Stress | AQA A-Level Psychology (7182)
Stress
- 180 questions
- 6 subtopics
- Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology
- Paper 3
Stress is an optional topic for Paper 3.
It covers the body's physiological response to a stressor, the link between prolonged stress and illness, where stress comes from and how it is measured, why people differ in their response, and the methods used to manage it.
Sample questions from Stress
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The physiology of stress
Where does ACTH travel to and what does it stimulate?
Show the answer
ACTH travels to the adrenal cortex and stimulates the release of cortisol. -
The physiology of stress
What is cortisol and where is it released from?
Show the answer
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone released by the adrenal cortex that helps maintain a steady supply of energy during prolonged stress. -
The role of stress in illness
Who conducted research demonstrating the link between stress and immunosuppression?
Show the answer
Kiecolt-Glaser et al. -
The role of stress in illness
Name three cardiovascular disorders that are linked to stress.
Show the answer
Coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. -
Sources of stress
What is the accumulation effect in relation to daily hassles?
Show the answer
The build-up of minor daily hassles creates chronic stress that gradually depletes an individual's coping resources over time. -
Sources of stress
According to the job demand-control model, which combination of factors creates the highest levels of workplace stress?
Show the answer
Low job control combined with high job demands. -
Measuring stress
Who developed the Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and why was it created?
Show the answer
Kanner and colleagues developed it as an alternative to life events scales like the SRRS. -
Measuring stress
Explain why skin conductance response increases during stress.
Show the answer
When the sympathetic nervous system is activated during stress, sweat glands become more active, increasing the skin's electrical conductivity.
The 6 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The physiology of stress | Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome, the acute response that produces immediate arousal, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response, and the role of cortisol in prolonged stress. | 43 |
| The role of stress in illness | How prolonged stress weakens immune functioning and damages the cardiovascular system, the research linking examinations to immune suppression, and why acute and chronic stress are separated. | 24 |
| Sources of stress | Life changes and daily hassles as sources of stress, the amplification hypothesis, and workplace stressors including low control. | 21 |
| Measuring stress | The Social Readjustment Rating Scale and the Hassles and Uplifts Scale, the weaknesses of self-report, and physiological measures such as skin conductance. | 24 |
| Individual differences in stress | The Type A and Type C behaviour patterns and the illnesses each is linked to, and the three components of hardiness. | 32 |
| Managing and coping with stress | Drug treatments, stress inoculation therapy and its three phases, biofeedback, and gender differences in coping. | 36 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,999 questions with their answers.