Quick recap quiz: 5 mins!

1. Biofeedback is part of the _____ approach2. How many participants were there in

Budzynski’s study?3. What type of method did Meichenbaum

use?4. What did Meichenbaum conclude?5. In what ways were both studies ethically

dubious?6. What increased the reliability of

Budzynski’s study?7. What increased the validity in

Meichenbaum’s study?

Waxler-MorrisonSocial:

Relationships and cancer survival

Background:A strong, social support network can be

critical in helping individuals through stressful situations.

It has been shown that cancer growth is amplified by stress and therefore by reducing this stress, there are positive outcomes on the cancer.

Aim:To look at how women’s social relationships

influence her response to breast cancer and survival.

Methodology:

A quasi experiment where women were already diagnosed with breast cancer.

Used questionnaires and 18 interviews plus an examination of medical records.

The women naturally fell into categories based on social support networks.

Procedure:

133 women all under 55 years old who were referred to a clinic in Vancouver after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mailed questionnaires to gather information about their demography and existing social networks.

Questions included education level, who they were responsible for- children- contact with friends and family and perceived support from others.

Details of their diagnosis were taken from their medical records as were their survival and recurrence rates.

Results:6 aspects of social networks were

significantly linked with survival;◦Marital status◦Support from friends◦Contact with friends◦Total support◦Social networks◦Employment

Qualitative data showed that practical support, such as childcare, were the concrete sources of support.

Conclusions:

Several characteristics of women's social networks are significantly linked with survival rates.

So, the more social support networks, the higher the rate of survival in breast cancer patients.

It has been acknowledged that the main factor influencing survival is still the state of the cancer at the time of diagnosis

Issues:Ecological validity

◦Quasi experiment so was naturally occurring- no manipulation

Demand characteristics◦Questionnaires can lead to social desirability- not

wanting to seem unsupportedSubjective

◦Questionnaires and not physical measurements

Debates:

Individual vs Situational◦Your social support networks influence survival

Reductionism vs HolismDeterminism vs Free-will

Usefulness◦How to reduce stress and therefore increase

survival rates in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

◦The power of the social group on illness recovery rates –applied to other illnesses

Evaluation Exam Questions

HomeworkWrite an essay plan for timed assessment on Wednesday:

Compare the techniques for managing stress. (15)

Use the work you have done in today’s lesson.

Compare requires a response that looks at similarities or contrasts in juxtaposition. The specification refers to cognitive, behavioural and social (support) approaches so SIT, biofeedback or self-help groups can be compared such as drug therapy, yoga or humanistic approaches for example. Issues such as reductionism, effectiveness, individual differences and possibly ethnocentrism may be likely to feature. Where the technique is covered within a study the commentary can be credited where issues are explicitly relevant to techniques.

Top band candidates will provide an accurate response specific to the question and show extension, for example through evaluating the strengths or weaknesses of an approach to managing stress, the effectiveness of an approach in dealing with stress or contrasting approaches to managing stress.

Second band will be accurate and specific to title but may, for example struggle in its attempt to assess; third band will be superficial; or accurate or appropriate material but not used to effectively or precisely address question. The bottom band is for responses that may be flawed but have some creditworthy material included.

Compare and contrastReductionism/holism ATo what extent do the theories/studies

support psychology as a science? BNature/nurture CEthics DApplication of research AUsefulness BValidity CReliability DApproach ADeterminism/freewill BResearch methods CSubjective/objective D

This task will help you with

your homework –

you can select your best

points to write your answer

with

Exit Q

So, which do you think is the best method of managing

stress, and why?