WSU Undergraduate Research Grant Application Form

Revised March 2004

 

 

 Physiological Effects of Laughter and Perceived Levels of Stress

 

 

       Undergraduate Research Funds

 

                                                                Wilson, Lindsay

 

Psychology, Department of Psychology, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

                          

                                           Junior                               80 complete 15 pending                                            

                                                                  Fowler, Lauren

 

          Psychology Department, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1202 

This project ____ DOES ____ DOES NOT require review by the WSU Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects or the WSU Animal Care and Use Committee.

 

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Student Signature                                                                      Date

 

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E-mail

 

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Project Mentor Signature                                                           Date

 

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Campus Mail Code                    Phone Extension                        E-mail

 

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Department Chair Signature                                                       Date

 

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WSU Undergraduate Research Grant Application Form – Budget Worksheet

Revised March 2004

 

BUDGET ITEM

Department or

College Funds

Outside Agency Funds

Personal Funds

Undergraduate Research Funds

TOTAL

Materials * (list)

 

 

Perceived Stress Scale, date analysis equipment

 

 

 

 

Equipment * (list)

 

 

Television, VCR,

Videos

 

 

5 Omron HEM 637

at 95.95  

 

  $ 479.75

Travel to gather data (explain)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel to present results (explain)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stipend (list total hours @ $10/hr, include 8.5% benefits, indicate dates of two payments:  mid-project and when final report is submitted)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

$ 479.75

 

*  NOTE – Equipment and left-over materials purchased with this grant will remain the property of WSU

 

Project Abstract

            Stress levels can be reduced through laughter.  Stress affects the body in physiological and psychological ways.  This study will assess the impact that laughter has on physiological stress by measuring heart rate and blood pressure, and the impact that laughter has on psychological stress through a stress scale.

Project Description

            Chronic stress will result in excessive wear and tear on the body because the physiological reaction to stress affects many of the major systems including: the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system.  The fight or flight response is the body’s natural reaction to perceived or real threats and stress. During this response, your body will experience increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased oxygenation, increased perspiration and a variety of other symptoms (Seaward, 2002). 

            Psychological stress is the amount of stress that the person thinks that they must cope with and the severity of this perceived stress.  Using a subjective measure of stress levels will allow for a more accurate assessment or measurement of the amount of stress a person actually must cope with psychologically than only using objective measures (Cohen, 1983). 

            Laughter initiates the fight or flight response in the body; however it is thought that after this first response, the body is left with lowered levels of heart rate and blood pressure and increased relaxation (Seaward, 2002).  Laughter also seems to provide a psychological sense of less stress and greater well being.  Based on previous research in this area, it is the goal of this study to assess the effects of laughter on physiological and psychological stress.

I, as the student, will do the preparation work, such as the background research, obtain equipment, design the study and receive approval to conduct the study.  After all the preparation, I will conduct the experiment, analyze the results and make proposals for the next stage of the experiment.  The mentor will oversee all the preparation, provide insight, facilitate the conduction of the experiment and assist in the technicalities of the project. 

            I have had a great amount of training to be able to carry out this project.  Two classes, Methods in Health Education and Program Planning will be able to help me plan and evaluate the experiment accurately.  Stress management and Biological Psychology will provide me with a base idea of the stress response of the body.  Statistics in Psychology is vital to creating a data analysis.  The best experience that I have received for conducting this research is my current enrollment in Directed Readings and subsequent enrollment in Projects and Research; this research project is the sole focus of both of these classes.

            It is very active learning and great experience when you are given the opportunity to study what you are most interested in.  For me, laughter is what I am interested in because of the stress reducing effects that I see happening in everyday life.  With this opportunity I will be able to carry out every level of research, starting with my original idea, designing and implementing the study and finally seeing the results and outcomes.  Since I am starting my research sooner in my academic career, I am provided with a few more opportunities.  For example, I plan on conducting more that one experiment and each time I will be able to study another aspect of laughter and human response to it.

            The product of this project will be a number of different outcomes.  First, a research paper will be written explaining the study.  If the experiment and results are applicable, we will attempt to be published in a professional or student journal.  In addition, the project will be presented in a poster session at Weber State.  I will plan to present this data at least one regional conference and continue to conduct research to present at a national or international conference.  As far as applicability to this field of study in psychology, any results that we find will be important because laughter and stress is such a controversial issue in the discipline.

Project Methods and Timeline

            The sample of participants will be undergraduate students at Weber State. Age, sex, ethnicity and major will vary.  Each subject will be given a psychological/cognitive measure to assess their level of perceived stress.  The test that will be used is the Perceived Stress Scale developed by Sheldon Cohen.  It is designed to measure the degree to which the situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful, and the scale demonstrates to be reliable and valid (Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein, 1983). 

            In congruency with the psychological aspects, the (resting) heart rate and blood pressure of each subject will be recorded.  The monitors that will be used to measure the heart rate and blood pressure of each subject will be Omron brand products, the HEM 637 models.  The reliability and validity have been demonstrated for these products based on AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) standards (Demski, 2000).

            The experimental group will then be shown a humorous video while the control group will receive a documentary film that elicits neutral emotions, for approximately twenty minute each.  Immediately following the video, heart rate and blood pressure will be recorded again for each group (the experimental group is expected to show a significant increase).  The second part of the Perceived Stress Scale will also be administered then to both groups.

            Twenty minutes later, after the stress relieving effects of laughter are thought to occur, the heart rate and blood pressure are taken again (the experimental group should show decrease) and recorded from both the experimental and control groups.  In analysis of the data a 3x3 factorial MANOVA will be used.  The variables constitute heart rate, blood pressure and psychological stress levels, and the three different times the measurements will be taken.

            This project is going to start in the summer (June target) and proceed through October.  The extended time of the project will allow for revisions and an abundant amount of time to prepare for spring presentations.  Starting the research this summer, we will be reviewed and approved by the WSU Institutional Review Board for human subjects at the end of this semester. 

 Project Budget  

            The request for funding will be used to purchase five Omron HEM 637 Blood Pressure Monitors in order to study the physiological effects of laughter.  All other materials will be supplied by the Psychology department and mentor.    

References

Cohen, Sheldon, & Kamarck, Tom & Mermelstein, Robin.  (1983).  A Global Measure of  Perceived Stress.  Journal of Health and Social Behavior,  385. 

Seaward, Brain Luke. (2002). Managing Stress. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett.

Demski, Karen M., & Takahashi, Hakuo.  (2000).  A Clinical Evaluation Report of Omron Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor, Hem 637.