Measures of Stress

Physiological measures 

1. Blood pressure monitors – used to measure the stystolic and dialostic pressures.Both are given a number and an ideal score would be 115/75. 
2. Blood and urine tests – used to measure the levels of cortisol in our body since it is a stress hormone. High levels of it may indicate that the body is physiologically stressed. This method was used by Johansson et al to measure adrenaline.
3. Galvanic skin response devices – these have electrodes to attach to one’s finger tips and measure the amount of electrical resistance in the skin. Higher levels would indicate autonomic nervous system arousal, which is linked to stress. This method was used by Geer and Maisel to measure the stress reactions to aversive stimuli.

Strengths:

• Objective – these are all scientific measures which provide quantitative data, therefore it cannot be open to interpretation and experimenter subjectivity cannot affect the findings.
• High control – all the measures cannot be affected by demand characteristics as patients cannot alter their biochemical results and extraneous variables are not likely to affect these.
• Reliable – since the measures are all scientific, they can be replicated and the same results are likely to be found.’

Weaknesses:

• Correlation – the measures make a correlation between the results and stress but no cause and effect can be determined.
• Reductionist – the measures does not take into consideration individual differences as some people may experience higher levels of stress because of life events they have experienced or personality types.

Self-report questionnaires

1. Social Readjustment Rating Scale – as we’ve previously looked at, this questionnaire measures the amount of stress over a period of time based on 43 life events scored out of 100 each.
2. Hassles and Uplifts scale – as we’ve previously looked at, this questionnaire measures the amount of stress at the end of the day based on 117 daily events. These are rate from 1 to 3 on either the hassles or uplift scale. 

Strengths:

• Subjective – the questionnaire are opened to interpretation of patients, which makes them more valid since stress is an individual experience.
• Reliability – both questionnaires are easy to understand, meaning that literacy problems or any other extraneous variables are less likely to affect them and the same results are likely to be found if they were to be replicated.

Weaknesses:

• Subjective – the questionnaire are opened to interpretation of patients, meaning that the preset values for illness cannot be followed for everyone. Thus, they have low continuity.
• Deterministic – the questionnaire are based off the idea that life events cause stress, however other factors may influence this such as personality type or faster production of cortisol/adrenaline.
• Social desirability – questionnaires are self-reports methods meaning that social desirability bias is likely to affect the results since people may not want to admit they are stressed and need help.