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221 The psychophysiology of workplace phobia
Abstracts
/International
Journal
of Psychophysiology
tral script was included as a control measure. The scripts were divided into four stages (setting the scene, approach to the incident, the actual incident, and the consequence) and verbally administered to the participant (a 25 year old female with DID) while psychophysiological recordings were taken. Psychophysiological measures included heart rate, finger pulse amplitude, respiration rate, electromyography, and skin conductance level. In addition, the participant was asked to rate her psychological response to each stage of each script on visual analogue scales at the end of each script presentation. The results demonstrated a pattern of response of the alternate personality indicating low arousal or relaxation in comparison with the elevated response of the predominant personality. In the consequence stage of the alternate personality script, when a return to the predominant personality was experienced, a marked increase in arousal was demonstrated. The results are discussed in relation to the behavioural state model of DID.
221 THE PHOBIA
220 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO POSTTRAUMATIC IMAGERY FOLLOWING ROAD TRAUMA: A COMPARISON OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND ACUTE STRESS DISORDER Georgina E. Holmes, Dr Christopher L. Williams, Dr Janet Haines School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia
30 (1998)
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
OF
WORKPLACE
Jacqueline Carson, Dr Janet Haines, Dr Christopher L. Williams School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia The aim of this investigation was to determine the patterns of psychophysiological arousal and psychological response of workers to stressful work events. In addition, the aim was to determine if a group of individuals who exhibited phobic avoidance of the workplace could be identified in terms of their psychophysiological and psychological responses to stressful work events. Work phobic, work stressed, and nonstressed control groups’ responses to a stressful work event and a neutral event were compared. Information was presented to participants in the form of personalised guided imagery of actual events. Each script of guided imagery was divided into four stages to examine participants’ responses as they developed during the course of the event. All participants demonstrated increased psychophysiological arousal and psychological response to stressful work events. In addition, the work phobic group demonstrated markedly elevated heart rate response and subjective reports of fear that distinguished them from the other groups. It was concluded that a work phobic group could be identified. The development of the phobic avoidance response was discussed in terms of learning theory.
SYMPOSIUM This paper examines the psychophysiological correlates of posttraumatic responses to road trauma. The paper examines the proposition that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are diagnostically distinct psychiatric entities. Individuals exposed to road trauma were recruited from the community. These individuals were divided into three diagnostic groups on the basis of structured clinical interviews and psychometric assessments. The three groups were: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, and the subclinical control group. The psychophysiological responses of each group were measured and compared. Arousal to four personalised imaged events were examined for differences in psychophysiological responses between the groups. The four events were: motor vehicle accident, post-accident scene, low arousal neutml event and high arousal neutral event. Each imagery script was presented in four stages: setting the scene, approach, incident, and consequence. The four stage presentation facilitated measurement of psychophysiological responses over time. The results indicated three distinct patterns of psychophysiological response over time for each of the three diagnostic groups. These results support the proposition that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are diagnostically distinct psychiatric entities and are not on a continuum of symptom severity. Results are discussed in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of posttraumatic symptomatology.
87
7-94
39: Psychophysiology of Stress
222 SALIVARY INDICES STRESS AND CHALLENGE
OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL
J.W. Hinton* and R.F. Burton University of Glasgow, Stress-research Unit, Psychology Department, Adam Smith Building, Glasgow G12 8RT, Scotland In designing psychophysiological ‘test-stress’ experiments, investigators frequently assume that their test is a stressor. By definition a stressor is a demand which is perceived as both relevant and excessively difficult to cope with: for production of psychological stress (psystress: Hinton and Burton, 1997) both perceived non-satisfaction of needs (PERNOS) and perceived coping incapacity (PCI) must be raised, and the degree of psystress is a function of the magnitude of both. As psystress rises, so do the psychological and physiological stress responses. The latter include endocrine responses including increases in output of cortisol and aldosterone, and decrease in testosterone production. Where the stressor is prolonged, and passive coping adopted, depression of sympathetic relative to parasympathetic activity occurs together with reduced immunocompetence as shown by reduced s&A. Assuming that the task is seen as relevant to personal needs satisfaction and not perceived to be excessively difficult, then
/International
Journal
of Psychophysiology
tral script was included as a control measure. The scripts were divided into four stages (setting the scene, approach to the incident, the actual incident, and the consequence) and verbally administered to the participant (a 25 year old female with DID) while psychophysiological recordings were taken. Psychophysiological measures included heart rate, finger pulse amplitude, respiration rate, electromyography, and skin conductance level. In addition, the participant was asked to rate her psychological response to each stage of each script on visual analogue scales at the end of each script presentation. The results demonstrated a pattern of response of the alternate personality indicating low arousal or relaxation in comparison with the elevated response of the predominant personality. In the consequence stage of the alternate personality script, when a return to the predominant personality was experienced, a marked increase in arousal was demonstrated. The results are discussed in relation to the behavioural state model of DID.
221 THE PHOBIA
220 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO POSTTRAUMATIC IMAGERY FOLLOWING ROAD TRAUMA: A COMPARISON OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND ACUTE STRESS DISORDER Georgina E. Holmes, Dr Christopher L. Williams, Dr Janet Haines School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia
30 (1998)
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
OF
WORKPLACE
Jacqueline Carson, Dr Janet Haines, Dr Christopher L. Williams School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia The aim of this investigation was to determine the patterns of psychophysiological arousal and psychological response of workers to stressful work events. In addition, the aim was to determine if a group of individuals who exhibited phobic avoidance of the workplace could be identified in terms of their psychophysiological and psychological responses to stressful work events. Work phobic, work stressed, and nonstressed control groups’ responses to a stressful work event and a neutral event were compared. Information was presented to participants in the form of personalised guided imagery of actual events. Each script of guided imagery was divided into four stages to examine participants’ responses as they developed during the course of the event. All participants demonstrated increased psychophysiological arousal and psychological response to stressful work events. In addition, the work phobic group demonstrated markedly elevated heart rate response and subjective reports of fear that distinguished them from the other groups. It was concluded that a work phobic group could be identified. The development of the phobic avoidance response was discussed in terms of learning theory.
SYMPOSIUM This paper examines the psychophysiological correlates of posttraumatic responses to road trauma. The paper examines the proposition that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are diagnostically distinct psychiatric entities. Individuals exposed to road trauma were recruited from the community. These individuals were divided into three diagnostic groups on the basis of structured clinical interviews and psychometric assessments. The three groups were: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, and the subclinical control group. The psychophysiological responses of each group were measured and compared. Arousal to four personalised imaged events were examined for differences in psychophysiological responses between the groups. The four events were: motor vehicle accident, post-accident scene, low arousal neutml event and high arousal neutral event. Each imagery script was presented in four stages: setting the scene, approach, incident, and consequence. The four stage presentation facilitated measurement of psychophysiological responses over time. The results indicated three distinct patterns of psychophysiological response over time for each of the three diagnostic groups. These results support the proposition that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are diagnostically distinct psychiatric entities and are not on a continuum of symptom severity. Results are discussed in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of posttraumatic symptomatology.
87
7-94
39: Psychophysiology of Stress
222 SALIVARY INDICES STRESS AND CHALLENGE
OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL
J.W. Hinton* and R.F. Burton University of Glasgow, Stress-research Unit, Psychology Department, Adam Smith Building, Glasgow G12 8RT, Scotland In designing psychophysiological ‘test-stress’ experiments, investigators frequently assume that their test is a stressor. By definition a stressor is a demand which is perceived as both relevant and excessively difficult to cope with: for production of psychological stress (psystress: Hinton and Burton, 1997) both perceived non-satisfaction of needs (PERNOS) and perceived coping incapacity (PCI) must be raised, and the degree of psystress is a function of the magnitude of both. As psystress rises, so do the psychological and physiological stress responses. The latter include endocrine responses including increases in output of cortisol and aldosterone, and decrease in testosterone production. Where the stressor is prolonged, and passive coping adopted, depression of sympathetic relative to parasympathetic activity occurs together with reduced immunocompetence as shown by reduced s&A. Assuming that the task is seen as relevant to personal needs satisfaction and not perceived to be excessively difficult, then