta bias. **AO3 - Evaluation of Hardiness**: The concept of hardiness has practical applications in stress management, as aspects of it can be taught. However, much of the research is correlational, making it difficult to establish a causal relationship between hardiness and health outcomes. It is also difficult to measure hardiness accurately, and there is a debate over whether the three components are truly independent or simply aspects of a single underlying trait. **AO3 - Comparison and Conclusion**: Both concepts highlight the importance of cognitive factors in the stress response, moving beyond a purely biological model. However, they can be seen as deterministic, suggesting that our personality dictates our health outcomes. In reality, the relationship is more complex, involving an interaction of personality, coping strategies, and social support. The concept of hardiness is arguably more optimistic as it suggests a pathway to resilience, whereas the Type A concept focuses more on pathology.
Worked Example
Question: A media company is moving to a new office. The managers are concerned about the stress this may cause their employees. As a psychologist, explain how you would use Stress Inoculation Training to help the employees manage their stress. (8 marks)
Solution: **Application of SIT**: Stress Inoculation Training (SIT), a cognitive-behavioural approach, would be ideal for managing the employees' stress. I would implement it in three phases. **Phase 1: Conceptualisation**: First, I would work with the employees to help them understand the nature of their stress. We would identify the specific stressors related to the office move, such as the uncertainty of the new environment, the disruption to their routines, and potential changes in their teams. The goal is for them to see these as challenges to be solved rather than overwhelming threats. **Phase 2: Skills Acquisition and Rehearsal**: In this phase, I would teach the employees a range of coping skills. This would include relaxation techniques to manage physiological arousal, such as deep breathing. We would also work on cognitive restructuring, helping them to replace negative self-talk (e.g., 'I won't be able to cope') with more positive, constructive thoughts (e.g., 'This is an opportunity to create a better workspace'). We would rehearse these skills in the training sessions. **Phase 3: Application and Follow-Through**: Finally, the employees would be encouraged to apply these newly learned skills to the real-world situation of the office move. We might use role-playing or visualisation to practice coping with potential stressors. I would set up follow-up sessions to review their progress and reinforce the skills, ensuring they can continue to apply them long after the move is complete. This makes the intervention effective in the long term.
Practice Questions
Question: Outline the findings of one study that has investigated the effect of stress on the immune system. (4 marks)
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Question: Distinguish between the SAM pathway and the HPA axis. (4 marks)
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Question: Evaluate the use of drug therapy to manage stress. (6 marks)
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Question: Javier is a manager who feels constantly under pressure. He has a heavy workload and feels he has no control over his tasks. He is often irritable and has had several colds this year. His colleague, Anya, has a similar workload but seems to thrive. She sees pressure as a chance to prove herself and is very involved in her projects. Using your knowledge of psychology, explain their different responses to stress. (10 marks)
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Question: Outline and evaluate Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome. (8 marks)
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