HWE 415 Stress Management
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review Chapters 1, 2, and 3 from the course text, read the article by Keller et al., (2012), Does the Perception That Stress Affects Health Matter? The Association With Health and Mortality, and watch Seriously Stressed. Many of you may be familiar with the classic tale of George Bailey (James Stewart) in It’s a Wonderful Life. George Bailey portrays a young man who encounters many major life events. Although he has ambitions to go to college and travel the world, the death of his father crushes his dreams. He decides to stay in his hometown to manage the family business, Bailey Building and Loan. Over the years, Henry F. Potter, George’s nemesis, tries to take over the family business as it struggles with financial difficulties. As time passes, George Bailey marries and has four children. George’s major stressor presents itself, and the way he perceives and reacts to this stressor, paves the way for the outcome of the movie. While George tries to run away from this stressor, the support of his family and friends help him through it.
HWE 415 Stress Management
To get a brief overview of the movie, watch It’s a Wonderful Life Trailer (2:11). Be sure to watch Frank Capra’s 1946 version of the film. Then search for the following clips that depict some of George’s stressful moments:
It’s A Wonderful Life – Potter’s Offer.mov – YouTube
View for the fight or flight response:
It’s a Wonderful Life Bank RunLinks to an external site. (4:00)
Character Study:
- Identify four of George’s stressors; these can be distressful or eustressful events.
- Support these examples of stress with the course text.
- Assess George’s physiological, social, and emotional reactions to these stressors in the movie.
- Provide two examples of George’s physiological reactions.
- Provide two examples of George’s social reactions.
- Provide two examples of George’s emotional reactions to his stressors.
- Use the course text as a minimum to support your response; the movie should be cited when it is being explained.
HWE 415 Stress Management
Throughout the movie, George encounters many stressors, but there are two major stress events that he must decide whether to “fight or flight.” The fight-or-flight response is a way the body reacts to stress. When faced with a stressor, the body prepares to fight it or run away from it. After watching the video clips above,
- Explain George’s fight-or-flight reaction in the bank run.
- Explain George’s fight-or-flight reaction from the following:
- “You Realize What This Means? It’s Bankruptcy and Scandal and Prison!” – A Wonderful LifeLinks to an external site.
- Your* Worth More Dead Than AliveLinks to an external site.
- “You Look About Like the Kinda Angel I’d Get”Links to an external site.
- Each clip is an example of the same reaction/situation to the stressor.
- Explain why you feel George reacted differently in each situation (also think of his perceptions to each stressor and cultural background)?
- Provide examples from the movie and support your analysis with at least one reference.
- Analyze the relationship between stress and health by identifying three illnesses George may be putting himself at risk for as a result of chronic stress.
- Use the course text and one additional scholarly reference to support your response.
4 double spaced pages
APA style
Two scholarly sources