Culture and the subjective effects of stress

Abstract

The quality of life is a multidimensional, subjective and variable concept. It can be approached by considering either its positive or negative aspects. In this paper, one of the latter—stress—is discussed. It is argued that stress is a general problem and that environments can be conceptualized as stress-modulating devices, so that preferences for particular environments can be partly interpreted in terms of stress reduction. It is further argued that although stress has received much attention, the importance of its subjective effects and the role of culture and perception in it have been neglected. Rather than dealing with two sets of variables — environmental stimuli and organismic factors — a third set should be considered — cultural variables; a three-element model of stress is, therefore, proposed. The implications of this model are discussed, the principal being that the effects of particular stressors depend on their meaning, although the role of species-specific constancies cannot be ignored. The variable effects of apparently minor and major stressors can then be understood and related to the notion in perturbations in homeostasis. Various ways of coping with stress are then discussed and illustrated, as is their relation to environmental variables. Given the argument about the importance of subjective, cognitive factors and the central role of culture in the subjective effects of stress, the implications for planning and design are discussed.