Models of Stress Theory and how they apply to First Responder Research Paper

Models of Stress Theory and how they apply to First Responder - Research Paper Example The present paper discusses the similarities and differences between the demand control support and effort-reward imbalance models of stress together with application of these models to first responders. Key words in this paper will include demand, control, effort, reward, and first responders. The two models have a correlation so that the direction of change caused by either increase or decrease of demands, control, and support corresponds to the direction of change caused by either the increase or decrease of efforts and rewards. Therefore, whereas high demands, involving situations that allow high control facilitated by high social support leads to diminished stressful experience, high efforts that are compensated by high rewards lead to diminished susceptibility to stressful experience. Demand control support model has control as a measure of countering the demands of a task and effort reward imbalance claims that control is an intrinsic personal motivation. Both models argue that an imbalance in their proposed concepts leads to exhaustion and emotional distress (Veldhoven et. al., 2005). Demand control support model is an interactional model while Effort Reward Imbalance Model is a transactional model. As an interactional model, demand control support model emphasizes the structural traits of an individual’s interactions with his or her environment. On the other hand, transactional models of stress focus on the factors underlying an individual’s response to a stressful situation. These underlying factors include locus of control, personality, appraisal, and coping. The Demand Control Support Model does not factor in the role of individual differences but effort reward imbalance emphasizes the importance of individual differences (Chmiel, 2009). This model emphasizes demands and control as the two psychosocial job characteristics that are important. Borrowing from this model, the job control of first responders has to do with the decision