1. Science 295 Dr. Katie Cahill

2.  What is stress? ◦ Hans Selye introduced the term in the 1930s  Eustress – reaction to good situations  Distress – reaction to bad situations ◦ Engineers consider stress as an impulse that causes stress on the receiving structure  Ex. A heavy load creates stress for your vertebral column

3.  Physiological reactions to stress ◦ Both positive and negative stress create the same reactions within the body ◦ The adrenal gland is stimulated to secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine  Stress causes emotions ◦ The basic experience of stress is emotional ◦ Emotions can cause changes in the body functions ◦ Can cause physical disease ◦ Increases muscle tension creating bodily pains

4.  Stress at work and leisure ◦ Mind-body interaction: psychological problems can create physical ailments and physical problems can lead to psychological issues ◦ Stress at work depends on:  Interactions of the individual with the work environment  Problems outside of work ◦ Individual reactions to the same stressors will be different

5.  Coping with stress ◦ Distress, anger, depression and anxiety can result from a stressful situation ◦ Stress is subjective so the management approach must be specific to the individual:  Management techniques can be aimed directly at the work demands  Time management  Work style adaptation  Communication styles  Setting limits

6.  Stress management techniques may also focus on individual emotions:  Re-evaluation of the situation  Use of humor  Relaxation exercises  Hobbies outside of work  Lifestyle changes may have to occur  Physical fitness  Nutrition  Smoking and drinking  Quitting stressful job if another is available

7.  Eliminating stress at work ◦ Common stressors in the workplace 1.Job content 2.Demand intensity 3.Workload complexity 4.Repetitive monotonous work 5.Excessive responsibility 6.Unreasonable supervisor 7.Environment (noise, temperature, crowded space) 8.Lack of recognition for work done 9.Lack of control over one’s job 10.Lack of job security 11.Lack of social support 12.Bullying boss or coworkers

8.  Effects of stress ◦ Changes in feelings and behavior  Irritability, dissatisfaction, decreased attention, anxiety, depression, damaged relationships ◦ Health issues  Disturbed sleep, CVD, GI problems, musculoskeletal problems, decreased immune response ◦ Maladaptive behaviors  Smoking, alcohol, drug abuse ◦ Negative effects on the organization  Increase employee absence, poor work attitude, reduced productivity

9.  Is stress always harmful? ◦ Life without stressors would be boring ◦ The amount of stress determines if it is harmful ◦ The line between healthy and pathological stress varies ◦ Challenging tasks can be captivating and satisfying  Measurement of stress ◦ Variety of psychological techniques:  Well-being surveys, stress arousal checklists, mood assessments, emotional intelligence questionnaires, assessments of coping capabilities

10.  Computer adaptation syndrome ◦ Introduction of computers into the workplace created high levels of stress for employees  Worried they didn’t have enough technical knowledge to operate computers  Concerned about radiation from the monitor ◦ Ended quickly due to improved software and training ◦ Older workers adapted to the increased ease of tasks and young personnel grew up with computers, so CAS disappeared rapidly

11.  Blue and white collared work ◦ Common distinction used to exist between physical laborers (blue collared) and mental laborers (white collared) ◦ The division no longer exists because there is such a cross over  Ex increased use of electronics in automobile repair ◦ Some jobs still do rely mainly on mental capabilities  Teachers, doctors, pilots ◦ Need to be able to evaluate both types of jobs

12.  Overload vs. Underload ◦ Overload  Performance is incomplete  Operator may suffer physically and psychologically  Measuring the quality of performance determines degree of overload ◦ Underload  Operator can perform better and produce more  Measuring the residual determines the degree of underload

13.  Task performance ◦ Depends on task demands (intensity, complexity, time) and workload (depends on individual capabilities, motivation, fatigue)

14.  Heavy work requires high energy usage and demands on the heart  Energy and CV ability set limits on the amount of physical work performed  Machines have decreased the need for heavy work in many jobs  Physical labor is still seen in farming, mining, agriculture  Still a major ergonomic issue in developing countries

15.  Too little, too much ◦ Some jobs demand too much effort and some require too little ◦ Employees can be underloaded and become bored or overloaded and stressed ◦ A balance needs to exist between load and demand ◦ Task performance suffers under both underload and overload conditions

16.  Workload depends on: 1.The intensity of the task 2.The capabilities of a person to perform the job ◦ Demand and ability also depends on willingness and perceived stress  Complex jobs, complex assessments ◦ Table 12.1 Typical Methods of workload assessment

17.  Listen to the worker ◦ Psychophysical measurements combine biomechanics, physiology and psychology in their assessment ◦ An experienced worker can integrate the different elements of the job and summarize its good points and stressors  Borg Scales ◦ Psychometric scale used to measure the ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and CR 10 scale ◦ High reliability because they can be repeated with the same results ◦ High validity because they correlate with HR measurements ◦ Advantages: inexpensive, don’t interfere with work, provide a good summary of work stressors

18.  Work related stress is an individual’s emotional reaction to work demands, environment and organization  People react differently to stress  Stress results from a mismatch between demands and abilities  Makes more sense to change demands than to change the person