ANTH 260 Lab

Study 1, Sections 1 & 2

Group members:

Topic: Relationships between perceived level of stress, student status, and the cortisol awakening response.

Focus population: Undergraduate students at Washington State University Vancouver, over the age of 18.

Variables:

Demographic variables

•Age

•Gender

•Traditional/Non-traditional student

Education related variables

•Primary major

•Major’sassociated field of study

•Current credit enrollment

•Employment status

•Weekly non-academic commitments

Additional measures

•Perceived Stress Scale

•Cortisol awakening response (the change in salivary cortisol levels within one hour of waking up).

Hypotheses:

  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, perceived stress (IV) will be positively associated with the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, the number credits enrolled in (IV) will be positively associated with the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, the amount of weekly non-academic commitments (IV) will be positively associated with the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, the amount of weekly non-academic commitments (IV) will be positively associated with the level of perceived stress (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, the amount of weekly non-academic commitments (IV) will be positively associated with cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, there will be significant mean differences between employed and unemployed students (IV), with employed students scoring higher for both perceived stress level (DV) and the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, class standing (IV) will be positively associated with the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among male and female (IV) WSUV undergraduate students, there will be no significant mean differences concerning the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, there will be a significant mean differencebetween traditional and non-traditional students (IV), comparingperceived stress (DV), with non-traditional students scoring lower than traditional students.
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, there will be a significant mean difference in level of perceived stress (DV), when comparing students by their major’s field of study (IV), with students in the sciences reporting higher perceived stress levels than students in the humanities.
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, there will be a significant mean difference in the cortisol awakening response (DV), when comparing students by their major’s field of study (IV), with students in the sciences showing a greater cortisol awakening response than students in the humanities.
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, the total number of credits enrolled in (IV) will be negatively associated with the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, age (IV) will be positively associated with level of perceived stress (DV) and the cortisol awakening response (DV).
  1. Among undergraduate students at WSUV, women (IV) will have a significantly greater mean level of perceived stress (DV), and a greater cortisol awakening response (DV)compared to men.