Stress : Managing Stress (10-Apr-2003)

There are two broad categories we will look at for stress management: physiological and psychological.

Physiological Approaches to Stress Management

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Homework

    1. Briefly outline the three parts of the General Adaptation Syndrome as described by Hans Selye. (2 + 2 + 2 marks)
      The three parts of the GAS are:
      1. Alarm, where the body's physiological response to stress causes increases in hormones such as adrenaline, to ready the individual for action - the "fight or flight" response. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for these responses
      2. Resistance occurs when the parasympathetic nervous system acts to bring the body back to a state of homeostatis, by reducing the levels of activity produced by the SNS. At this stage, the individual is less able to cope with new, or continued, stress.
      3. Exhaustion occurs in the case of a series of stressors, or chronic stress. At this stage, SNS and PNS exhaust their supplies of hormones, leaving the body more susceptible to damage and disease.
    2. Describe the procedures and findings of any one study into the relationship between stress and phsyical illness (6 marks)
      Friedman and Rosenman performed a study in which they assessed 3,000 middle-aged males to determine personality type, which was categorised as either "Type-A" or "non Type-A". Broadly speaking, "Type A" individuals were more aggressive, time conscious, and concerned with getting jobs done properly. "Non Type-A" on the other hand tended to be more relaxed, easy going etc.. Over a period of nine years, they found that, even after taking into consideration smoking and alcohol habits, of approximately 250 men who died, 70% were from the "Type-A" group.

      From this, F+R argued that personality type can be an indicator of predisposition to certain stress-related types of illness (specifically heart-related illness).

      The fact that an apparent correlation was found does not necessarily prove that there is a causal link however. It could be that some other unknown factor was the cause of both "personality type" and heart disease. Also, the methodology of the study could be criticised in that assessing individuals as being one of two types is over simplistic: it may well be that a "Type-A" individual would be categorised as "non Type-A" if he were assessed on another occasion, due to personal factors, etc..

    3. "Stress management can be successfully carried out using physiological methods".
      Discuss the usefulness of physiological methods of stress management techniques
      (18 marks)

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