Effects of Stress on Behavior

Introduction

Stressors have a key influence on our wellbeing, health, behavior, mood etc. Some of the health effects of stress include; heart disorders, high blood pressure, and headache and to some people, skin disorders (Fink, 2016). Additionally, the study suggests that Stress influences cognitive process since it is linked to increased cortisol level; a hormone influencing the functioning of the brain. Studies have also suggested that childhood survivors of sexual abuse usually have an increased level of major physiological disturbance and general distress and major psychological disturbance (Miller et al., 2011). If you are facing challenges in this area, seeking psychology dissertation help can provide valuable guidance and support. Additionally, these childhood stress is linked to negative views toward school performance and learning. Moreover, children whose parents divorced have been revealed to have anxiety, depression, and antisocial behaviour. Also, being exposed to nonresponsive environments has been defined as a stressor which results in helplessness (Diehle, 2015). This paper describes and evaluates two articles to evaluate the relationship between behaviour and stress and as well, evaluate the validity of the studies.

Article 1

Dawans, B., Trueg, A., Kirschbaum, C., Fischbacher, U. and Heinrichs, M., 2018. Acute social and physical stress interact to influence social behaviour: The role of social anxiety. PloS one, 13(10), p.e0204665.

Research aim

The study aimed to investigate how acute physical and social stress interacts to impact behaviour.

Methods

For this study, the cross-sectional study design was adopted. Telephone and online interviews were utilized as an exclusion strategy to select possible participants who were not Germany fluency and who were suffering from chronic and acute psychiatric illness. Additionally, possible participants undertook online Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) test before the study and were categorized into four categories to make sure there is equal/normal distribution of symptoms of social stress in the four categories. For analysis of the outcome, two way ANOVA was used.

The results

The study discovered critical influences different subjective stress increases which result from social and physical stress, though, there were no interaction impacts (Dawans et al., 2018). Moreover, the study suggests an increase in cortisol due to physical stress. Besides, social stress modulated the subjective response of stress response though not the heart rate or the cortisol response. Concerning behaviour, the outcome indicated that physical and social stress interacted to regulate sharing and trust. Also physical and social anxiety independently decreased prosocial behaviour, the combination of both stressor modalities restored prosociality. However, social anxiety independently decreased nonsocial behaviour.

Conclusion

The study concludes that social and physical stress relates to regulating men social relationship, while social anxiety independently decreased nonsocial behaviour which is risky. Additionally, the study also suggests that both the flight and fight occur together, are human nature, and influence human behavioural when activated.

Critical analysis

First, the methods used to collect and analyses data are relevant hence making the study valuable. Studies reveal the cross-sectional studies enable studies of multiple outcomes and exposures, and as well the interviewer used enables control over the order of the question, therefore enabling judgment from the spontaneity of the respondent (Honaker & King, 2010). This makes the study effective and valid based on my view. Moreover, the study sample for health individual was 156. This population include people who were both fluent in German and those who were not. This is an indication that the population was universal hence the study could be applied to the whole population (Eldredge et al., 2014). The study also includes cortisol which affects both social and physical stress which makes this study valid.

Article 2

Lewandowski Jr, G.W., Mattingly, B.A. and Pedreiro, A., 2014. Under pressure: the effects of stress on positive and negative relationship behaviours. The Journal of social psychology, 154(5), pp.463-473.

Aim of the study

The study aim is to study the impact of stress on negative and positive and relationship behaviors

Methods

A sample of 129 college students were randomly assigned to either a high or low-stress condition, then were led to believe they had the opportunity to interact with attractive potential relationship partners and list compliments about their current partner. To conduct the study, a total sample of 129 students from the college were indiscriminately assigned stress conditions which are either low or high. The students were then led to believe that they had a chance to relate with an attractive potential relationship partner. The students were also expected to compliments on their current partners. Moreover, for analysis of the results, ANCOVA analyses were conducted.

A sample of 129 college students were randomly assigned to either a high or low-stress condition, then were led to believe they had the opportunity to interact with attractive potential relationship partners and list compliments about their current partner.

Results

Results indicated that those in the high-stress condition gave their partner fewer assurances and paid more attention to alternatives. These results suggest that when individuals experience acute stress, they may engage in fewer positive relationship behaviours and more behaviours that are potentially harmful to their relationship. Results showed that students in the high-stress state-assigned their partners little assurances and as well paid high attention to the alternative partners (Lewandowski et al., 2014). These outcomes also indicate that, once people experience acute stress, they sometimes engage in little positive relationship behaviours. Moreover, stress contributes to potentially harmful behaviour in relationships.

Conclusion

Because stress impacts everyone, it is critical to know how it impacts our daily life. In couples who are dating, stress impacts their relationship behaviours like offering assurances to the partner and paying attention to alternative partners. Therefore, stress is concluded to be a factor which affects the quality of relationships.

Critical analysis

The study methodology showed that the research was effectively conducted limiting chances of bias error. Studies reveal that random sampling gives better chances for samples to represents the total population. Moreover, the sampling utilizes random numbers ensured samples varied just like the whole population (Acharya et al., 2013). This is an indication that the study is valid and reliable. However, the study suggests that the sampling has high risk selecting samples from a few variations. Also, the sample size is very ideal for such a study which according to my view can be applied to the whole population. From how the study is conducted, the results are effective and relevant.

Conclusion

From this analysis, I can conclude that there is a significant link between behaviour and stress. Moreover, social and physical stress interact to modulate men social interaction, while social stress independent decreased nonsocial behaviour which is risky. Besides, since stress affects every individual, understand how it influences our daily life is crucial. It is also evident that stress impacts dating couple and the quality of relationship which support that stress affects behaviour.

References

Acharya, A.S., Prakash, A., Saxena, P. and Nigam, A., 2013. Sampling: Why and how of it. Indian Journal of Medical Specialties, 4(2), pp.330-333.

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Dawans, B., Trueg, A., Kirschbaum, C., Fischbacher, U. and Heinrichs, M., 2018. Acute social and physical stress interact to influence social behavior: The role of social anxiety. PloS one, 13(10), p.e0204665.

Diehle, J., Opmeer, B.C., Boer, F., Mannarino, A.P. and Lindauer, R.J., 2015. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: What works in children with posttraumatic stress symptoms? A randomized controlled trial. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 24(2), pp.227-236.

Eldredge, J.D., Weagel, E.F. and Kroth, P.J., 2014. Defining and identifying members of a research study population: CTSA-affiliated faculty members. Hypothesis: the newsletter of the Research Section of MLA, 26(1), p.5.

Fink, G. ed., 2016. Stress: Concepts, Cognition, Emotion, and Behavior: Handbook of Stress Series (Vol. 1). Academic Press.

Honaker, J. and King, G., 2010. What to do about missing values in time‐series cross‐section data. American Journal of Political Science, 54(2), pp.561-581.

Hupbach, A. and Dorskind, J.M., 2014. Stress selectively affects the reactivated components of a declarative memory. Behavioral Neuroscience, 128(5), p.614.

Lewandowski Jr, G.W., Mattingly, B.A. and Pedreiro, A., 2014. Under pressure: the effects of stress on positive and negative relationship behaviors. The Journal of social psychology, 154(5), pp.463-473.

Miller, G.E., Chen, E. and Parker, K.J., 2011. Psychological stress in childhood and susceptibility to the chronic diseases of aging: moving toward a model of behavioral and biological mechanisms. Psychological bulletin, 137(6), p.959.

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