Dr.Hab., Professor V.G. Shilko¹
PhD, Associate Professor E.S. Potovskaya¹
Dr.Med. T.A. Shilko¹
O.N. Krupitskaya^1
1National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk

Keywords: stress tolerance, gender-specific variations, academic volleyball, adaptation.

Introduction. Stress is a complex phenomenon that affects everyone regardless of age, sex or socio-demographic characteristics. The causes of stress can be different, but all of them have a multi-directional impact on such components of our individuality as memory, thinking, speech, behavioural, psychoemotional and motor areas [3]. However, despite the fact that stress is often treated as something negative, it is one of the main tools for training and strengthening a person, increasing the body’s resistance to damaging factors. Hans Selye notes in his works that activities associated with stress can be pleasant or unpleasant, but complete freedom from stress means death [2].

Objective of the research was to assess gender-specific stress tolerance variations in academic volleyball.  

Research methods and structure. Subject to sociological survey were 1^st to 3^rd year students (n=120, men and women aged 17-20 years) of 21 departments of National Research Tomsk State University playing volleyball.

In the questionnaire designed by the authors, the respondents were requested to rate on a 5-point scale 38 stress factors causing stress of various degree during the first three years of studies at the university. The data obtained for each factor were summed up, then the arithmetic mean of each indicator was determined. After that a comparative analysis of the sociological testing results by year of study was performed.    

Results and discussion. At present, it has been proved that a female body reacts to stress differently than that of a male. Experts are uncertain about the subject, but research indicates significant differences in perception of stress and adaptation to it by men and women. The female body pumps out more hormones into the bloodstream when a stressful situation occurs, and does it for a longer time, since women are more prone to stress than men both physiologically and psychologically. Exposure to stress hormones for a long time has a negative impact on the state of the physiological functions of the body, especially on the brain cells responsible for memory [1].

Results of sociological studies on the impact stress has on athletes made it possible to define the differences in stress levels by a number of indicators of socio-psychological adaptation between male and female representatives. In most of these indicators males are superior to female athletes. However, women practicing martial arts did not show any significant differences in the aggressiveness of behaviour compared to men, although there is evidence that an increased level of testosterone and enhanced masculinity are observed in the weaker sex engaged in various kinds of wrestling [1].

Some authors suggest that the differences in the response levels of male and female bodies to stress are largely attributable to the orientation of the entire system of upbringing and education to respect certain rules and norms adopted in society rather than to individual and biological characteristics [1–3].

The comparative analysis of stress of the National Research Tomsk State University students playing volleyball showed that the stress levels of men and women affected by identical confounding factors differ significantly in most of the tested indicators.    

Research results confirm the high level of stress caused by intense mental activity, large information flow, increased academic workload and responsible attitude to studying [4]. However, stress levels for the four listed stressors had significant differences in men and women, not only gender-wise, but also by year of studying. The testing showed a stable tendency to reduce the stress level from the 1^st to the 3^rd academic year in men. For example, while the mean arithmetic stress index in men in terms of the listed stressors was 3.7 points during the 1^st year, its level decreased to 2.4 points by the 3^rd year.

The obtained data confirm the positive trend of the male students’ adaptation to the academic stress during the first three years of studying. In women, the dynamics of stress during the first three years at the university turned out to be the opposite and had a much greater range of values by academic years than for men. The highest stress level in female students was observed during the 3^rd year (4.3 points), the lowest – during the 1^st year (2.5 points).

Thus, the research data convincingly prove the multi-directional tendency of the academic stressors dynamics in 1^st-3^rd year men and women and suggest that men’s mental and physiological characteristics make them more adaptable to the academic environment than women who are more prone to the academic stressors.

A higher stress load was noted in women during examinations too. The tendency of it increasing throughout the first three academic years (from 3.2 to 4.2 points) could be traced quite clearly. In men, however, the stress induced by exams was less pronounced and had lower values – 2.6 and 2.4 points during the 1^st and the 3^rd academic years, respectively. 

It is known that the stress during examinations is associated with the emergence of a number of accompanying factors, such as increased static load, restriction of motor activity, disturbance of sleep and diet pattern, lack of leisure time, etc., which taken together amplify the negative psychotraumatic impact on a student during the examination period. The stress indicators of the accompanying stress factors mentioned above also differed considerably in men and women. Comparative analysis of their levels in third-year students showed that they contribute significantly to an increase in the stress load during examinations as far as the women are concerned (from 2 to 2.4 points); in men they are almost insignificant (0.3-0.8 points). The only exceptions are sleep disturbance indicators; their values in men and women were quite high and did not differ (about 3.0 points).  

Men were also more stress resistant to factors related to relocating to another city, living far from parents and household issues, which concern them to a lesser extent (0.4 points) than women (2.1 points). This shows that men are more independent, self-confident and can manage their finances much more efficiently than women.

Women are more concerned with issues related to the likelihood of wars and terrorist attacks compared to men (1.7 and 1.0 points, respectively). At the same time, almost no negative reactions were shown by the weaker sex representatives to the increase in the number of refugees and people of other nationalities, whose permanent presence in the university environment did not provoke any nationalistic or chauvinistic manifestations (0.1 – 0.5 points). 

Pronouncement of the signs of stress associated with double shift schooling mode at National Research Tomsk State University, the gaps available in the timetable, relationship issues with teachers, interpersonal relations within the class, etc., was within the average range (0.8-1.2) and did not depend on the gender-specific differences and the type of sports activities of the respondents. 

The problems offered to the students for subjective assessment (studying on a fee-paying basis, disappointment with the chosen profession, foreign currencies exchange rates, oil prices, etc.) were classified by the respondents as moderate and did not differ significantly in men and women (from 0.5 to 1.0 points).  

Conclusion. A comparative analysis of the obtained data on studying stress tolerance of students playing volleyball to the effects of various stressors showed that their stress levels were more dependent on the gender-specific differences of the respondents and less on the characteristics of a particular type of physical culture and sports activity and the assessment of its impact on the process of the students’ adaptation to the university environment.  

The finding may be explained by the men’s psychophysiological characteristics being more flexible and adaptable to the academic environments than those of women who are more exposed to the academic stressors.

References

1. Kraev Y.V., Myakonkov V.B. Proyavlenie agressii u sportsmenov v raznykh vidakh sporta [Aggression displayamong athletes in different sports]. Mat. 24-y nauch. konf. "Psihologiya i pedagogika – novaya integratsiya" [Proc. 24th scie. conf. "Psychology and Pedagogics - new integration"]. St. Petersburg, 1998, pp. 33–35.
2. Selye H. Stress bez distressa [Stress without distress]. Moscow: Progress publ., 1979, 124 p.
3. Faustov A.S., Shcherbatykh Y.V. Korrektsiya urovnya ekzamenatsionnogo stressa u studentov kak faktor uluchsheniya ikh zdoroviya [Adjusting students' examination stress level as a factor in their health improvement]. Zdravookhranenie Rossiyskoy Federatsii, 2001, no. 4, pp. 38–39
4. Shil'ko V.G., Shil'ko T.A., Potovskaya E.S. Vliyanie fizkulturno-sportivnykh zanyatiy na pokazateli stressoustoychivosti studentov [Relationship of physical education and sport sessions and stress tolerance indices of students]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2016, no. 10, pp. 91–92.

Corresponding author: vshilko@mail.ru

Abstract

The article presents findings of a sociological survey of the gender-specific variations of stress tolerance in academic volleyball. Both male and female respondents were requested to rate on a 5-point scale stress levels of different problems they have faced for three academic years. The survey data and analysis made it possible to rate the gender-specific variations of stress tolerance versus the physical education and sport activity for a number of stressors hampering the subjects’ social and psychological adaptation to the academic environment.

The survey data and analysis demonstrated the stress tolerance variations being highly gender-specific with opposite trends on the way from the 1^st to the 3^rd academic year. The finding may be explained by the men’s psychophysiological characteristics being more flexible and adaptable to the academic environments than those of women who are more exposed to the academic stressors.