Daily Hassles

Daily Hassles

1. Research on daily hassles

   • Measuring hassles and uplifts
     • DeLongis et al
       • HSUP - The Hassles and Uplifts Scales
         • Measures a respondents attitudes towards daily situations
           • Evaluates both the positive and negative events
   • Daily Hassles
     • Bouteyre et al
       • Investigated the relationship between daily hassles and the mental health of students during the initial transition period from school to university
         • Used part of the HSUP and Becks Depression Inventory
           • Found there was a positive correlation between scores on the hassles scale and the incidence of depressive symptoms
             • 41% suffered from depressive symptoms
             • Shows daily hassles can be considered a significant risk factor for depression
   • Daily Uplifts
     • Gervais
       • Asked nurses to keep a diary for a month, recording daily hassles and uplifts at work
         • Daily hassles decreased job performance and increased job strain
           • Uplifts sometimes counteracted the negative effects of daily hassles
   • Daily Hassles Vs Life Changes
     • Flett et al
       • Daily hassles have more of an impact because of less social support

2. Evaluation

   • Methodological problems
     • What does the research tell us?
       • Correlation not cause
     • The problems of retrospective recall
       • Overcome by using diary method
       • Participants usually asked about the previous month
   • Explaining daily hassles
     • The accumulation effect
       • The build up of hassles over the day can result in more stress reactions
         • Lazarus
     • The amplification effect
       • Chronic stress due to a major life change can make people more vulnerable to hassles

3. Individual Difference

   • Miller
     • Pets can be seen as an uplift for females but are more associated with hassles in males

4. Applications

   • Gulian et al
     • Road rage linked to daily hassles