Action-control beliefs and behaviors as predictors of change in adjustment across the transition to middle school

Abstract

We examined longitudinal changes in young adolescents’ (N=368) action-control beliefs, coping behaviors, and adjustment (i.e., positive and negative affect, depression, aggression) across the transition from elementary school to middle school. Results indicated greater inter-individual instability in adjustment during this transition than during the previous school year. Using ordinary least-squares (OLS) growth models to extract intra-individual change scores for each variable (i.e., slopes and intercepts), we conducted a series of stepwise regressions to determine which features of control beliefs and coping behaviors best predicted changes in adjustment across the transition to middle school. We found that negative coping behaviors (i.e., antisocial coping) consistently predicted negative changes in the adjustment variables (e.g., greater depression, more aggression), whereas positive beliefs and behaviors did not consistently predict changes in the adjustment variables.     

Daily diaries and minority adolescents: random coefficient regression modeling of attributional style, coping, and affect

Many researchers underscore the importance of coping in the daily lives of adolescents, yet very few studies measure this and related constructs at this level. Using a daily diary approach to stress and coping, the current study evaluated a series of mediational coping models in a sample of low-income minority adolescents (N = 89). Specifically, coping was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between attributional style (and dimensions) and daily affect. Using random coefficient regression modeling, the relationship between (a) the locus of causality dimension and positive affect was completely mediated by the use of acceptance and humor as coping strategies; (b) the stability dimension and positive affect was completely mediated by the use of both problem-solving and positive thinking; and (c) the stability dimension and negative affect was partially mediated by the use of religious coping. In addition, the locus of causality and stability (but not globality) dimensions were also directly related to affect. However, the relationship between pessimistic explanatory style and affect was not mediated by coping. Consistent with previous research, these findings suggest that attributions are both directly and indirectly related to indices of affect or adjustment. Thus, attributions may not only influence the type of coping strategy employed, but may also serve as coping strategies themselves.     

Coping with Exposure to Violence: Relations to Emotional Symptoms and Aggression in Three Urban Samples

Relations among exposure to violence, coping, and adjustment were examined in three urban samples. In study 1, which took place in a southeastern city, children ages 6–16 (N = 35; M age = 10.7 years) completed measures of adjustment, exposure to violence, and coping with violence. In study 2, which took place in one southern Midwestern city and one Northeastern city, children ages 8–15 (N = 70; M age = 11.3 years) completed similar measures with the addition of a measure assessing normative beliefs about aggression. Results are in line with the pathologic adaptation model and provide preliminary evidence for two hypothesized pathways explaining the effects of exposure to violence on adjustment: a normalization pathway in which exposure leads to more aggression-supporting beliefs and in turn to greater aggression, and a distress pathway in which exposure leads to avoidant coping and in turn to emotional symptoms.     

The Mediational Role of Perceived Competence in Psychological Adjustment to Rheumatoid Arthritis1

Chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been linked to poor psychological adjustment, although individual differences in this relationship have been observed. This study examines the role of perceived competence as a mediator between RA and adjustment. Persons with RA (N= 208) were surveyed three times at 6-month intervals concerning several potential antecedents of adjustment (pain, psychosocial impairment, social support, and control beliefs), self-perceived level of competence, and level of adjustment (life satisfaction and depressive symptomatology). Within each observational period strong evidence was obtained for perceived competence as a mediator of adjustment. Longitudinally (across the year) the data were consistent with a mediational model, but strong evidence establishing mediation was not obtained. Implications of these findings, and the importance of examining the role of perceived competence in adaptation to chronic illness, are discussed.     

The Role of Attachment in Predicting Spiritual Coping with a Loved One in Surgery

Research has examined the relationship between spiritual coping and adjustment and found that individuals employ spirituality in coping in various ways. However, the reasons that individuals choose certain strategies remains unclear. The current project examined whether spiritual coping mediates the relationship between attachment to God and adjustment for individuals (N = 155) waiting for a loved one undergoing inpatient surgery. Results from the present study indicated that attachment to God was differentially related to spiritual coping activities and styles. In turn, spiritual coping was associated with the adjustment to the surgery vigil. Data were analyzed through path analysis of models for each of the outcome variables (Religious Outcome, General Outcome, Stress-Related Growth, and General Health Questionnaire). Attachment to God was predictive of spiritual coping, which, in turn, was predictive of adjustment. Attachment to God provides a useful framework for understanding why individuals choose particular coping strategies.     

Children's self-reported coping strategies: The role of defensiveness and repressive adaptation

Abstract

This study examined differences in self-reported coping strategies across children classified according to Weinberger et al.'s (1979) adaptive style paradigm. Consistent with the larger literature, it was hypothesized that repressors (i.e. characterized by high self-reported defensiveness and low self-reported distress) would endorse fewer behaviorally and cognitively avoidant coping strategies than other adaptive style groups. Participants included 134 children, ranging in age from 10 to 13 (M=11.26, sd=.59), who completed measures of defensiveness, trait anxiety, and coping. Consistent with the hypotheses, results indicated significantly lower endorsement of avoidant coping strategies, and significantly higher endorsement of approach-oriented strategies among repressors, but no significant differences across adaptive style groups for other forms of coping. Results indicate that, consistent with other indicators of psychological functioning, the measurement of coping strategies is subject to the effects of socially desirable responding. Further, results provide evidence that measures of coping may be contaminated by items reflecting adjustment problems.     

The distribution of repressive coping styles among non-metastatic and metastatic breast cancer patients as compared to non-cancer patients

Abstract

Recent investigations have shown increased disease progression among breast cancer patients with a “repressive” coping style characterized as: passive, conforming, inclined to deny physical symptoms and emotionally unexpressive. The Millon Behavioral Health Inventory (MBHI) scales which delineate three discrete repressive coping styles include the: Introversive, Cooperative and Respectful. Forty-four women recently diagnosed (within four weeks) with non-metastatic (N=32) or metastatic (N=12) breast carcinoma, responded to the MBHI upon admission for treatment of their disease at a cancer treatment unit. All subjects received mastectomy as well as chemotherapy, radiation and/or endocrine therapy. These 44 Cancer patients were compared to 34 control subjects, comprising women who were seen at a colposcopy clinic for follow-up of a suspicious pap smear which was ultimately shown to be benign or consisted of mild dysplasia. Non-metastatic, metastatic and control subjects were compared with respect to coping style and psychological distress. The breast cancer patients were more likely to employ a repressive coping style as compared to non-cancer patients who utilized a “sensitizing” coping strategy predominantly. Cancer patients with the most severe prognosis (metastasis) were the only group within the study to attain a clinically significant mean base rate score on the respectful scale. Results suggest that the incidence of repressive coping styles may be disproportionately high among breast cancer patients.     

Cross-sectional and Longitudinal associations in coping strategies and physical health outcomes among HIV-Positive youth

This study assessed whether coping styles had an influence on physical health outcomes either concurrently or longitudinally in a sample of HIV-positive youth. Coping styles were characterized as positive, passive, depressive withdrawal, and escapist. A cross-sectional latent variable analysis (N = 279) assessed associations among environmental stress, self-esteem, social support, coping styles, AIDS symptoms, and CD4 count. A more restricted longitudinal analysis (N = 174) tested associations among earlier environmental stress, self-esteem, coping styles, and AIDS symptoms at follow-up. CD4 count was not associated with coping styles in the cross-sectional analysis. Concurrent AIDS symptoms were significantly predicted by depressive withdrawal and environmental stress. A passive coping style modestly predicted more AIDS symptoms longitudinally. Correlates of perceived health and well-being of persons with HIV/AIDS are important to investigate in addition to more objective measures such as CD4 count that may not be amenable to change through coping style interventions alone.     

Drinking Motives as Mediators of Social Anxiety and Hazardous Drinking Among College Students

Although social anxiety (SA) and alcohol use disorders commonly co-occur, the relationship between these variables in college populations has been inconsistent. The present study tested the hypothesized model that negatively reinforcing, but not positively reinforcing, drinking motives (or reasons for drinking) would mediate the association between SA and three aspects of hazardous drinking (quantity/frequency, consequences, and dependence symptoms) in an ethnically diverse sample of college drinkers (N = 817; mean age = 19.9 years, range = 18–29). Structural equation modeling (SEM) results using the asymmetrical distribution of products test indicated that coping motives partially mediated the relationship between SA and negative consequences and dependence symptoms but not the quantity/frequency outcome. Contrary to the hypothesized model, conformity motives did not mediate the association between SA and hazardous drinking. As expected, positive reinforcement motives did not mediate the SA–hazardous drinking association. Multigroup SEM analyses revealed that the mediation models did not differ for men (n = 215) and women (n = 602). Overall, the present findings support extant research and theoretical models regarding the mediating role of coping motives in the relationship between SA and problem drinking, suggesting a potential pathway for the development and maintenance of SA and alcohol use disorder comorbidity. Such findings could contribute to improved intervention programs by targeting coping drinking motives and building coping skills.     

Optimism and social support: The providers’ perspective

It has been presumed that the beneficial health effects of optimism are mediated by social support provided by the social environment. To further analyze this assumption, in two experiments (N?=?240 and N?=?120) social responses toward optimists, pessimists, and realists were examined. Participants listened to tape-recorded conversations in which optimistic, pessimistic and realistic targets reported how they were dealing with a stressful situation before completing a questionnaire assessing (a) their evaluation of the target's behavior and personality, (b) their attraction to the target, and (c) their willingness to provide the target with social support. Optimistic and realistic targets were viewed more favorably than pessimistic targets, while the behavior of realists was regarded as being more adequate than that of optimists. However, the more positive evaluation of optimists and realists compared to pessimists was not accompanied by a greater willingness to provide them with social support.     

Coping mediates between social support,neuroticism, and depression after earthquake and examination stress among adolescents

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationships between neuroticism, social support, and depression in two groups of adolescents: earthquake group and examination group. Adolescents facing earthquake stress (earthquake group, N=219) completed measures of neuroticism, perceived social support, coping strategies, and self-rating depression. Similarly, adolescents facing examination stress (examination group, N=241) completed the same measures. Results indicated that the earthquake group reported more use of secondary control engagement coping, whereas the examination group reported more use of primary control engagement coping. In addition, neuroticism was more strongly associated with coping in earthquake group and coping strategies explained significantly larger part of the relationship between neuroticism and depression. In contrary, perceived social support was more strongly associated with coping in examination group, and coping strategies explained significantly larger part of the relationship between perceived social support and depression.     

The regulation of subjective well-being in cancer patients: An analysis of coping effectiveness

Abstract

The hypothesis that individual coping efforts affect subjective well-being in the face of severe chronic disease is examined with questionnaire data from N=332 cancer patients in a one-year longitudinal study. After depicting conceptual and methodological requirements for the analysis of coping effectiveness, the following five coping modes were investigated in the sample: Rumination, search for affiliation, threat minimization, search for information and search for meaning in religion. Results from a series of hierarchical regression analyses yielded findings that questioned the underlying assumption of a general uniform causal direction within coping-adjustment relationships. Threat minimization proved to be the only coping mode that obviously was “effective” in well-being regulation, that is, was revealed to be predictive of well-being changes over time and to be unaffected by prior levels of well-being. It is argued that the problem of causal directionality has to be carefully examined in future studies on coping effectiveness since interindividual differences in coping behaviors might be a consequence rather than the cause of differences in adjustment status.     

Spiritual pathology and religious coping as predictors of forgiveness

Spiritual pathology, religious coping, and dispositional forgiveness were investigated in two studies with graduate students at a Christian university-based seminary. Spiritual pathology was operationalised using measures of spiritual instability and spiritual grandiosity. Study 1 (N?=?194) examined patterns of correlation between positive and negative religious coping items, spiritual pathology, and dispositional forgiveness. Spiritual instability correlated with numerous positive and negative religious coping items while spiritual grandiosity did not. Dispositional forgiveness correlated with more positive than negative religious coping items. Study 2 (N?=?214) tested regression models with these variables. Spiritual grandiosity showed a significant quadratic (concave down) effect in predicting dispositional forgiveness while the linear effect was not significant. A hierarchical regression model showed positive religious coping, spiritual instability, and the quadratic effect for spiritual grandiosity each predicted unique variance in dispositional forgiveness after controlling for spiritual impression management. Negative religious coping was not related to dispositional forgiveness when included with these variables.     

College Adjustment and Subjective Well‐Being When Coping With a Family Member's Illness

Individuals coping with the chronic or terminal illness of a family member are presented with a unique challenge that may influence their adjustment and overall well‐being. This study investigated variables that relate to college adjustment and subjective well‐being, including attachment, social support, coping, and illness‐related constructs, in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 171) faced with this family crisis. The findings and counseling implications for this group are discussed.     

Coping,psychological adjustment,and complementary and alternative medicine use in persons living with hiv and aids

Abstract

Many HIV-positive individuals dissatisfied with allopathic approaches to disease management have turned to complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). Although people use CAM for a variety of reasons (e.g., symptom management, holistic approach towards healthcare, improved immunity), the psychological benefits that these treatments may have are still not fully understood. The present study was designed to further previous research that demonstrated relationships between CAM use, stress appraisals, and coping behaviors. HIV-positive individuals (N= 127) completed measures assessing stress appraisals, coping, psychological adjustment, satisfaction with life, and immune functioning. After controlling for ethnicity and sexual orientation, stress appraisals and coping behaviors were found to be related to CAM use. Further, curvilinear relationships between CAM use and adjustment emerged, suggesting that some CAM use may be adaptive. Self-reported immune measures were unrelated to CAM use. In all, it appears that CAM use may be a complex form of coping that assists individuals in adjusting to a life-threatening illness. The implications of these findings with respect to adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) are also discussed.     

Social Comparison Among Individuals With Rheumatoid Arthritis1

This study examined the types of social comparisons made by individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the role these comparisons play in illness adjustment. Seventy-five women with RA were interviewed. The interview included measures of social comparison preferences assessed within two different contexts: the establishment of standards for desired performance and the experience of performance difficulties. Perceived ability, satisfaction with ability, and psychological adjustment also were assessed. We found that when respondents were experiencing performance difficulties they compared more frequently with other RA patients than with individuals not affected by RA. However, when establishing standards for desired performance, the latter type of comparison was more common. Further, respondents' comparison preferences were not related to perceptions of ability, but were related to satisfaction with ability. Greater satisfaction was associated with comparison with individuals not affected by RA when establishing standards for desired performance and comparison with other RA patients when experiencing performance difficulties. Satisfaction, in turn, was positively related to psychological adjustment.     

The Effect of Stigma on Criminal Offenders’ Functioning: A Longitudinal Mediational Model

Research has rarely considered criminal offenders’ psychological responses to stigma, but these responses may significantly influence behavior after release from jail/prison. Jail inmates’ perceived and anticipated stigma was assessed prior to release from jail/prison (N = 163), and outcomes were assessed one year post-release (N = 371). We hypothesized that perceived stigma would predict poor adjustment in several domains (i.e., recidivism, substance dependence, mental health symptoms, community adjustment) through anticipated stigma. Results showed that perceived stigma predicted worse community adjustment through anticipated stigma, and this varied by race. Results are explored from an interdisciplinary perspective.     

Stress and coping in Japanese children and adolescents

Abstract

Japanese children and adolescents (n=580) provided self-reports of stressor intensity, coping efforts, and adjustment. A new measure of Japanese adolescent coping was created, and psychometric analyses confirmed a reliable four-factor structure. Mean group difference analyses showed that girls reported higher levels of self-image and peer relations stress, and reported using isolation and problem-solving coping more and externalising coping less than males. Younger adolescents (5th/8th grades) reported higher stress in the domains of school, peer relations, and family relations, whereas older adolescents (10th grade) reported higher self-image problems. Statistical moderation was used to examine how youth negotiated the stress process. Females were found to be more responsive to appearance, family, and peer difficulties. Affiliation coping by females operated as a buffer between appearance anxiety and dissatisfaction with appearance. Externalizing coping was not associated with peer relations satisfaction for males, but it was negatively associated for females.     

The Growth and Significance of Daily Variations in Infant Behavior

The authors asked 55 second-generation Chinese American adolescents (M age = 16.8 years) and 58 European American adolescents (M age = 17.0 years) to complete self-report measures of stress levels, use of coping strategies, psychological outcomes, and grades. Chinese American adolescents reported higher levels of everyday life event stress (e.g., stress from schoolwork), more depression, and higher grade point averages. Problem-focused and avoidance-coping behaviors moderated the effect of stress on negative adjustment for Chinese American youth but not for European American youth. Path analysis showed that avoidance coping behavior partially mediated the stress-to-negative adjustment relationship for Chinese American youth but not for European American youth. Stress was associated with lower grades in Chinese American youth, but the authors found no association for European American youth.