Outline and Evaluate research (theories/ and studies) into the relationship between stress and physical illness.
Outline and Evaluate research (theories/ and studies) into the relationship between stress and physical illness. 18 marks Stress is an example of a behavior and experience explained in physiological and psychological terms. Recently awareness has been highlighted concerning harmful effects of stress on our lives and how it can be managed and prevented. Stress is often associated with anxiety, strain, tension, distress and fatigue. The effects of stress include biochemical physiological and psychological changes, most show with ill health or unusual behavior. Therefore medical and psychological research findings in this area are crucial in aiding our understanding of the issue. Stress is usually the way we perceive stressors e.g. divorce, and the way we feel we are able to cope with things. If we cannot cope with the situation we are faced with, then we experience psychological and physiological responses to the stressor. In the short term, stress can be quite stimulating and motivating. In the long term stress can result in illness and even death. During a state of stress, the sympathetic area of the nervous system stimulates the adrenal medulla to release the hormones adrenaline and non-adrenaline into the bloodstream. These hormones stimulate heart rate and cause the body to use extra energy resources in the body. This enables the body to deal with the stressor by
Describe and evaluate one method/approach of managing the negative effects of stress.
Gemma Lee Psychology Describe and evaluate one method/approach of managing the negative effects of stress There are two methods in which you can manage the negative effects of stress; these two methods are physiological and psychological. Under these methods are different categories can help with the management of stress. I have chosen to look at the Physiological method: Biofeedback - This is where someone is able to learn to control involuntary muscles or voluntary muscles, which are not usually controlled (e.g. blood pressure and heart rate). The aim of this method is to reduce the bodily sensations, which belong with stress (e.g. tension in the shoulders). This method will then calm down the effects of stress in terms of an illness. Anti - anxiety drugs - This is used to counter control the body's hormones and Nero - transmitters (which are used to give information between the nerves and cells). Drugs such as Valium can be used to control the natural body processes, but however there are side - effects. These can be an addiction to drugs or feeling drowsy. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) saw the differences between problem focused and emotion - focused strategies of stress management. Stress can be managed by tackling the problem (problem - focused) - Psychological methods; or by trying to reduce the stress response (emotion - focused) - Physiological methods. The
Outline and evaluate two physiological approaches to stress management.
Outline and evaluate two physiological approaches to stress management. One physiological approach to stress management is drug therapy. Drug therapy targets the symptoms of stress, two such drugs are Benzodiazepines and Beta-blockers. Benzodiazepines reduce nervous system activity, this happens because the drug reduces serotonin levels that reduce anxiety. Beta-blockers reduce autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and stop the effects of stress becoming so harmful. Beta blockers relieve blood pressure and thin the blood. Drugs are used because they are very effective the patient can feel them working and they are easy to use, this is because drug therapy takes very little effort from the patient. Drugs offer a quick fix and are sometimes cheaper than using biofeedback. Drugs are brilliant at fixing acute stress problems, drugs also allow for the window of opportunity where they can clam the patient down and offer them an alternative to drug therapy. There are problems though with using drug therapy as you can become addicted to them, patients start to depend on them and can't go with out them. Another problem with using drugs is that the more people use the drugs they build a resistance to the drug and they become less effective. Drugs also carry side effects that can have damaging long term effects, such as: dizziness, dry mouth, upset stomach and tiredness. Drugs
Outline one theory of the function of sleep
A) Outline one theory of the function of sleep (6 marks) One theory of sleep is the Restoration theory proposed by Oswald et al in 1966, which suggests that the function of sleep, especially REM sleep is to restore the energy levels and to repair the brain and body. Restoration can be physical and psychological. Physical restoration indicates that sleep is necessary to restore biological processes in the body through REM sleep and Stage 4/NREM sleep. NREM sleep is when the body's processes are restored such as hormone levels and REM sleep is when the brains processes are restored, such as protein synthesis. Psychological restoration says that sleep is a vital function as it restores psychological functions and helps to avoid the ill effects that lack of sleep causes. B) Outline and evaluate one or more studies relating to the theory of sleep in part A (18 marks) Restoration theory has been supported by numerous studies and ideas, which concern both physical and psychological restoration. In terms of the physical restoration theory Horne (1988) said that the main function of REM and stage 4 sleeps is to restore brain functioning, because body repair occurs mainly when the body is a period of relaxed wakefulness (NREM sleep). This is supported by the evidence that babies sleep longer than older people, as they need more REM sleep to assist the development of the control
Compare and contrast two explanations of depression.
Compare and contrast two explanations of depression. There are two types of depression, Bipolar and Unipolar both of which effect mood of the patient. Unipolar depression is where the person feels 'low' the majority of the time and have the following clinical characteristics: The emotional symptoms of unipolar depression are that the person feels intense feelings of guilt and a lack of enjoyment in activities that the individual previously enjoyed. Motivational symptoms can include difficulty in conducting actions as well as a lack of decision making. There are also cognitive and somatic symptoms which include negative thoughts and feelings of hopelessness (cognitive) as well as loss of energy, disturbance in weight and sleep (somatic). The clinical characteristics of Bipolar depression are also divided into four categories: Emotional, Cognitive. Somatic and motivational. Emotional characteristics are that if being euphorically happy then drastically changing into feeling of extreme sadness. The individual is also very irritable.Cognitive symptoms include an inflated self-esteem, racing thoughts and ideas as well as lack of attention however this may drastically change into feelings of hopelessness and dysfunctional thought. Somatic symptoms include decreased need of sleep as well as being fidgety and more talkative with rushed speech. Finally Motivational symptoms include
Compare and contrast one biological explanation and one psychological of depression.
Depression Compare and contrast one biological explanation and one psychological of depression Depression has been described, as 'the common cold of all psychological disorders' as 7 to 12 per cent of men and 20 to 25 per cent of women will suffer from depression in their lifetime. There are two main types of depression, these are Major or Unipolar Depression and Manic Depression or Bipolar depression, bipolar depression is said to be 10 per cent of cases of depression, and occurs equally in both males and females. Other types of depression include, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Premenstrual Depression and Postpartum Depression. Whereas some psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia has onset in adolescents, depression can occur at any time. In addition, depression is diagnosed if there are five symptoms, which have lasted a minimum of 2 weeks. The clinical characteristics of depression are some of the following; disturbed appetite, sufferers often suffer from insomnia, a lack of sleep, or hypersomnia where the sufferer has too much sleep. In the cases of manic or major depression, sufferers may experience hallucinations or delusions. Other symptoms include; disturbed thinking, apathy, social withdrawal, anhedonia and possible suicidal thoughts. A biological explanation for depression is the genetic explanation. This theory suggests that you are more
Outline and evaluate two social psychological explanations for aggression
Outline and evaluate two social psychological explanations for aggression While there are many different approaches in psychology, perhaps the most believable, and ultimately provable approaches to aggression come from the social psychological approach: social learning theory and deindividuation. While the two theories differ in their context, they both assert that the explanations of behaviour, in this case aggression, originate from the situational context emphasising little importance on other factors such as biology, evolution or cognitive processes. The social learning theory (SLT) approach to aggression largely originates from the somewhat infamous work of Bandura. While SLT comes under the large umbrella term of behaviourism, it goes far beyond the simple stimulus response model, explaining in depth more complex and perhaps realistic explanations for behaviour. Aggression is learned either indirectly: through observational learning and only replicated if vicarious reinforcement occurs, or directly. This is where aggressive behaviour is directly reinforced. While both are a form of operant conditioning, the direct approach parallels the ideas much closer. Bandura outlined the following four steps in the modelling process of SLT: Attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. Attention is increased if the model is more prestigious, attractive or similar. This causes
Thigpen and Cleckley
Thigpen and Cleckley (1954) - 'A case of multiple personality' • Case study of a 25-year-old married woman referred to two psychiatrists for severe headaches and blackouts but soon discovered to have a multiple personality. • The first few interviews of the woman, Eve White, only found her to have 'several important emotional difficulties' and 'set of marital conflicts and personal frustrations'. * The first indication of multiple personality came when the psychiatrist received a letter from Eve that she did not remember sending and which contained a note at the end written in a different and childish handwriting. • On her next visit, after a period of unusual agitation, she reported that she occasionally had the impression that she heard a voice in her head-and then suddenly and spontaneously showed a dramatic change in her behaviour, revealing the character (and answering to the name) of Eve Black. • Over a period of 14 months and around 100 hours of interview time, the two psychiatrists investigated the two Eves, first using hypnosis, but later without the need for it. • Eve White was found not to have access to the awareness and memories of Eve Black (experiencing blackouts when Eve Black took over control), although the reverse was true for Eve Black (who often used the ability to disrupt Eve White's life by taking over and getting her into trouble or by
To what extent does research support the link between stress & illness
To what extent does research support a link between stress & illness? (12 marks). There is proven to be correlation between stress & illness, however its questionable how far stress causes illness or whether illness can cause stress. It is thought that the cardiovascular system refers to the heart & the circulatory system (blood). Stress can cause problems within this system; Hypertension (high blood pressure), Coronary heart disease which is causes by atherosclerosis, & Stroke. Supporting a link between stress & illness, Kiecolt-Glaser et al (1995), studied the slowing of wound healing in relation to psychological stress (especially how stress damages the immune system). He took 26 participants (recruited from a newspaper advertisement) in a field experiment, all were given a small cut into their arms, & participants were given a 10-item perceived stress scale & asked to state how stressed they felt. Levels of cytokines were also taken from all participants. The participants in the experimental group, consisted of 13 women aged between 47 & 81 years old looking after a relative with Alzheimer's disease. The control group were matched with the carers on age & income. The tests indicated that the experimental group showed higher levels of stress than the control groups. Healing wound time was assessed by photographing the wound regularly & by observing the response to
Managing stress through Exercise and Therapy
Managing stress through Exercise and Therapy Contents Page 1- Definitions of stress & General Adaptation Syndrome Page 2-3- Holmes and Rahe social readjustment rating scale Page 4-5- Interactional model of stress Page 6- Primary stress intervention Page 7-8- Secondary stress intervention Page 9- Tertiary stress intervention Page 10- Physiology of the stress response National definition of stress Stress is an individual's mental, behavioural and physiological response to when we feel/ fear we cannot cope with the pressure perceived. Another definition of stress by The UK Health & Safety Executive; 'Stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them'. http://www.personal-stress-management.com/definition-of-stress.html International definition of stress The term "stress" was originally coined in 1936 by Hans Selye, a Hungarian physician, who defined it as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change". http://internationalstressreliefacademy.com/definition-of-stress/ General Adaptation syndrome A. Alarm reaction. The body shows the changes characteristic of the first exposure to a stressor. Then the body recognises that it must fight off some physical or psychological danger and acts accordingly. If the stressor is sufficiently strong (severe burns, extremes of temperature), death may
