What is stress? – Stressors with Malin Meyer – Core Concepts #1

What really is stress? In the Stress in Action research program, we distinguish stress into two parts: stressors and stress responses. In the first episode of Core Concepts, PhD Candidate Malin Meyer (University Medical Center Groningen) explains the first component, the stressors. Malin explains: "If somebody says, I'm really stressed, then basically my research is about the question, what is stressing you? So what is the stressor?”.

Malin explains how everyday stressors differ from major life events. She introduces four “puzzle pieces” that shape how we define stressors: their type (event vs. ongoing state or condition), function (demands, constraints, or even opportunities), time (present experiences vs. anticipated or remembered ones), and source (external events vs. internal thoughts, pain, or imagery). She also shows how these definitions directly influence how researchers measure stress—and therefore what they can ultimately discover: “What you measure is what you find."

Interested in stressors and stress theory? Listen to our interviews with experts here:

• Listen to the episode with Susanne Scheibe: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xgkn6XLV23E1rw72cU6kQ?si=3S9Iyi69RiaMRXhtSaOLHA
• Listen to the episode with Bertus Jeronimus: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6rux0T5e7t4kaZ8F02jh2k?si=lN5foCR_Qi-WjaiPEF80Cw

• Learn more about Stress in Action: https://stress-in-action.nl/

Credits:

Host: Marcos Ross

Production: Anouk Weverling

Supported by: Merel van den Berg, Kiera Drake, Camen van Klaren, Marcos Ross and Myrte Schoenmakers

Music: Marcos Ross