Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes and Rahe, 1967): WACE Year 12 Psychology Unit 4
“Models of stress: stress as a stimulus, the application of the Social Readjustment Scale (Holmes and Rahe, 1967) to assess the impact of stressors on individual health and wellbeing”
Stress as a stimulus means stress is defined by the stressors in a person's life. Holmes and Rahe's (1967) Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) lists 43 life events, each worth a number of life change units (LCUs) based on how much readjustment it needs, from the death of a spouse (100) down to minor violations of the law (11). Adding up the LCUs for events in the past year gives a score: the higher the score, the greater the predicted risk of stress-related illness.
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What this dot point is asking
The syllabus asks you to apply the SRRS to assess the impact of stressors on health and wellbeing. Expect to calculate a score from a list of events, interpret the risk, explain why the scale represents stress as a stimulus, and evaluate it.
Stress as a stimulus
In this approach, stress is a property of the environment: the more life changes a person faces, the more readjustment they must make, and the greater the strain on the body. It focuses on the stressors themselves, unlike the GAS, which focuses on the body's response, and the transactional model, which focuses on how the person appraises the situation.
How the SRRS works
- Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed the scale from medical records and asked a sample of adults to rate how much readjustment each life event requires, compared with marriage, which was given a fixed value.
- The final scale has 43 life events, each with a value in life change units (LCUs).
- Both negative and positive events are included, because any change requires readjustment.
- A person ticks the events they have experienced in the past 12 months and adds up the LCUs.
| Example life event | LCUs |
|---|---|
| Death of a spouse | 100 |
| Divorce | 73 |
| Marital separation | 65 |
| Personal injury or illness | 53 |
| Marriage | 50 |
| Being fired at work | 47 |
| Retirement | 45 |
| Change in residence | 20 |
| Christmas | 12 |
| Minor violations of the law | 11 |
Interpreting a score
| Total LCUs in the past year | Predicted risk of stress-related illness |
|---|---|
| 300 or more | High |
| 150 to 299 | Moderate |
| Below 150 | Low |
A high score predicts an increased risk of illness in the near future; it does not guarantee illness. The relationship between LCU scores and illness is a correlation.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths.
- Quick and simple to complete, giving a standardised numerical score.
- Recognises that positive events (marriage, a holiday) can be stressful too.
- Research found a relationship between high scores and later illness, supporting the link between life change and health.
Limitations.
- Ignores appraisal: the same event (such as a divorce) may be a relief for one person and devastating for another.
- Ignores coping resources such as social support.
- Only major life events: everyday hassles, which can add up, are not included.
- Outdated and culturally limited: developed with American adults in the 1960s; many items do not suit teenagers or other cultures.
- Correlational and retrospective: it shows a relationship, not cause, and relies on people accurately recalling the past year.
Mr Nguyen's year
In the past 12 months Mr Nguyen got married (50), changed residence (20), was fired from his job (47) and had a personal injury (53). He also celebrated Christmas (12).
Total = 50 + 20 + 47 + 53 + 12 = 182 LCUs, which falls in the moderate risk range (150 to 299).
Evaluation. The score does not show whether Mr Nguyen saw being fired as a disaster or as a welcome chance to change careers, or whether his new spouse gave him strong support, so it may over or underestimate his real risk.
Marker's note: show the addition, name the risk band, then evaluate using the individual's situation.
- Saying the SRRS measures how stressed someone feels
- It measures life events, not feelings.
- Thinking only negative events count
- Positive changes are included because they also require readjustment.
- Claiming a high score causes illness
- It predicts an increased risk based on a correlation.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of SCSA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
Original4 marksExplain what is meant by describing stress as a stimulus, and how the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes and Rahe, 1967) reflects this view.Show worked answer →
Two marks for each part.
Stress as a stimulus. Stress is defined by the events in a person's life (the stressors) rather than by the body's response or the person's thoughts. The more, and the bigger, the demands placed on a person, the more stress they are assumed to experience.
SRRS. The scale lists 43 life events, each given a value in life change units (LCUs) according to how much readjustment it requires. A person ticks the events they have experienced in the past year and the LCUs are added up. Higher totals are taken to mean more stress and a greater risk of stress-related illness, regardless of how the person felt about each event.
Original6 marksEvaluate the use of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale to predict a Year 12 student's risk of stress-related illness.Show worked answer →
Up to six marks for balanced strengths and limitations applied to the student, with a judgement.
- Strengths
- It is quick, simple and gives a numerical score that can be compared and tracked. It recognises that positive changes (such as starting a new school) as well as negative ones require readjustment.
- Limitations
- Many items (such as mortgages, retirement or a spouse's death) do not apply to teenagers, while common student stressors such as exams are missing. It ignores how the student appraises each event and their coping resources. It counts only major life events and not daily hassles. It relies on accurate recall, and it shows a correlation with illness rather than cause.
- Judgement
- Of limited use for a Year 12 student; a scale designed for adolescents, or an approach based on appraisal, would be more valid.
Practise this
Sources & how we know this
- Psychology ATAR course Year 12 syllabus (effective from 1 January 2024) — School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA)
- Psychology ATAR course: syllabus and support materials — SCSA
- Past ATAR course examinations — SCSA