Psychology Exam

Front 1

Body's response to stress (Dry mouth, increased breathing rate and heart rate)

Back 1

Dry mouth is due to a decrease in the digestion system so that blood can be directed to the brain and muscles. An increased breathing rate is so that more oxygen can be sent to the muscles. An increased heart rate is due to adrenaline and noradrenaline being released into the bloodstream from the adrenal glands.

Front 2

Advantage and disadvantage of using correlations.

Back 2

An advantage would be that they establish a relationship between variables and often lead to further research.
A disadvantage would be that they only show the relationship, not the cause or effect. So we can't say that stressful life events cause health problems.

Front 3

Drug therapy

Back 3

Drug treatments are used to slow down the activity of the central nervous system. Anti anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines (BZs) increase the body's reaction to its own natural anxiety relieving chemical GABA, which slows down the activity of neurones and makes us feel relaxed.

Front 4

Stress Inoculation Therapy (SIT)

Back 4

SIT involves preparation so that we can deal with stress before it becomes a problem. It involves 3 steps.
1) Conceptualisation = Is when fears and concerns are identified with the help of a therapist.
2) Skill aquisition and rehearsal = Is when we train to develop skills like positive thinking and relaxation to improve self-confidence.
3) Application and follow through = Is where we practise the newly aquired skills in real life situations with the support and back up from the therapist.

Front 5

Research into life changes as sources of stress.

Back 5

METHOD: In a correlational study by Rahe et al (1970), 2500 American Navy seamen were given a form of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) before they set sail on military duty. They had to indicate all of the events they had experienced over the previous six months.
RESULTS: Higher LCU scores were found to be linked to a higher incidence of illness over the next seven months.
CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the stress involved in the changes that life brings, are linked to an increased risk of illness.
EVALUATION: However, these results aren't representative of the population as they can only be generalised to American Navy Seamen. The results also don't explain individual differences in response to stress. There are also limitations associated with using correlational research, such as no cause and effect is given.

Front 6

Stress in the workplace

Back 6

1) Work pressures = Having a large workload and strict deadlines.
2) Lack of control = We may not have much influence over the type and amount of work we do, or where we do it (Marmot et al study)

Front 7

Marmot et al's study into lack of control and illness in the workplace.

Back 7

CONCLUSION: He found that if workers believed they have little control over their work, it will influence work stress and the development of illness.