AQA A Level Psychology
AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.7 Stress Exam Questions
Free AQA A Level Psychology exam questions for 3.3.7 Stress, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers the physiology of stress, stress and illness, sources and measurement of stress, personality, stress management and social support.
3.3.7 Stress exam questions
6 question packs of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.7 Stress
Stress is an Option 2 topic on AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options. It builds on the fight or flight response from Biopsychology to explain the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system and the sympathomedullary pathway, and how chronic stress affects the immune and cardiovascular systems. You study sources of stress (life changes, daily hassles and workplace stress), ways of measuring stress, individual differences such as Type A and hardiness, and methods of managing stress including drug therapy, stress inoculation therapy and biofeedback. You also look at gender differences in coping and social support. Examiners often ask about the SRRS, Kiecolt-Glaser et al. and evaluating stress management.
What you need to know
- Physiology of stress The SAM system governs the acute stress response: the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal medulla releases adrenaline. The HPA axis governs chronic stress: the hypothalamus releases CRH, the pituitary releases ACTH, and the adrenal cortex releases cortisol.
- Stress and illness Chronic stress suppresses the immune system; Kiecolt-Glaser et al. (1984) found lower natural killer cell activity in medical students during exams. Stress is also linked to cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension.
- Sources of stress Life changes are measured by the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes and Rahe, 1967), in which death of a spouse scores 100 life change units. Daily hassles (Kanner et al., 1981) may be more harmful, and workplace stress involves workload and control (Marmot et al., 1997).
- Measuring stress Self-report scales such as the SRRS and the Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and physiological measures such as skin conductance response.
- Individual differences Type A personality (competitive, time-urgent, hostile) was linked to coronary heart disease by Friedman and Rosenman (1959); Type B and Type C are also discussed. Hardiness (Kobasa) has three Cs: commitment, challenge and control.
- Managing and coping with stress Drug therapy includes benzodiazepines and beta-blockers. Stress inoculation therapy (Meichenbaum) has conceptualisation, skills acquisition and application phases; biofeedback trains control of physiological responses. Gender differences in coping and instrumental, emotional and esteem social support are also studied.
Common mistakes in 3.3.7 Stress
- Mixing up the SAM pathway and HPA axis; SAM is acute and uses adrenaline, HPA is chronic and uses cortisol.
- Saying the adrenal medulla releases cortisol; cortisol is released by the adrenal cortex.
- Describing beta-blockers as working on GABA; benzodiazepines enhance GABA, beta-blockers block adrenaline and noradrenaline at beta-adrenergic receptors.
- Listing the three Cs of hardiness incorrectly as 'calm' or 'coping'; they are commitment, challenge and control.
- Assuming correlational life events research shows stress causes illness; correlations cannot establish causation.
Try three 3.3.7 Stress exam-style questions
1. Outline how the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system responds to stress. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
When a stressor is perceived, the hypothalamus releases corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) into the bloodstream; CRH causes the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH); ACTH travels to the adrenal cortex, which releases cortisol; cortisol gives a steady supply of energy by raising blood glucose but suppresses the immune system; feedback reduces CRH and ACTH when cortisol levels are high.
2. Describe the three phases of stress inoculation therapy. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Conceptualisation, where the therapist and client identify sources of stress and the client learns to see stressors as challenges; skills acquisition, where coping skills such as relaxation and positive self-talk are learned and practised; application and follow-through, where the skills are applied in increasingly stressful situations, including role play and real life.
3. Explain one limitation of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale as a measure of stress. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
It ignores individual differences in how life events are perceived; for example divorce may be stressful for one person but a relief for another; yet the SRRS gives it the same life change unit score, so the scale may not accurately measure each person's stress.
3.3.7 Stress FAQs
What does AQA A Level Psychology Stress cover?
It covers the HPA and SAM systems, cortisol, stress and the immune and cardiovascular systems, life changes, daily hassles, workplace stress, measuring stress, Type A, B and C personality and hardiness, drug therapy, stress inoculation therapy, biofeedback, gender differences in coping and social support.
Which paper is Stress examined in?
Stress is an option in Section C (Option 2) of AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options in Psychology.
Which three types of social support should I know?
Instrumental support is practical help, emotional support is expressing warmth and concern, and esteem support increases a person's confidence in their ability to cope.
