Zara is a software developer experiencing severe chronic fatigue and persistent irritability. She visits an occupational health psychologist, who uses a standardized bio-environmental stress index to quantify the physiological and lifestyle contributors to her fatigue over the past six months.
The table below shows a portion of Zara's assessment profile, with impact weightings assigned to each factor:
| Stressor / Factor | Impact Score | Frequency / Occurrences | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genetic predisposition to circadian rhythm disruption | 65 | 1 | 65 |
| Elevated cortisol levels (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis overactivity) | 55 | 1 | 55 |
| Living next to a light-polluted urban transit construction site | 45 | 1 | 45 |
| High-intensity caffeine consumption late in the evening | 30 | 3 (average per week) | 90 |
| Interpersonal friction with a new department supervisor | 40 | 2 | 80 |
| Total Impact Score | 335 |
State one aspect of Zara's situation that could be described as nature and one aspect that could be described as nurture.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Issues and debates with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 147 questions covering Issues and debates, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
