Self-imposed (arising out of our personalities, values and beliefs);
Situational (stemming from our domestic circumstances and our circle of family and friends);
Occupational (originating in the working environment).
It would seem perfectly reasonable to assume that our personalities influence to a significant extent – how we react to situational and occupational pressures. In other worlds, this will mean that the’ pain threshold’ varies from on individual to another according to our emotional resilience.
The categorisation above is also significant for a somewhat different reason. While the impact of personalities and the significance of emotional resilience cannot e overlooked, it is surely important to take into account the extent of individual control.
Thus individuals can choose to adopt a particular set of values or beliefs and they can also choose to change there should they think it necessary. Situational aspects are however, less susceptible to individual control.
In Asia, teenagers stress for their study because there are big pressure to enter university. It can be the first important goal in their life and for English especially in Korea . Otherwise, in the UK, teenagers don’t feel stress for their study so much more than Asian students. In addition, Asian males over 30s feel stress for their family because males work mainly and they think that they should take care of their family whereas western countries. In the western countries, many females work as same with males.
My research shows gender differences in a stress like receiving stress, managing stress and viewing past and future. Also, stressors are different between males and females.
Method
Design
The design of this research was an investigating using qualitative and quantitative data. This result obtained from the stress questionnaire. Variables that were controlled throughout the study were that all the participants well full-time Korean and Chinese students.
Participants
Twenty participants from and target population of full time Korean and Chinese college students were used to carry out this research. The participants were selected through the opportunity sampling of ten male students and ten female students.
Materials
For this research, one questionnaire was used, with one part (appendix1)
This questionnaire was devised by trying to know how do students stress and what kinds of factor make them stress etc.
Procedure
A potential participant was approached to take part in the research. All participants were asked to read the instructions carefully. Having then given their full informed consent, participants was asked to fill out the questionnaire.
Results
Question2+Question3+Question6
2.How often do you feel stress in a week?
3.Which day of the week is most stressful?
6.Which time is the most stressful in a day?
Overall females indicated what we felt stressed on fewer occasions per week than males. 7/10 females reported feeling stressed between 1-3 times per week compared to 5/10 males, whereas 5/10 males reported feeling stressed more than 4 times a week. Interestingly, 7/10 females felt Monday as the most stressful day whereas 8/10 males felt Thursday or Friday – Indications that females had starting the week harder and males had ending the week harder. In addition, 9/10 females felt stress in the morning compared to 4/10 males. Females usually make up in the morning and many things to be prepared than males so they got stressed more. 6/10 males felt stress in the afternoon.
Question5+Question7
5.What kinds of factor make you feel stress?
7.What is your way to overcome your stress?
Both of them answered that study causes stress but the research shows that females are more stressed than males. 8/10 females answered compared to 6/10 males. The way of overcome stress is different between males and females.9/10 males overcome their stress as exercising or drinking. Otherwise, 7/10 females overcome their stress as shopping.
Question8+Question9+Question10
8.Do you think that you feel more stressed now than you did during your childhood?
9.Which period do you think will be most stressful in your life?
10.Why do you think that period will be most stressful in your life?
All males stated they feel more stressful than childhood whereas, only 6/10 females stated the feel more stressful now. 4/10 females stated they stressed when they were child. Also, 7/10 females told that they think 20s will be most stressful for their study and body shape.
Differently, 9/10 males told that 30s and 40s would make them most stress due to their business and family. There answers show that males and females are different to feel stress.
Discussion
Limitations-more detail would have been useful in answer
E.g. Question 3. Which day of the week is most stressful?
-Why is the day most stressful?
Question4. Which season is the most stressful?
-Why is the season most stressful?
Also, different age group, different culture group (e.g. western
and eastern group) were needed to search more detail.
There are big differences between males and females in my research.
Q9 & Q10
Q9.Which period do you think will be most stressful in your life?
Q10.Why do you think that period will be most stressful in your life?
All males thought 30s and 40s will be most stressful period for their business and family otherwise, females thought 20s will be most stressful period for their study and body shape in their life.
Research shows that males and females are dramatically different to feel stress and think about their future stress differently.
However, there is same aspect of all participants. All of them thought that study is a main reason to be stress now because all participants are student. They feel stress for their present position.
References
Cardwell, M, Clark, L.& Meldrum, C. (2000). Psychology for A Level. Collins.
Journal - Stevenson David, Stress- the new ‘British Disease’?
