ib health psych

Stress Definition

When we experience something we feel is beyond our ability to cope and which produces a physiological response

Kiecolt and Glaser 1984

Aim:
To investigate the effect of stress (exams) on immune system functioning.

Procedure:
Natural experiment with 75 medical students. Blood samples were taken one month before and during final exams. Participants also completed questionnaires on stress, loneliness, and social support.

Results:
Blood samples taken during exams showed lower levels of natural killer (NK) cell activity compared to baseline, especially in students reporting high stress and low social support.

Implications:
Psychological stress can weaken the immune system, increasing vulnerability to illness. Highlights the mind-body connection in health.

Sapolsky (1990, 2005)

Aim:
To examine how chronic stress affects health using primate models, particularly baboons in the wild.

Procedure:
Longitudinal observational studies of wild baboon troops in East Africa. Sapolsky measured stress hormone (cortisol) levels and observed social hierarchies, behaviors, and health outcomes.

Results:
Lower-ranking baboons had higher cortisol levels, more health problems (e.g., high blood pressure, weakened immune function), and shorter lifespans than higher-ranking ones.

Implications:
Chronic stress, especially from social hierarchies and lack of control, can have serious health consequences. Offers insights into human stress and health in modern society.

Marmot 1997

Aim:
To investigate the relationship between job rank (status) and health outcomes, particularly heart disease, in British civil servants.

Procedure:
Longitudinal study of over 10,000 civil servants in London. Participants were monitored over several years, with data collected on job rank, work environment, stress levels, and health outcomes (e.g., cardiovascular disease).

Results:
Lower-status workers had higher rates of heart disease and poorer health outcomes, despite access to the same healthcare. Job control and work stress were key mediating factors.

Implications:
Lower social status and lack of control in the workplace increase chronic stress and risk of disease. Reinforces the role of psychosocial factors in health disparities.

Sabido

Aim:
To promote positive social change (e.g., family planning, gender equality) through serialized media (e.g., soap operas) using a structured behavior-change model.

Procedure:
Sabido developed telenovelas in Mexico that featured role models: positive, negative, and transitional characters. Storylines were based on social learning theory to influence audience behavior over time.

Results:
Programs like Ven Conmigo and Acompáñame led to measurable increases in literacy, contraceptive use, and calls to health services. Replicated globally with similar success.

Implications:
Entertainment can be a powerful tool for public health and education. The Sabido Method provides a model for using media to promote behavioral and cultural change.

Allen 1999

Aim:
To investigate whether owning a pet (specifically a cat or dog) can reduce stress and improve cardiovascular health in people at high risk for heart disease.

Procedure:
48 hypertensive participants were assigned to either a pet ownership group (dog or cat) or a control group with no pet. All participants were also on medication. Stress levels and blood pressure responses were measured during mental arithmetic and cold pressor tasks.

Results:
Pet owners had significantly lower blood pressure responses to stress than the control group. Simply having a pet present reduced physiological signs of stress.

Implications:
Pet ownership can buffer stress and improve cardiovascular health. Suggests social support doesn’t have to come from humans to be beneficial.

Curran and Hill 2019

Aim:

To examine trends in perfectionism over time and its link to mental health issues in young people.

Procedure:

Meta-analysis of 164 studies (over 40,000 college students) from 1989 to 2016. Measured three types of perfectionism: self-oriented, socially prescribed, and other-oriented.

Results:

All types of perfectionism significantly increased over time, especially socially prescribed perfectionism. Higher perfectionism was linked to greater anxiety, depression, and risk of burnout.

Implications:

Rising societal pressures (e.g., social media, academic competition) may be fueling a perfectionism epidemic with serious mental health consequences. Highlights the need for cultural and educational interventions.

Jamieson 2012

Aim:
To test whether reappraising stress responses as helpful rather than harmful can improve performance and physiological outcomes during stressful tasks.

Procedure:
Participants were randomly assigned to a reappraisal group (told stress can enhance performance) or a control group (given no instructions). They then completed the Trier Social Stress Test (public speaking and math in front of evaluators). Researchers measured physiological responses (e.g., cardiovascular reactivity) and task performance.

Results:
Reappraisal group had more adaptive physiological responses (e.g., higher cardiac efficiency), felt less anxious, and performed better on the task compared to the control group.

Implications:
Changing how we think about stress can reduce its negative effects and boost performance. Supports stress mindset theory and potential interventions for stress management.