How income effects stress

The present study involves how someone’s stress is affected by their income. Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. Income is the money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or through investments. We hypothesized that the two constructs are related, and specifically that income affects individuals’ daily stress levels. In this study, we examined this relation between stress and income using Westfield State University students. Participants were asked to respond to a survey evaluating their daily stress levels, and then they were shown videos or pictures of luxury items that they would not be able to afford. Participants were then asked to answer the stress questionnaire again, and we predicted that students would be more stressed after viewing these luxury items. The goal of this study is to determine how much stress is caused from having low income. If income is low, then stress levels will be high after viewing the pictures.