stress management (SIT)
10 mark Essay Q (from: June 09 paper)-
Discuss 1 or more psychological methods of stress management?
The first method is called SIT (stress inoculation therapy) which was proposed by Meichenbaum. It’s a form of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) that is used to deal with stress. It consists of 3 main phases. The first is the conceptualisation phase which is where the therapist and client establish a relationship in which the client is also taught about the nature and impact of stress. For example, the client would be trained to view threats as problems to be solved.
Following this is the skills acquisition phase which is where coping skills are taught and practised primarily in the clinic and then gradually rehearsed in real life. An example of these skills would include educating clients about the importance of positive thinking, relaxation, social skills and time management. At the end of this is the application phase where the client can now apply their newly taught coping skills in different situations which become increasingly stressful. For instance, some of the techniques they may use include activities such as imagery, modelling, and role playing. It would also include watching someone else and then imitating them.
For the most part SIT has been linked to improving performance during sports such as: cross country running, basketball and in particular very effective at boosting the performance of gymnasts. Despite this a limitation of SIT would be that it mainly requires time, effort, motivation and money.
On the whole SIT has been used by sports men and women to help overcome the stress that would otherwise slow down their performance. Many sports men and women unintentionally respond to stress with maladaptive thoughts which in return interferes with their performance. However, once they understand how their previous thoughts have kept them from reaching their full potential, they begin to develop new coping strategies which can ultimately have a
Discuss 1 or more psychological methods of stress management?
The first method is called SIT (stress inoculation therapy) which was proposed by Meichenbaum. It’s a form of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) that is used to deal with stress. It consists of 3 main phases. The first is the conceptualisation phase which is where the therapist and client establish a relationship in which the client is also taught about the nature and impact of stress. For example, the client would be trained to view threats as problems to be solved.
Following this is the skills acquisition phase which is where coping skills are taught and practised primarily in the clinic and then gradually rehearsed in real life. An example of these skills would include educating clients about the importance of positive thinking, relaxation, social skills and time management. At the end of this is the application phase where the client can now apply their newly taught coping skills in different situations which become increasingly stressful. For instance, some of the techniques they may use include activities such as imagery, modelling, and role playing. It would also include watching someone else and then imitating them.
For the most part SIT has been linked to improving performance during sports such as: cross country running, basketball and in particular very effective at boosting the performance of gymnasts. Despite this a limitation of SIT would be that it mainly requires time, effort, motivation and money.
On the whole SIT has been used by sports men and women to help overcome the stress that would otherwise slow down their performance. Many sports men and women unintentionally respond to stress with maladaptive thoughts which in return interferes with their performance. However, once they understand how their previous thoughts have kept them from reaching their full potential, they begin to develop new coping strategies which can ultimately have a