Showing papers on "Stressor published in 1977"

A study of occupational stressor and the incidence of disease/risk.

Abstract: We have presented data correlating workers perception of their roles in an organization with the incidence of disease and/or risk of disease. The results indicate there is a significantly higher incidence of disease when particular stressors are operating. It is also evident that disease/risk occurs more frequently when workers are either under-stimulated or over-stimulated as hypothesized by Selye.

Stress reactions in organizations: Syndromes, causes and consequences

Abstract: This study examines the prevalence, causes, and consequences of stress reactions among over 2000 high status members of a large organization in Canada. Five stress syndromes were identified: emotional distress, medication use, cardiovascular disturbance, gastrointestinal disturbance, and allergy respiratory disturbance. The study demonstrates the effects of sociocultural variables on selected stress responses to compare typical symptoms of French vs. English Canadians, and in demographic variables such as age and sex as reflections of stages in the life cycle. Once the sociocultural and demographic effects were isolated, the study revealed a major occupational effect in the distribution of stress syndromes. Managers compared with staff and operations people show a low prevalence of stress reactions. The explanation of this finding led to the evaluation of four possible causes: the maturity effect, the vulnerability effect, the bureaucratic effect, and the power effect. The first two causes assume the objective stressors in the environment are about the same for all occupational groups in the study and the variations in symptoms result from major personality factors held in common among the occupational groups. The second two causes assume that the variations in symptoms result from major differences in the environments of the three occupational groups. Analysis suggests that psychodynamic factors affect the tolerance for stress and the choice of syndrome. The environment, particularly the frustrations and deprivations associated with bureaucracy and the lack of power, activates the defenses against anger and rage that in turn lead to symptom formation. The study concludes with the paradox of the bureaucratic experience. Designed to minimize the uses of power in negotiating work procedures and relationships, bureaucracy requires the mobilization and uses of power to, at a minimum, reduce the risks of falling ill from frustration and anger and, at a maximum, to sense one's impact on events.

Relationship between sociomedical factors and TMJ-symptoms in Norwegians with myofascial pain-dysfunction syndrome.

Abstract: The relationship between background characteristics, stress, reported symptoms and clinical findings was studied in a group comprising 333 patients with Myofascial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome (MPD). Three-quarters of this clientele were women, most of them of young or middle age. The stressors most frequently reported were pressed working conditions, anxiety and frustration deriving from disease, and family problems. Of the symptoms, pain was reported by 78 percent of the patients, clicking by 53 percent, limitation of movement by 44 percent and feeling of stiffness and fatigue of masticatory muscles by 41 percent. Significant correlations were found between a number of variables, of which the close relationship between perceived pressors and muscle groups painful to palpation was considered to be a paramount importance. The data were combined into a hypothetic model postulating causal relations. The model was intended for testing and modification in coming studies.

Two experimental orientations toward a stressful situation and their related somatic and visceral responses.

Abstract: Experiential orientations toward a stressor, a threat of very painful electric shock, were found to be related to some visceral and somatic responses. Under such conditions, subjects either attempted to confront or avoid the stressor. Moreover, in the stress situation, a confronting orientation showed significantly higher trapezius electromyograms (EMGs) when compared to an avoiding orientation, and avoiding significantly higher heart rates (HRs) when compared to confronting. The existence of stress in this situation was based upon both physiological changes toward activation and subject feedback (i.e., self reports). Attention targets were suggested as another way of conceptualizing these two experiential orientations. The results indicated that these specific stress orientations expressed themselves in the body through specific physiological response profiles.

Coping patterns of law enforcement officers in simulated and naturalistic stress.

Abstract: Psychophysiological and self-report measures of reactivity were obtained from 135 police deputies exposed to a stressful film. Subjects categorized according to trait anxiety level and character defense pattern were encouraged to anticipate benign or threatening experiences or were given no preparatory information. In general, information abetted stress reduction; individual personality variables also influenced reactivity. The vigilant coper group uniformly demonstrated intolerance for uncertainty, whereas the responses of the neutral and avoider groups were separable according to anxiety level, in which lower anxiety facilitated adaptation to the stressor. The dramatic correspondence of supervisory ratings of field performance and the data for the no-warning condition suggests that the demands for success in law enforcement service were approximated by the simulated stress procedure.