A related cognitive account the learned helplessness was proposed by Martin Seligman (1975), which provided a model for explaining depression. It is an acquired sense that one can no longer control one’s environment, with the sad consequence that one gives up trying, a phenomenon first observed in dogs. Seligman supposed what helpless dogs share with depressed people is the expectation that their acts are of no avail. In both cases, experience of helplessness may lead to a generalized sense of impotence, a belief that one is a passive victim of circumstances that are overwhelming and uncontrollable.
Stress is the condition that results when person–environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of the person’s biological, psychological or social systems (Sarafino, 1998). Stress can cause negative or positive physical and emotional effects. As a positive influence, stress increases adaptability, motivation and productivity. As a negative influence stress can result in feelings of distrust, rejection anger, and depression, which in turn can cause health problems. Across most Western cultures, women suffer more from stress. One possibility in this gender difference is hormonal one. Women endure cyclic hormonal changes, such as significant drops in oestrogen and progesterone levels during premenstrual period and menopause (Seeman1997).
Stress is a subjective feeling in response to environmental events that are perceived as frustrating or threatening. Individuals adapt to stressful situations by using coping strategies and defence mechanisms. The present study was carried out to analyze the strength and direction of the relationship between subjective stress and locus of control measured by self report questionnaires. It was also aimed to test the prediction that there will be gender differences in the prevalence of stress.
Method
Design
A within group design was used for the main correlational study with a self report measure of locus of control and a self report measure of life stress. The secondary part of the study had a between subject design. A comparison was made between males and females on the life stress measure.
Participants
The participants were five male and seven female (12) first year students at Burnley College who volunteered for the experiment in order to fulfil a class requirement. Their ages were approximately between 25 – 35 years.
Materials
Two questionnaires were used, the professional life stress scale and the locus of control scale (modification of Rottet’s original scale). Pre printed instructions and procedure to score questionnaire were also supplied with both scales. (appendix 1) There were 20 questions for locus of control and 22 for life stress control.
Both questionnaires were acquired from the BPS Manual of Psychology Practicals,1992.
Procedures
The both part of the investigation was conducted in one session. A pack containing experimental questionnaires and scoring instructions was distributed to the participants. The participants were first given information about the experiment. Then they were asked to read the scoring instructions carefully. After making sure that every thing was clear, the experimenter asked the participants to start writing their responses to the questions. It was required that internal statements for the locus of control were scored from 1(agree very much) to 6 (disagree very much) but external statements were scored in the reverse order (6 to 1). In professional life stress scale participants had to tick the boxes which gave the most applicable answers to the stated questions. The entire process took approximately 30 to 50 minutes to complete. At the end of experiment the raw data was collected from each participant on a raw data sheet. (appendix 2)
Results
The results for the correlation between locus of control and stress were analyzed using statistical test Spearman’s Rank. It was revealed that there is moderate positive correlation present between both conditions (locus of control and stress) but not significant in the predicted direction.
Rho = + 0.24, p > 0.01:NS (for statistical test see appendix 3)
For the between subject experiment study of gender differences and stress the data were subjected to one tailed Mann – Whitney, which revealed that the difference between stress level of males and females is significant. (U= 6.50, = n1=5, n2= 7, p<0.01) (see appendix 4)
Table 1. The comparison of mean rank of lifestyle stress level between male and female
The females did have a lower mean rank (4.93) than the males (8.70).
Discussion
The results of the present study indicate that there is low to moderate positive correlation present between locus of control and stress but not significant. It means that how life stressed people feel is unrelated to whether they tend to see the factors that determine the course of important events in their lives as residing inside or outside of themselves.
However the second part of the study revealed that there is significant difference between the stress levels of males and females supporting the experimental prediction. The findings cast some doubts at common understanding that females are more stress prone than males (Frazier, Schauben 1994), as in present study males mean rank was higher than females.
Some extraneous factors were controlled for by giving all the participants the same questionnaire in the same room, the same time of day, and by the same person. Other possible extraneous factors such as age, race and social status could not be controlled. Possible limitations to the internal validity of this study might have been participant personality traits such as determination or beliefs and faith, which might have affected how they responded.
An interesting idea for future research would be to study different cultures to see if diverse backgrounds and cultures play a role in the area of the locus of control. Another topic of interest for future research might be to study stress and gender differences in the same age group.
References
Brehm, S. S., Kassin, S.M. & Fein, S. (1999). Social Psychology. Boston, Ma: Houghton Mifflin.
Seligman, M.E.P. (1975) Helplessness: On depression, development and death. San Francisco, Freeman.
Sarafino, E. P. (1998). Health Psychology : biopsychosocial interactions. (2nd edition), Chichester: John Wiley.
Gleitman, H. Fridlund, A.J. & Reisberg, D. (1998) Psychology. 5th ed. New York. Norton &Company, Inc.
