PSYCHOLOGY AS

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Biological Psychology
STRESS
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The specification
Stress as a bodily response The bodys response to stress, including the pituitary-adrenal system and the sympathomedullary pathway in outline Stress-related illness and the immune system
Stress in everyday life Life changes and daily hassles Workplace stress Personality factors, including Type A behaviour Distinction between emotion-focused and problem-focused approaches to coping with stress Psychological and physiological methods of stress management, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and drugs
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WHAT IS STRESS?

• What you feel when there is a lack of fit between
  the person and their environment (i.e. where the
  perceived demands of a situation are greater than
  the perceived ability to cope).
• The physical sensations related to activity of
  the ANS.

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Terminologically challenged
Autonomic nervous system
Hypothalamus
Corticosteroids
Adrenaline
Adrenocorticotropic hormone
Supercallifragilisticexpialidocious
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The ANS

• The autonomic nervous system

The central nervous system
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Parasympathetic Sympathetic
Rest and digest
Fight or flight
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The stress response is adaptive

• For our distant ancestors the stress response
  was important to the survival because it enabled
  them to cope with situations of threat.
• It is an essential part of our survival and
  future reproductive success.
• Fight or flight response

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The bodys response to stress
1. Short term stress acute adrenal medulla
2. Long term (continuing) chronic stress
adrenal cortex
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1. Adrenal medulla - SAM system
Immediate (acute) stressors
Arouse the sympathetic branch of the ANS
Causes the hormone adrenaline to be released by
the adrenal medulla (in the adrenal glands).
Physiological sensation that accompanies being
scared or thrilled, i.e. being aroused.
Sweatiness and increased heart and breathing
rate stops you wanting to pee and slows down
digestion, prevents erection and ejaculation.
The fight or flight response.
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2. Adrenal cortex HPA axis
If stress continues (chronic)
Hypothalamus produces CRF (corticotrophin
releasing factor)
Stimulates the pituitary gland
which secretes ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)
The function of cortisol is to maintain a steady
supply of blood sugar for continued energy. This
enables the body to cope with the stressor, as
distinct from the burst of energy needed for
fight or flight.
which stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce
corticosteroids such as cortisol.
Takes about 20 minutes.
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Two systems

• Chronic
• HPA
• H hypothalamus (sympathetic nervous system)
• C CRF
• P Pituitary gland
• A ACTH
• C Adrenal cortex
• C Cortisol

• Fight or flight
• SAM
• S Sympathetic nervous system
• A Adrenaline
• M Adrenal Medulla

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• SAM
• H P C
• C A C

Not so scary
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GENDER BIAS

• Research with males gave us the fight-flight
  response
• Subsequent research with females found a tend
  and befriend response which would be adaptive
  for ancestral females (Taylor et al., 2000).
• tending (attachment behaviour).
• befriending (forming defensive networks of
  females).

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Exam question

• You are a passenger in a car that has suddenly
  slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting a dog.
  Your breathing quickens, your mouth is dry and
  you have a feeling of butterflies in your
  stomach. But after a few minutes these physical
  changes start to disappear. Using your knowledge
  of the bodys response to stress, explain why you
  are likely to have experienced
• The changes that occurred in the first 30
  seconds (2 marks)
• the changes that occurred after a few minutes. (2
  marks)
• Jan 2009

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Stress-related illness and the immune system
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THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

• The immune system is designed to defend the body
  against millions of antigens (i.e. bacteria,
  viruses, toxins and parasites) that would
  otherwise overwhelm it.

Cortisol directly suppresses immune system
functioning by decreasing the production of
lymphocytes.
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Stress depresses the immune system

• Kiecolt-Glaser et al. (1984) looked at natural
  killer (NK) cells in the blood of medical
  students taking exams.

• Blood samples taken one month before the exam
  (low stress) and during the exam period (high
  stress).
• Questionnaires assessed psychological variables
  e.g. life events.
• Findings
• NK cell activity was significantly reduced in the
  second blood sample.
• NK cell activity was particularly reduced in
  participants reporting other significant life
  stressors, and in those who were anxious and
  depressed.

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Stress depresses the immune system

• Kiecolt-Glaser et al. (1995) compared female
  caring for relatives suffering from senile
  dementia with a matched control group.

• All participants were given a wound a punch
  biopsy which is a cut of 3.5mm just below the
  elbow.
• Cytokine levels were monitored substances
  involved in the immune response.
• Findings
• Complete wound healing took significantly longer
  in the carers than the controls.
• Cytokine levels were higher.
• Carers indicated on a perceived stress scale that
  they were feeling more stressed.

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Acute stress may enhance the immune system

• Evans et al. (1994) looked at the activity of
  one particular antibody salivary IgA (sIgA) which
  coats the mucous surfaces of the mouth, lungs and
  stomach, and helps protect against infection.
• Arranged for students to give talks to other
  students (mild stress).
• These students showed an increase in sIgA,
  whereas levels of sIgA decreased during
  examination periods which stretched over several
  weeks.

• Stress appears to have two effects on the immune
  system up-regulation for very short-term stress
  and down- regulation for long-term stress. This
  fits the SAM/HPA distinction

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Stress and illness Cardiovascular disorder

• Cardiovascular disorders include
• Hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) e.g. blocked or
  hardened arteries, causes reduced blood flow to
  heart which may result in heart attack.
• Stroke (brain damage caused by disruption of
  blood supply to the brain).

• Stress linked to cardiovascular disorders because
  
• SNS activation constricts blood vessels and
  raises blood pressure and heart rate.
• May wear away lining of blood vessels.
• Stress raises glucose levels leading to clumping
  in blood vessels which cause blocking.

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STRESS AND CHD

• Russek (1962) looked at heart disease in medics.
• One group were designated as high stress (GPs and
  anaesthetists) while others were classed as low
  stress (pathologists and dermatologists).
• Russek found heart disease was greatest among GPs
  (11.9 of sample) and lowest in dermatologists
  (3.2 of sample).

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Stress and illness Mental illness

• Stress linked to mental illness because
• Stress acts as a trigger.
• Diathesis-stress model.

• Melchior et al. (2007) New Zealand study of 1000
  people over 1 year, aged 32, range of
  occupations.
• 15 of those in high stress jobs developed
  clinical depression, compared to 8 in low stress
  jobs.

Mariah Carey
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Exam question

• Sandy and Vandita play for the same netball team.
  Two weeks ago, while playing in a competition,
  they both grazed their elbows. Vanditas wound is
  healing well, but Sandys wound is taking much
  longer to heal. Sandy is very worried about the
  plans for her wedding and her forthcoming house
  move.
• Using your knowledge of psychology, explain why
  Sandys wound is taking longer to heal than
  Vanditas. (4 marks)
• Jan 2010

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The specification
Stress as a bodily response The bodys response to stress, including the pituitary-adrenal system and the sympathomedullary pathway in outline Stress-related illness and the immune system
Stress in everyday life Life changes and daily hassles Workplace stress Personality factors, including Type A behaviour Distinction between emotion-focused and problem-focused approaches to coping with stress Psychological and physiological methods of stress management, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and drugs
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Life changes

• Holmes and Rahe (1967) SRRS
• Rahe et al. (1970) found a weak but significant
  correlation between illness and life changes
  (LCUs) in 2600 Navy men.
• The key feature of life changes is the psychic
  cost of change.

• More importantly it might be lack of control.
• Also, research is correlational.
• Retrospective recall may be unreliable.
• Negative response bias.

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Daily hassles

• Any idiot can handle a crisis-its this
  day-to-day living that wears you out.
• Anton Chekhov

• Anita DeLongis et al. (1982) hassles and uplifts
  scale.
• DeLongis et al. (1988) found hassles were related
  to ill health (not life changes or uplifts).
• Accumulation effect
• e.g. Road rage worse after a bad day at work
  (Gulian et al., 1990)
• Amplification effect
• e.g. Ongoing life changes may make an individual
  more vulnerable to hassles.

Research suggests that hassles are a more
significant determinant of stress-related illness
than life changes. One reason may be that people
are more likely to seek support for major life
events (Flett et al., 1995).
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EXAM QUESTION
Whats the catch?

• Explain what psychological research has shown
  about the stressful impact of either life changes
  or daily hassles. (4 marks)

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Workplace stressors

• Five years later
• It was not the hard-working executives most at
  risk of heart attacks it was the people at the
  bottom of the hierarchy, which ran contrary to
  the thinking of the time.
• Stress-related illness was found in those who
• Felt least control
• Had least social support

• Sir Michael Marmot
• 7000 civil servants (Whitehall study).
• Asked about e.g. workload, sense of control.
• Measured health status.

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Individual differences
Richard Lazarus proposed the transactional
model. There is an interaction between a
persons perception of how well they can cope and
the effects of stress on that person. If you
feel in control, then stress will effect you less.
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Stress and personality

• 3000 Californian men. Personality assessed using
  questionnaire.
• 8 ½ years later twice as many Type As (12) had
  died of CHD.
• 22 years later 15 had died of CHD but not
  especially Type A.
• Myrtek (2001) meta-analysis showed that hostility
  rather than Type A is the key component.

• TYPE A TYPE B

Friedman and Rosenman (1959) WESTERN
COLLABORATIVE PROJECT Type A competitive,
hostile, achievement-oriented, impatient. Increas
es vulnerability to stress or just experience
more stress. Type B patient, relaxed, easy-going.
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Stress and personality
Kobasa and Maddi (1977) THE HARDY PERSONALITY See
themselves in control. Have a strong sense of
commitment. See problems as challenges.

• Stress management techniques emphasise the role
  of control.
• May not be suitable for everyone

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Exam questions
Describe personality factors that have been shown
to influence the way people respond to stress. (5
marks) Jan 2010

• Mr Harris is about to move his business into a
  brand new building. He is very keen to create a
  healthy working environment and reduce workplace
  stress. In this way he hopes to improve
  productivity and reduce absenteeism.
• What advice would you give Mr Harris? Use your
  knowledge of psychological research in this area.
  (6 marks)
• Jan 2010

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The specification
Stress as a bodily response The bodys response to stress, including the pituitary-adrenal system and the sympathomedullary pathway in outline Stress-related illness and the immune system
Stress in everyday life Life changes and daily hassles Workplace stress Personality factors, including Type A behaviour Distinction between emotion-focused and problem-focused approaches to coping with stress Psychological and physiological methods of stress management, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and drugs