The Measurement of the Human Stress Response

Abstract

When an unexplained phenomenon, such as a stress-related disease, is first observed, it is common to search for possible etiologic factors. This search often culminates in a phenomenological theory; in this case, perhaps a theory of stress arousal and subsequent pathogenesis. On the basis of the formulated theory, for example, of stress arousal, it is then a useful next step to design an experiment in order to test the theory and any proposed relationships critical to the theory. Inherent in the design of the experiment is the designation of key variables and some means of measuring, recording, or otherwise quantifying those relevant variables. Relevant to the present discussion, this would typically involve a means of measuring the stress response and perhaps its pathological effects.

In the final analysis, the empirical foundation of epistemology is measurement.