Environmental Stressors, Mediators and Reactions to Stress
Main researcher
: MANENICA, ILIJA (76866) Assistants
GRGIN, TOMISLAV (14503)
LACKOVIĆ-GRGIN, KATICA (25123)
RIBIĆ, KREŠIMIR (99752)
TAKŠIĆ, VLADIMIR (113393)
Type of research: basic Duration from: 01/01/91. to 12/31/95. Papers on project (total): 66
Papers on project quoted in Current Contents: 2
Institution name: Filozofski fakultet, Zadar (70) Department/Institute: Department of Psychology Address: Obala Kralja Petra Krešimira IV br.2 City: 23000 - Zadar, Croatia
Communication
Phone: 385 (0)23 437 111
Fax: 385 (0)23 25 882
Summary: The work on the Project (1991-1995) included a series
of investigations of various aspects of stress, induced by different
stressors, and their effects on psychophysiological, behavioural and
psychosomatic field. Although the tentative model of stress-process
differentiated rather well the input, mediator and output variables, in
some segments of the work certain mediator-variables were singled out,
with the aim of assessing their intervening role in the stress-process.
Different levels of task-load by mental and perceptual-motor tasks under
paced and self-paced working conditions were used as the input
variables. The stress effects were observed via the changes in pulse
rate, sinus arrhythmia, subjective assessment, cross-modal comparisons
and residual mental capacity. Furthermore, the effects of pacing on
production lines, as well as, the stress induced by various life roles
(teachers, parents, unemployed adolescents, students, pupils) were
assessed on the relevant groups of subjects, by the use of specially
designed or adapted questionnaires and scales. The analysis of results
showed significant effects of different task-load levels and pacing on
some sinus arrhythmia parameters, subjective and cross-modal
assessment, and health. Anxiety as the mediator-variable had also same
effects on the same variables especially the residual mental capacity,
which may have implications on information processing. The investigation
of "the role-stress" showed that different "defence mechanisms" and
coping strategies are adopted by the individuals depending on their
role, the status in the role, as well as the stress situation.
Self-esteem was also found as an intervening variable between stress and
it's psychological effects on the individual. An investigation on young
girls showed that after the first menstruation, their self-esteem
declined during the first year, most probably because of an increased
parental control. The first year students' stress was shown to be related
to gender, change of the habitat and academic load. The teacher stress,
however, was found to be related to teaching experiance, alocated time
and the numbers in the class, but not to the teaching subject. Pupils
examination anxiety was found to be best related to the trait anxiety,
perception of situation, coping strategies and causal attribution of
achievement. The war stress induced anxiety in young women with the
effects on cognitive and psychophysiological side, such as immagination
of horrifying sceens, sweatting, higher pulse etc. The defense
mechanisms they used were suppression and regression. The soliders
with higher anxiety levels used emotionally oriented stress coping
strategies, while those with a lower level used problem oriented
strategies. Generally speaking, the obtained results support the
interactional models of stress, where the outcome depends on the stability
of some personality traits, social support and the nature if stress.
Research goals: The aim of these investigations was to define
various segments of the processing model of stress and to test it in
different stress situations by taking into account and/or changing some of
their qualitative and quantitative aspects.Although there is a significant
terminological confusion in this area, it was necessary to define various
phases of stress process and to indicate their interactions. The proposed
model defines stress as some external agent (force) affecting the
person.The agent gets subjective attribution in terms of magnitude and
elementary emotions (pleasant-unpleasant). On the bases of various
elements of stress situation through the process of cognitive elaboration,
stress situation gets the final subjective qualitative and quantitative
dimensions. In the assessment of these dimensions, a prominent role is
given to the past experience in similar situations, and to the estimation
of ones own coping capabilities with the situation. These two factors are
major determinants of the reaction to the stress. The reaction could take
place as the psychophysiological and/or behavioural change. In between the
input (stress) and output (reactions) the model accepts the exsistance of
a series of mediator-variables, which, to a large extent, influence the
processes of mental elaboration, as well as, the coping strategies. Most
of these variables are seen as more or less stable personality
traits,which, due to their different configurations in relations to each
other, may form different reactions at the output. The final aim of
the research on this project was to find out some interaction schemes of
the input (stress) and mediators variables, as well as, their effects on
the psychophysiological and behavioural side, as well as, on the coping
efficiency side. The expected results would make posible to form more
explicative model of stress process, which would make theoretical
explanations easier and the research methodology simpler when dealing with
stress. A whole series of new or adapted measuring instruments and methods
used in this research could be considered as a methodological
contribution.
COOPERATION - INSTITUTIONS
Name of institution
: Ergonomics Information and Analysis Centar,
University of Birmingham Type of institution: University/Faculty Type of cooperation: Systematic exchange of information City: Birmingham, Velika Britanija
Name of institution
: University of Nottingham Type of institution: University/Faculty Type of cooperation: Systematic exchange of information City: Nottingham, Velika Britanija Other information about the project.