In the last few years a great deal has been written on the topic of stress. Self-help books can be found in every bookseller and articles on coping with stress are perennial magazine features. The academic literature on the topic is similarly vast and presents a complex and often contradictory body of evidence. This book stems from ten years of research and lecturing in this topic during which time we came to realise that, despite all that has been written about stress, there are few accessible published books for the student, researcher or intelligent layperson. Hence this book aims to meet the need for a concise but critical account that attempts to bridge the gap between the popular press and research journals. Given the depth and breadth of research on the topic of stress, it is not possible to provide anything approaching a comprehensive review of all the relevant literature. An attempt to do this would produce several volumes. Instead, we introduce issues that we see as key to gaining a grasp of this area. This includes introducing theoretical approaches, methodologies and selected examples of research findings. We also aim to help readers adopt a critical approach to the literature so that they are able to distinguish unsubstantiated and often sensational claims about stress from the often more complex but nonetheless interesting findings that have emerged from this area of study. In other words, our aim is to enable the reader to distinguish myths about stress from statements that can be supported by research. For more serious students, we aim to provide a starting point to help them to find their own way through the mass of academic research. The book will provide references to specialised texts and research articles providing a source book for further study. As stress researchers ourselves we have a particular interest in the methodological problems that beset this area. We have therefore included discussions of measurement issues and information on specific measures which may be of use to those wishing to undertake their own research either in academic or applied settings, e.g. conducting organisational stress audits. A number of people have helped considerably in the process of writing this book. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the excellent work done by those who wrote whole or part chapters. We would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by Linda Miller in reading and commenting on drafts; Nicky Payne who helped with literature research in the early stages and Avis Cowley for her work on the reference list. Also, many thanks to John R. Bright (Jim's father), for playing host to him on his stay in the UK whilst we completed the book. Fiona Jones and James Bright May 5th 2000 Excerpted from Stress: Myth, Research and Theory by Fiona Jones, Jim Bright, Angela Clow All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
