Stress — AQA A-Level Psychology Revision

    The study of stress as a psychological and physiological phenomenon, covering its biological mechanisms, its impact on health, sources of stress, methods o

    Topic Synopsis

    The study of stress as a psychological and physiological phenomenon, covering its biological mechanisms, its impact on health, sources of stress, methods of measurement, individual differences in response, and strategies for management.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Examiner Marking Points

    Stress

    AQA
    A-Level

    The study of stress as a psychological and physiological phenomenon, covering its biological mechanisms, its impact on health, sources of stress, methods of measurement, individual differences in response, and strategies for management.

    0
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    0
    Pitfalls
    6
    Key Terms
    15
    Mark Points

    Topic Overview

    Stress is a key topic in AQA A-Level Psychology, forming part of the Psychopathology and Biopsychology sections. It explores how individuals respond to demands (stressors) and the physiological, psychological, and social consequences of prolonged stress. Understanding stress is crucial because it links to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, and has real-world applications in managing workplace stress, exam pressure, and chronic illness. This topic integrates knowledge from the nervous system, endocrine system, and individual differences, making it a core area for synoptic revision.

    The study of stress covers three main areas: the physiology of stress (e.g., the SAM and HPA axes), sources of stress (life changes, daily hassles, workplace factors), and stress management (both physiological and psychological methods). Students must evaluate key studies like Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) by Selye, and research on control and stress (e.g., Johansson et al., 1978). The topic also examines individual differences in stress responses, such as Type A/B behaviour patterns and hardiness.

    Mastering stress is essential for exam success because it frequently appears in essay questions, research methods scenarios, and application questions. It also provides a foundation for understanding other topics like addiction (stress as a relapse trigger) and relationships (stress and attachment). By the end of this topic, students should be able to critically evaluate theories, explain real-world examples, and suggest evidence-based interventions.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): Selye's three-stage model (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) describing the body's non-specific response to prolonged stress, with emphasis on the role of cortisol and the HPA axis.
    • →SAM and HPA axes: The Sympathetic-Adrenal-Medullary (SAM) system triggers the 'fight or flight' response via adrenaline, while the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis releases cortisol for long-term stress. Both are crucial for understanding acute vs. chronic stress.
    • →Life changes and daily hassles: Holmes and Rahe's SRRS measures stress from major life events (e.g., divorce), while Kanner et al. highlight the cumulative impact of daily hassles (e.g., traffic). Students must evaluate the predictive validity of each.
    • →Workplace stress: Factors like workload, control, and demand (Karasek's Job Demand-Control Model) and effort-reward imbalance (Siegrist) explain occupational stress. Studies like Johansson et al. (1978) on Swedish sawmill workers illustrate the role of control.
    • →Stress management: Physiological methods (e.g., benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, biofeedback) and psychological methods (e.g., stress inoculation training, hardiness training, cognitive restructuring) with evaluation of effectiveness and ethical considerations.

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Physiology of stress including General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
    • Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system
    • Sympathomedullary (SAM) pathway
    • Role of cortisol
    • Stress in illness (immunosuppression and cardiovascular disorders)
    • Sources of stress: life changes and daily hassles
    • Workplace stress (workload and control)
    • Measuring stress: self-report scales (SRRS and Hassles and Uplifts Scale)

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Physiology of stress including General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
    • Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system
    • Sympathomedullary (SAM) pathway
    • Role of cortisol
    • Stress in illness (immunosuppression and cardiovascular disorders)
    • Sources of stress: life changes and daily hassles
    • Workplace stress (workload and control)
    • Measuring stress: self-report scales (SRRS and Hassles and Uplifts Scale)
    • Physiological measures of stress (skin conductance response)
    • Individual differences: personality types A, B and C
    • Hardiness (commitment, challenge and control)
    • Managing stress: drug therapy (benzodiazepines, beta blockers)
    • Stress inoculation therapy
    • Biofeedback
    • Gender differences in coping with stress

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Ensure clear distinction between the SAM pathway (acute stress) and the HPA system (chronic stress).
    • 💡When discussing workplace stress, explicitly link to the concepts of workload and control as specified.
    • 💡Be prepared to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of the different stress management therapies.
    • 💡Use specific terminology for personality types and hardiness components.
    • 💡When evaluating studies, always discuss methodological strengths and weaknesses (e.g., sample, validity, ethics) and link to the question. For example, Holmes and Rahe's retrospective design may cause recall bias, but it has high reliability.
    • 💡Use specific terminology like 'HPA axis', 'cortisol', 'sympathetic nervous system' to show depth. Avoid vague phrases like 'stress hormones' without naming them.
    • 💡For 16-mark essays, plan a balanced argument: present theories/studies, then counter with criticisms or alternative explanations. Conclude with a judgement on which explanation is most convincing, using evidence.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Misconception: Stress is always bad. Correction: Eustress (positive stress) can enhance performance and motivation. The Yerkes-Dodson law shows moderate stress improves performance, while too little or too much impairs it.
    • Misconception: The SRRS is a perfect predictor of illness. Correction: The SRRS has low predictive validity; many people with high scores do not become ill. Individual differences (coping, social support) moderate the stress-illness link.
    • Misconception: The 'fight or flight' response is the only stress response. Correction: Taylor et al. proposed 'tend and befriend' as a female-specific response, involving oxytocin and caregiving. Also, freeze responses occur in some situations.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •The nervous system and endocrine system: Understanding the role of the sympathetic nervous system, adrenal glands, and hormones like adrenaline and cortisol is essential for stress physiology.
    • •Research methods: Knowledge of correlations, experiments, and self-report techniques is needed to evaluate stress studies (e.g., SRRS correlations, lab experiments on stress).
    • •Individual differences: Familiarity with personality types (e.g., Type A/B) and social support helps explain why stress affects people differently.

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    Comprehensive revision notes & examples

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