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Life changes

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sssfcpsychology

Holmes and Rahe developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) to measure life changes and their associated stress levels. They identified 43 common life events and had participants rate them on the amount of adjustment required, with marriage rated highest. Events like divorce and bereavement required more adjustment than others. Their research found that individuals with over 300 life change units in a year had an 80% chance of illness, linking life stressors to health issues.

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Life Changes
Booklet 1 recap! Definition of stress When there is an imbalance between the perceived demands of the situation and the individuals’ perceived ability to cope Definition of a stressor Any event that causes a stress reaction in the body (such as life changes or environmental situations) e.g. Marriage, college, bereavement
Booklet 1 recap! Body’s response to stress Acute - SympAthoMedullary pathway (AHSAAFP) Chronic – Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis (CHCPAACLIS) Research into stress and the immune system Kiecolt-Glaser (1995) 13 carers Cytokines, puncture biopsy & stress perception Qre Carer group took 9 days longer to heal than control
Life Changes Definition: significant changes in a person’s life which disrupt their normal routine. (positive and negative e.g. Marriage, moving house, bereavement) Holmes and Rahe (1967) were the first to record the effects of life events. From their work in hospitals, H&R noticed that certain life events seemed to be associated with stress and poor health Aim – to investigate Life Changes as a source of stress
Holmes & Rahe - procedure • Identified 43 life changes from examining Identify the hospital records of 5000 patients that the life appeared in the months before their events illness Complete to 50 of marriage • They assigned a random value Establish the scale the SRRS • Asked 394 ps to rate the other events compared In pairs list as many lifemuch readjustment to marriage in terms of how events would be required as you can that would disrupt yourself (more=higher score, less=lower score) normal routine and require some kind 50 to marriage, ratein Let’s assign of readjustment 6 • The scores from all participantsof other life events according to level were order to cope produce a life LCUs totalled and averaged to readjustment (change) needed change unit score forscore life event More? = higher each Less? = lower score
= Findings: 1. Most events were considered less stressful than marriage Conclusion: 2. Events such as divorce, bereavement This shows some link were considered more stressful between life events and 3. People with LCU scores of 300+ had illness approx an 80% chance of becoming ill It’s thought that the link is stress Research Methods Recap Holmes and Rahe found a positive correlation between the number of life events/changes and their likelihood of developing an illness – what would this look like?!
X X X X events X Life X X X X X X X Illness
Holmes & Rahe A02 • There is research to support the link between life events P and stress related illness • For example Gupta (2004) found that high SRRS scores positively correlated with the severity & frequency of E skin problems in participants who were healthy • This is a strength because Gupta offers support for Holmes and Rahe’s study, supporting the positive E relationship between life events and illness
Holmes & Rahe A02 • Holmes and Rahe’s research uses correlational analysis P • For example a cause and effect relationship between life events and stress cannot be established E • This is weakness because we cannot conclusively say E that life events cause stress or vice versa
Holmes & Rahe A02 • Holmes and Rahe’s research raises ethical issues P • For example the research involved participants recalling stressful events of the last 12 months which E might distress or upset participants • This is a weakness as researchers have a duty of care to their participants and so should not cause them any E undue stress

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Life changes

  • 2. Booklet 1 recap! Definition of stress When there is an imbalance between the perceived demands of the situation and the individuals’ perceived ability to cope Definition of a stressor Any event that causes a stress reaction in the body (such as life changes or environmental situations) e.g. Marriage, college, bereavement
  • 3. Booklet 1 recap! Body’s response to stress Acute - SympAthoMedullary pathway (AHSAAFP) Chronic – Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal axis (CHCPAACLIS) Research into stress and the immune system Kiecolt-Glaser (1995) 13 carers Cytokines, puncture biopsy & stress perception Qre Carer group took 9 days longer to heal than control
  • 4. Life Changes Definition: significant changes in a person’s life which disrupt their normal routine. (positive and negative e.g. Marriage, moving house, bereavement) Holmes and Rahe (1967) were the first to record the effects of life events. From their work in hospitals, H&R noticed that certain life events seemed to be associated with stress and poor health Aim – to investigate Life Changes as a source of stress
  • 5. Holmes & Rahe - procedure • Identified 43 life changes from examining Identify the hospital records of 5000 patients that the life appeared in the months before their events illness Complete to 50 of marriage • They assigned a random value Establish the scale the SRRS • Asked 394 ps to rate the other events compared In pairs list as many lifemuch readjustment to marriage in terms of how events would be required as you can that would disrupt yourself (more=higher score, less=lower score) normal routine and require some kind 50 to marriage, ratein Let’s assign of readjustment 6 • The scores from all participantsof other life events according to level were order to cope produce a life LCUs totalled and averaged to readjustment (change) needed change unit score forscore life event More? = higher each Less? = lower score
  • 6. = Findings: 1. Most events were considered less stressful than marriage Conclusion: 2. Events such as divorce, bereavement This shows some link were considered more stressful between life events and 3. People with LCU scores of 300+ had illness approx an 80% chance of becoming ill It’s thought that the link is stress Research Methods Recap Holmes and Rahe found a positive correlation between the number of life events/changes and their likelihood of developing an illness – what would this look like?!
  • 7. X X X X events X Life X X X X X X X Illness
  • 8. Holmes & Rahe A02 • There is research to support the link between life events P and stress related illness • For example Gupta (2004) found that high SRRS scores positively correlated with the severity & frequency of E skin problems in participants who were healthy • This is a strength because Gupta offers support for Holmes and Rahe’s study, supporting the positive E relationship between life events and illness
  • 9. Holmes & Rahe A02 • Holmes and Rahe’s research uses correlational analysis P • For example a cause and effect relationship between life events and stress cannot be established E • This is weakness because we cannot conclusively say E that life events cause stress or vice versa
  • 10. Holmes & Rahe A02 • Holmes and Rahe’s research raises ethical issues P • For example the research involved participants recalling stressful events of the last 12 months which E might distress or upset participants • This is a weakness as researchers have a duty of care to their participants and so should not cause them any E undue stress