Marianne Frankenhauser's effort-distress model has been tested
in a number of studies (26, 27). Lundberg and Frankenhauser (1980)
reported on a laboratory study in which healthy adults performed
two tasks. The first involved a one-hour monotonous vigilance
task which induced effort and distress, and the second was a more
enjoyable self-paced reaction time task, which required effort
but did not induce distress. During the monotonous vigilance task,
urinary excretion of both adrenalin and cortisol increased, while
during the self-paced task adrenalin increased, but cortisol levels
were less than baseline (27).
In a field study, machine-paced assembly line sawmill workers
had higher catecholamine levels than self-paced workers (Frankenhauser
and Gardell, 1976). In addition, the assembly line workers reported
more rush and irritation during work, more psychosomatic disturbances,
such as sleep disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and general
nervous symptoms than did workers with less restricted jobs, for
example, maintenance and repair men (27).
A field study of computer (VDT) workers, routine high-speed data
entry workers had slightly higher catecholamine levels at work
than a control group of typists and secretaries with fairly flexible
and variable tasks including social interaction (27). The difference
between groups increased in the evening at home (between 16:00
and 21:30 hours), with only the control group's levels returning
to baseline. This difficulty in "unwinding" was also
seen among the machine-paced sawmill workers.
Another study in which "slow unwinding" was observed
was a study of female office workers engaged in an extended period
of overtime work. Adrenalin excretion was significantly elevated
throughout the overtime period, both during the day and in the
evening, compared to values before the overtime period. Elevated
evening levels were accompanied by markedly elevated heart rate
as well as feelings of irritability and fatigue (27). In another
study, such slower unwinding was also observed in a sample of
15 female managers, relative to female clerical workers, or male
managers (Frankenhauser et al., 1989).
References
Frankenhauser M, Gardell B. Underload and overload in working
life: Outline of a multidisciplinary approach. Journal of Human
Stress 1976;2:35-46.
Frankenhauser M, Lundberg U, Fredrikson M, Melin B, Tuomisto M,
Myrsten A-L, Hedman M, Bergman-Losman B, Wallin L. Stress on and
off the job as related to sex and occupational status in white-
collar workers. Journal of Organizational Behavior 1989;10:321-346.
Lundberg U, Frankenhauser M. Pituitary-adrenal and sympathetic-
adrenal correlates of distress and effort. Journal of Psychosomatic
Research 1980;24:125-130.