About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about sources of stress and how we can measure the stress levels they bring about, focusing in particular on: (i) differentiating acute stress (a single stressful event) from chronic stress (ongoing problems that alter daily life) and daily hassles (regular, minor inconveniences); (ii) the fact that continuous stressors (chronic stress and daily hassles) have the most profound impact on wellbeing, moreover individual traumatic events (acute stressors); (iii) the somewhat healthy singular biological stress response discussed in lecture one, when compared to the unhealthy sustained state of stress and alertness; (iv) measuring stress levels, looking at Holme’s & Rahe’s 1967 Social Readjustment Ratings Scale (SSRS), DeLongis, Folkman & Lazarus’s 1982 Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and Kohen, Kamarch & Mermelstein’s 1983 Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); (v) utilising physiological assessments to measure stress levels, including skin conductance/electrodermal response and saliva cortisol levels.

About the lecturer

Dr Livia Tomova is a research associate in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, with an interest in how stress, loneliness and social isolation affect the brain and mind. Dr Tomova’s current research focuses on biological markers indicating vulnerability to the effects of isolation and loneliness in adolescents and young adults. Some of Dr Tomova’s recent publications include 'The effects of social deprivation on adolescent development and mental health' (2020) and 'Acute stress alters neural patterns of value representation for others' (2020).