Human Relations Explain the Significance

Human Relations

Explain the significance of the terms yield point, elastic limit, and rupture point as they relate to stress.

While the stress-strain relationship is generally used in technical fields such as mechanical engineering and even medicine, there are significant correlations between this model and what can occur when human beings and human relationships undergo stress and strain (Enoka, 2008; Kardale, 2010; Mechanical Design in Optical Engineering: Stress-Strain Relationships, 2010). In the stress-strain relationship, there are at least three terms that can be used to describe the effects of stress both in technical fields and the human relations arena: elastic limit, yield point, and rupture point.

Materials (and people) have limits to the amount of stress they can tolerate. In technical terms, when a material is put under pressure or "load," it will be flexible enough to adjust and accommodate as long as it's within its "elastic range" (Kardale, 2010). At some point, however, the material will reach its "elastic limit," and enter the "plastic range" (Kardale, 2010). When stress continues into the plastic range, permanent change or "deformity" will occur -- its severity depending on the severity of the strain (Mechanical Design in Optical Engineering: Stress-Strain Relationships, 2010).

The yield point in a stress-strain relationship is the point at which an object (or person) reaches its "upper limit of cohesive structural existence" (Kardale, 2010). In other words, if stress is increased within the plastic range, at some point the permanent changes occurring will become "catastrophic" (Kardale, 2010). This point is known as the yield point.

When a material is strained even beyond the yield point, it will break or crack. This is called the rupture point (Kardale, 2010). Comparisons can be drawn between materials reaching yield points and rupture points, and people or relationships reaching those catastrophic points. For example, people have varying amounts of stress in their daily lives, and individuals differ in the amount of stress they can tolerate before "cracking" (i.e. experiencing a nervous breakdown, breaking off a relationship, or even committing suicide). As with materials, a person will be able to adjust and adapt to increasing stress as long as they are within their elastic range. However, if enough stresses are piled on within a short enough amount of time, all human beings eventually reach a yield point, after which continued subjection to the situation(s) will lead to some permanent emotional scarring. Thereafter, if stress continues to escalate, the person will reach a place where their psyche simply cannot tolerate any more -- this is the cracking point, breaking point, or rupture point. There is no turning back from the rupture point -- permanent and irreparable damage has occurred. In human relationships, a yield point will also be reached when the amount of trauma, pain, betrayal, or general disaccord becomes unbearable. Some permanent damage will occur at this stage, but can be dealt with via therapy or other means. If nothing is done to remedy the situation, however, and it gets even worse, the relationship will eventually rupture and be damaged beyond repair.