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Partonetwo
Partonetwo
Yichen Shao
Bingrui Wang
Qianying Zhang
University of Pennsylvania
PART ONE: TRAINING DESIGN
Table of Contents:
On the needs assessment, participants were asked to assess their current level of stress
holistically and all of our participants indicated that they were experiencing at least moderate
stress with more than half of them indicating considerable to unbearable stress. Job/Career
Prospects, Schoolwork and Interpersonal Relationships were ranked the top three sources of
stress. Eighty-five percent of the participants said that they would consciously cope with stress
and named Venting to People They Trust, Hibernation, Drinking/Overeating/Smoking, Taking
Baths and Exercise as their most frequently-used stress-coping strategies.
Agenda and Techniques/Activities/Materials:
The workshop starts with an energizer (10 minutes) that is meant to give the participants
the opportunity to experience stress. The energizer consists of three rounds of trivia game and
each round is played by four representatives from all four tables. Since the answers that the
representatives give will determine whether or not their table wins the game, we imagine that the
competition will induce a tense and stressful atmosphere among the participants. The energizer is
followed by a whole class discussion, which later transitions into small group discussions on the
major stressors that the participants are currently experiencing in their lives (5 minutes).
After the group discussion, a lecturette on the theoretical aspects of stress and coping is
introduced (25 minutes). Participants are provided with an index handout with the definitions and
pictures of the technical terminologies mentioned throughout the lecturette (See Appendix A).
Facilitators walk the participants through the physiological definition of stress, consequences of
stress, and perception of class with a PowerPoint presentation (See Appendix B), after which
participants are asked to fill out the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (See Appendix C). When
participants are finished, they use their individual score to find a corresponding spot on the
barometer and are able to compare their perceived stress level by looking around on the
barometer.
The lecturette continues with a new focus on the mental and physical consequences of
failing to cope with stress properly. A cross-cultural perspective on stress that links the idea of
locus of control with coping follows and participants are asked to reflect on their own stress-
coping behaviors in terms of internal or external locus of control in a whole class discussion.
The lecturette reiterates the importance of facing stress head on and participants are asked
to share their preferred stress-reduction techniques. The facilitator collects the answers and
divide them into positive strategies that are healthy and effective and negative strategies that are
dangerous and destructive. Further details about the common stress-coping strategies are then
provided and explained. In the meantime, participants can refer to the step-by-step tutorials of
perception-based coping strategies (See Appendix E).
After the lecturette, the facilitators demonstrate three stress-coping strategies that target
three different stress-inducing graduate school scenarios, one by one. The first scenario, which
corresponds to the Schoolwork stressor, is that students have been working on a big project
with their groups in a study room in the library all day and feel very stressed out. The facilitators
then provides a recommended solution, which is GBTC, the morning exercise routine in China
and lead the group to try it out (10 minutes). Participants are later asked about how they feel
about the exercise and given the opportunity to connect the activity with the previous theoretical
information to think about the possible reasons why doing GBTC can help the lower stress levels
of students in this scenario (5 minutes).
The second and the third scenarios are conducted in the same format. The second
scenario, which corresponds to the Job/Career Prospects stressor, is that students feel anxious
because of their upcoming job interview (10 minutes). Coloring is recommended as the
appropriate coping strategy and the same brainstorming and discussion process follows (5
minutes). The third scenario, which corresponds to the interpersonal Relationships stressor, is
that students have some interpersonal problems that really bother them but they do not want to
talk to anyone about such problems. The facilitators introduce meditation as an effective way to
deal with stress in this scenario and guide participants through a meditation session with music
and scented candles (15 minutes).
The training ends with a wrap-up right after the meditation when participants are still in
the state of relaxation. Participants share what their biggest takeaways are from the training and
how they plan to use the coping techniques they learn in their business lives (5 minutes).
Group Norms:
Since the causes of stress vary from person to person and many of such causes can be too
private for the participants to feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the group, the facilitators
establish that the participants are in a safe space where they do not need to disclose any
information about themselves if they do not feel like doing so. When questions are left
unanswered in whole class discussions, the facilitators do not try to pose any pressure on the
participants to answer the questions. Stress is also likely to trigger depressive or anxious
responses among participants. Thus it is of critical importance for the facilitators to reassure the
participants that they are more than welcome to take a deep breath and recollect themselves
whenever they need to. The participants are reminded by the facilitators of these two group
norms throughout the entire workshop.
PGOs:
Purpose: we want to help the participants to perform at a more productive level by better
managing the stress they experience in their lives.
Goals: the goal of our workshop encompasses all three design components (Pfeiffer,
1994). Knowledge (K): to enhance the participants knowledge of the different sources and forms
of stress and its consequences. Awareness (A): to help the participants better understand their
stress levels. Skills (S): to introduce stress management strategies.
Objectives: The participants can see how much stress they are experiencing on an
analytical scale.The participants can name one or two negative consequences of failing to cope
with stress.The participants can judge whether or not some commonly used stress management
strategies are good. The participants can describe the phases of a recommended stress-reduction
activity. The participants can choose an appropriate strategy for different occasions and purposes.
Methodology:
The foundation of the workshop design stems from the Lewinian Experiential Learning
Model, which emphasizes the conflict between concrete experience and abstract concepts (Kolb,
1983). Given that the idea of stress is relatively abstract, we believe it is appropriate to draw on
the participants concrete experience so that stress as an abstract concept can be felt and the
stress-managing information we provide can be tested and validated. The scope of the workshop
is narrowed down to the graduate school setting, which is a common experience shared by all of
our target participants in their real lives. The scenario practices are also developed based on the
three major stressors that graduate students identify with, to provide a concrete, shared reference
point for the participants to make associations between the theoretical or technical information
provided to them inside the training space and the practical situations that they face outside the
training space.
The specific techniques and activities used in the workshop follow the Kolbs
Experiential Learning Cycle and attend to the needs of individuals with different learning styles
(Kolb, 1983). The energizer designed to create a stressful atmosphere provide the participants
with concrete experience. The participants gain a better understanding of how much perceived
stress they are under in comparison to others through reflectively observing their spots and their
surroundings during the barometer activity. While the lecturette is loaded with abstract
information, real-life examples are given and reflective questions are asked to help the
participants digest and conceptualize the theoretical concepts. Through the three scenarios, the
participants are able to engage in active experimentation and experience the stress-reduction
techniques themselves.
Target Audience:
Our target audience is the graduate student population at any higher education institution
in the United States. Students are typically over 21 years old and are from different disciplines
and various cultural backgrounds. Each training can serve 16-20 graduate students. English is
used as the medium of instruction and communication.
Evaluation and Follow-up:
Amygdala: the part of the brain that performs a primary role in the processing of memory,
decision-making, and emotional reactions.
Mandala: A mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the
universe. In common use, "mandala" has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or
geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of
the universe.
Cardiovascular System: Chronic stress can contribute to long-term problems for heart and
blood vessels. The consistent and ongoing increase in heart rate, and the elevated levels of
stress hormones and of blood pressure, can take a toll on the body. This long-term ongoing
stress can increase the risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke.
Cerebral cortex: the brains outer layer of neural tissue in humans and other mammals.
Cortisol: a steroid hormone, and is produced in humans by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal
cortex within the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress and low blood-glucose
concentration.
Endorphin: "endogenous morphine", are produced by the central nervous system and the
pituitary gland. The principal function of endorphins is to inhibit the transmission of pain signals;
they may also produce a feeling of euphoria very similar to that produced by other opioids.
Epinephrine: also known as adrenalin or adrenaline, is a hormone that plays an important role
in the fight-or-flight response by increasing blood flow to muscles, output of the heart, pupil
dilation, and blood sugar.
Liver: When cortisol and epinephrine are released, the liver produces more glucose, a blood
sugar that would give you the energy for "fight or flight" in an emergency.
APPENDIX B
PowerPoint
APPENDIX C
The Cohen Perceived Stress Scale
COHEN PERCEIVED STRESS
The following questions ask about your feelings and thoughts during THE PAST MONTH. In each
question, you will be asked HOW OFTEN you felt or thought a certain way. Although some of the
questions are similar, there are small differences between them and you should treat each one as a
separate question. The best approach is to answer fairly quickly. That is, dont try to count up the
exact number of times you felt a particular way, but tell me the answer that in general seems the best.
For each statement, please tell me if you have had these thoughts or feelings: never, almost never,
sometimes, fairly often, or very often. (Read all answer choices each time)
Perceived Stress Scale Scoring
Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from never (0) to almost always (4). Positively worded
items are reverse scored, and the ratings are summed, with higher scores indicating more perceived
stress.
PSS-10 scores are obtained by reversing the scores on the four positive items: For example, 0=4,
1=3, 2=2, etc. and then summing across all 10 items. Items 4, 5, 7, and 8 are the positively stated
items.
Your Perceived Stress Level was ________
Scores around 13 are considered average. In our own research, we have found that high stress groups usually
have a stress score of around 20 points. Scores of 20 or higher are considered high stress, and if you are in this
range, you might consider learning new stress reduction techniques as well as increasing your exercise to at
least three times a week. High psychological stress is associated with high blood pressure, higher BMI, larger
waist to hip ratio, shorter telomere length, higher cortisol levels, suppressed immune function, decreased
sleep, and increased alcohol consumption. These are all important risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
APPENDIX D
The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory
APPENDIX E
Cognitive Restructuring and Imagery Tutorials
How to use Cognitive Restructuring
Use meditation or deep breathing to calm yourself down if you feel particularly stressed or upset.
Start by describing the situation that triggered your negative mood, and write this into the appropriate box
on the worksheet.
Next, write down the mood, or moods, that you felt during the situation. Here, moods are the fundamental
feelings that we have, but they are not thoughts about the situation.
Now, write down the natural reactions, or "automatic thoughts," you experienced when you felt the mood.
Identify the evidence that objectively supports your automatic thoughts. Your goal is to look objectively at
what happened, and then to write down specific events or comments that led to your automatic thoughts.
Next, identify and write down evidence that contradicts the automatic thought.
By this stage, you've looked at both sides of the situation. You should now have the information you need
to take a fair, balanced view of what happened. If you still feel uncertain, discuss the situation with other
people, or test the question in some other way.
If possible, find a quiet place to sit down. This could be a park bench, an empty room, or even your office.
Close your eyes, and breathe slowly and deeply to calm down.
Once you feel relaxed, picture yourself in the most peaceful environment that you can imagine. This can
be an imaginary place, or a memory of a place or time that has a special meaning to you.
The scene that you imagine is highly personal and should ideally be one that you feel emotionally drawn
to. It's important to remember that imagery's effectiveness relies on using all your senses.
Step 3: Relax
Stay in your relaxed scene for as long as you feel comfortable, or as long as your schedule allows.
Continue breathing deeply, and try not to let any outside thoughts intrude.
APPENDIX F
Evaluation
Stress-related Knowledge Self-Assessment
Directions:
1 The first column is to be completed at the beginning of the workshop.
2 The second column is to be completed at the end of the workshop.
Please use the following scale to assess your degree of knowledge on stress-related issues:
From 1 (beginner/novice) to 5 (highly competent)
1 2 3 4 5
Novice Low Adequate High Master
APPENDIX G
Resources Handout
Coloring sheets for Adults can be found on
http://www.coloring-pages-adults.com/
Reference:
American Psychological Association (2016). Stress effects on the body. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-body.aspx
Cohen, S. (1994). The Perceived Stress Scale [Measurement instrument]. Retrieved from
http://podcast.uctv.tv/webdocuments/COHEN-PERCEIVED-STRESS-Scale.pdf
Exercise and Depression: Endorphins, Reducing Stress, and More. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved on
April, 4, 2016, from
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression
Hofmann, S.G., Sawyer, A.T., Witt, A.W. & D, Oh. (2010). The Effect of Mindfulness-Based
Therapy on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review. J Consult Clin Psychol, 78(2),
169183.
Holmes, T.H. & Rahe, R.H. (1967). The Social Readjustment Rating Scale. J Psychosom Res,
11 (2), 213 - 218.
Kimmel, C. (2009). I Think Its Stress. Presented at the Fifth Annual Explorations in Integrative
Medicine Symposium of the Lourdes Health System.
Kolb, D.A. (1983). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and
Development. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Wong, P. & Wong, L. (Eds.). (2006). Handbook of Multicultural Perspectives on Stress and
Coping. Springer Science+Media, Inc.
Pfeiffer, J.W. (1994). Pfeiffer & Company Library Inventories, Questionnaires, and Surveys:
Training Technologies. San Diego, California: Pfeiffer & Company.
Raposa, E.B., Laws, H.B., & Ansell, E.B. (2015). Prosocial Behavior Mitigates the Negative
Effects of Stress in Everyday Life. Clinical Psychological Science, 18.
Santos, E. (2014). Coloring Isnt Just For Kids. It Can Actually Help Adults Combat Stress.
Huffington Post. Retrieved April, 9, 2016, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/coloring-for-stress_n_5975832.html