Explain and evaluate the SRRS
Explain how the SRRS was devised and evaluate the use of this technique. (8marks)
Holmes and Rahe (1967) developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) which identifies 43 stressful life changes that can contribute to stress-related illness. Each one of the 43 stressful life events was awarded a Life Change Unit depending on how traumatic it was felt to be by a large sample of 400 participants. The highest Life Change Unit is 100, being death of a spouse. Participants calculate a total value for stressful life events by adding up the scores for each event experienced usually over a 12 month period. Total life change units are measured and used as an indicator of stress for each participant. Holmes and Rahe suggested that a score greater than 150 meant that the participant was at risk of stress related illness, which rose by a further 50% if the participant had a score greater than 300.
One strength of the SRRS is that there was a large sample size which makes the study more generalisable as many people have been used meaning the scale is more applicable to real life.
However, a weakness of the SRRS is that the study was androcentrically and ethnocentrically biased because the participants were all American males. This means that the study lacks generalisability as it cannot be applied to women and people of other ethnicities; therefore it lacks population validity as it is not applicable in all cases as people respond to stress differently.
Another strength of the SRRS is that it is useful to the population because it has lead to stress management techniques being implemented, leading to a decrease in stress-related illness because people know how to cope with stress. Therefore the technique is useful.
Although, another weakness of the SRRS is that it used self-report methods of questionnaires. This means that the SRRS is unreliable as people may want to appear more socially desirable so they lie leading to participant bias. Furthermore, because
Holmes and Rahe (1967) developed the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) which identifies 43 stressful life changes that can contribute to stress-related illness. Each one of the 43 stressful life events was awarded a Life Change Unit depending on how traumatic it was felt to be by a large sample of 400 participants. The highest Life Change Unit is 100, being death of a spouse. Participants calculate a total value for stressful life events by adding up the scores for each event experienced usually over a 12 month period. Total life change units are measured and used as an indicator of stress for each participant. Holmes and Rahe suggested that a score greater than 150 meant that the participant was at risk of stress related illness, which rose by a further 50% if the participant had a score greater than 300.
One strength of the SRRS is that there was a large sample size which makes the study more generalisable as many people have been used meaning the scale is more applicable to real life.
However, a weakness of the SRRS is that the study was androcentrically and ethnocentrically biased because the participants were all American males. This means that the study lacks generalisability as it cannot be applied to women and people of other ethnicities; therefore it lacks population validity as it is not applicable in all cases as people respond to stress differently.
Another strength of the SRRS is that it is useful to the population because it has lead to stress management techniques being implemented, leading to a decrease in stress-related illness because people know how to cope with stress. Therefore the technique is useful.
Although, another weakness of the SRRS is that it used self-report methods of questionnaires. This means that the SRRS is unreliable as people may want to appear more socially desirable so they lie leading to participant bias. Furthermore, because