PSY333H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Immunocompetence, Catecholamine, Corticosteroid
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College students: 1/3 stressful events caused by relationships (ptacek et al 192) Long hours, constant deadlines, responsibility: ex) final exam time. My life is in your hands job = high stress (doctor, Coworkers/bosses, lack of resources, physical firefighter, air traffic controller) environment. 1hr-2hr commute and cortisol level (stress hormone) Subtracted cortisol from when they arrive and did they on weekends too. Compared levels of cortisol on weekday and weekend. Found that longer commutes resulted in more stress. Asked them to rate level of stress in questionnaire and found a direct relationship between length and perceived levels of stress. Looked at participant ability to perform task (proofread an essay), they had to catch errors. Percentage of errors detected dropped with length of the commute: environmental pressures. Torn between goals (travel/work; eat/lose weight: lack control. Wait in line at post office; traffic jam. Psychological: involves how we perceive circumstances challenge in our. Three ways of examining stress lives: stress as stimulus:
