Academic literature on the topic 'Transactional model of stress'

The purpose of the current research was to integrate multiple theories of stress appraisals and to empirically test two separate transactional cognitive-appraisal models. It was predicted that the core self-evaluation personality characteristics and motivation orientation would moderate the relationship between challenge and hindrance stressors and coping style. Furthermore, it was predicted that coping would buffer the adverse effects of stress on domain performance and satisfaction. A series of multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the predicted moderators. Results suggest that core self-evaluations moderate the relationship between challenge stress and problem-focused coping as predicted in the challenge model but not for the hindrance stress model. Coping style did not significantly buffer the negative effects of stress on performance or satisfaction. Overall, the results provide partial support for the challenge-hindrance framework within the transactional appraisal model of stress.

The purpose of this study was to explore healthy and maladaptive coping strategies among MSW students. The data was collected using self‑reported questionnaires. A total of 47 students participated in this study. Using the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping as a theoretical framework, this study assessed stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale. The Brief COPE instrument measured coping strategies. The study found relationships between stressors and maladaptive coping and perceived stress. The study recommends that future research on coping strategies among MSW students include greater attention to training MSW students how to deal with stress during their MSW educational programs.

The study addressed the problem that, although researchers have clearly identified areas of stress for clergy wives and suggested the use of counseling services, they have not identified effective counseling interventions. Clergy wives referred to non-clergy women married to Protestant clergymen. The study included (a) the development of Clergy Wife Wings (CWW), a 5-session psychoeducational group plan for 6 to 10 clergy wives, to alleviate ministry-related stress and (b) the formative evaluation of the plan in its first implementation. Conclusions drawn suggested that CWW showed good potential as an intervention in helping clergy wives to move towards alleviation of stress but needed revisions and additional implementation and evaluation. Recommendations provided a detailed list of specific revisions. CWW had an outcome goal for participants of decreasing ministry-related stress, particularly in three targeted stress domains: role expectations and time demands, clergy family boundary intrusiveness, and lack of social support. As presented in the literature review, the theoretical foundations in stress came from the multimodal-transactional model of stress and its treatment (Palmer, S. & Dryden, W., 1995) and from REBT. The literature review also contained, after a summary of the history of clergy wives, an overview of the plan, with references supporting the components. The plan included pre and post-group testing with two clergy-wife stress assessment instruments -- adaptations of the Clergy Family Life Inventory (Blanton, P., Morris, L, & Anderson, D., 1990) and of the Normative Stress Scale for Clergy Wives (Huebner, 1998). The formative evaluation of the group plan, in its first implementation, identified themes concerning effectiveness, strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement. These themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of various documents completed by the 9 participants, the group facilitator, and a group observer. Qualitative findings suggested effectiveness of Clergy Wife Wings through themes of participant perceptions and of reported changes in their thinking and behavior related to stress. Quantitative findings, however, from the pre and post-group measures on the clergy-wife stress instruments did not suggest effectiveness, except for a significant decrease in stress related to two of 35 stressor statements. Discussion included possible reasons for the disparity between findings.<br>Ph. D.

Bullying is a pervasive event that affects individuals in a variety of ways. For example, bullied individuals display an array of psychological and related psychosocial problems associated with victimization. There is a push for a transformation in the bullying paradigm to include the psychological and psychosocial symptomologies of both the perpetrator and victim. This study addressed the lack of qualitative research on coping mechanisms for adult victims of bullying. Due to the pervasive nature of the phenomena, the following was explored: (a) descriptions of bullying as expressed by adult victims, (b) adult victims' coping processes and methods, and (c) adult victims' emotional responses to being bullied. A qualitative phenomenological research approach was applied to understand the lived experiences of this population. The theoretical framework was based on Folkman and Lazarus's transactional model of stress and coping. Eight individuals participated in the study and face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant. Based on the results of interviews and thematic analysis, the majority of participants (34%) reported that job-related demands and coercion such as social exclusion, cyberthreats, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, job-related intimidation, and physical harm were the main forms of bullying experienced. The coping process adopted by 62% of the participants was to remain calm during the bullying incident. However, 62% used retaliatory confrontation as their main coping method. Mental stress was the main emotional response to bullying. The findings of this study can inform the adoption of positive social change policy actions that promote resiliency among bullied adults at the community level and within organizational settings.

Thesis advisor: Penny Hauser-Cram<br>This study is a secondary data analysis of data from the Early Intervention Collaborative Study (EICS) (Hauser-Cram, Warfield, Shonkoff, &amp; Krauss, 2001), a longitudinal investigation of families who have children with developmental disabilities (DD) (i.e. Down syndrome, motor impairment, and developmental delay). The study investigated a transactional relation between child problem behavior and parenting stress during the early (ages 3 to 5 years) and middle childhood (ages 5 to 10 years) years. Parental planful problem solving coping and positive reappraisal coping and the helpfulness of social support were examined as moderators of the relation between child problem behavior and parenting stress from the ages 3 to 5 years. Child problem behavior and parents' levels of stress, coping strategies, and ratings of social support were collected during home visits with the families when children were 3, 5, and 10 years. Using hierarchical regression techniques a transactional relation was found between child problem behavior and parenting stress from ages 3 to 5 years for both mother-child and father-child dyads. A transactional relation was again found between these constructs from ages 5 to 10 years for only mother-child dyads. Maternal positive reappraisal coping significantly moderated the relation between child problem behavior and maternal parenting stress. Maternal report of the helpfulness of social support significantly moderated the relation between child behavior and parenting stress at both the early and middle childhood levels. The findings support the design of familial interventions. Interventions that promote adaptive coping strategies may be particularly helpful for families of children with DD who exhibit high levels of problem behavior. Finally, improving the helpfulness of current support systems may positively impact parents' stress who have children with developmental disabilities<br>Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010<br>Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education<br>Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the UK. The Cancer Reform Strategy (2007) highlighted the need for integration of psychological services into routine cancer care. Previous research into psychosocial aspects of adjustment is, however, inconsistent This thesis opens with a background on cancer epidemiology and policy the psychological impact of cancer and, the shortcomings of previous intervention-based research. The Transactional Model is introduced as a potential framework for modelling adjustment. The thesis aimed to test this model for cancer patients in order to provide evidence to better inform the provision of psychological services for cancer patients. A systematic review summarised the literature exploring the extent to which personality, appraisals and emotions were associated with psychosocial outcome. 68 studies were included. A number of small meta-analyses were performed using the Hunter and Schmidt method. Findings demonstrated a lack of consistency, and a number of research questions still unanswered. A methodological critique was provided based on systematic quality assessment. The empirical study had two purposes: prediction of clinical outcome and theory development 160 recently diagnosed colorectal, breast, lung and prostate cancer patients were recruited. Measures of personality, appraisal, emotion, coping and outcome (anxiety, depression and quality of life) were collected at baseline, three- and six-month follow-up. Analyses demonstrated that the data generally fitted the model but adaptations were proposed. Clinically, between 47 and 74% of variance in psychosocial outcome was explained by these predictor variables, with cognitive appraisals most predictive of all Transactional Model components. Statistical theory testing of cognition-emotion processes did not confirm the Transactional Model (Lazarus, 1999). These findings question the prescriptive nature of the theory and further testing is suggested, particularly in response to chronic stressors. Guidelines for methodological improvements are provided. The thesis concludes with proposals for further research, including suggestions for theory- informed interventions.

U.S. working mothers experience frequent daily hassles, yet little is known about how working mothers have disproportionate abilities to handle stress. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which coping self-efficacy mediated the effect that cumulative daily hassles had on working mothers' health outcomes (i.e., physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health). The transactional model of stress and coping, social cognitive theory, and self-efficacy theory provided the theoretical foundations for this study. Daily hassles were used for this study as an additional theoretical approach for measuring stress. A total of 235 working mothers completed the Daily Hassles Scale, Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, and Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2) on a secure online website. The respondents reported moderate confidence in their abilities to cope with life despite experiencing an average of 44 daily hassles per month. Simple regressions confirmed repeated exposure to daily hassles was significantly associated with reduced coping self-efficacy and health outcomes. Mediation with multiple regression analysis revealed that coping self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between cumulative daily hassles and health outcomes, suggesting coping self-efficacy was a protective psychosocial factor for working mothers. This study contributes to positive social change by aiding practitioners in identifying protective psychosocial factors and helping working mothers to implement the findings with the intention of reducing daily hassles and improving health outcomes.

[Truncated abstract] Despite significant scientific advances in tracking the complex physiological mechanisms that drive the asthma disease process, worldwide trends in childhood asthma continue to rise. This research sought to describe the relationships between psychosocial stress, psychosocial resources, asthma severity, and health-related outcomes from the standpoints of biopsychosocial and developmental theory. The research consisted of three studies based on a prospective study involving 2573 children from a community-based birth cohort. The cohort has been under active follow-up from birth and this thesis draws on data obtained at the 1, 2, 6, 10 and 13 year follow-ups . . . The final study undertook to describe the mediating influence of specific supportive behaviours provided by family members and peers to adolescents with asthma. Ninety-nine adolescents participating in the 13 year follow-up of the community cohort study completed a semi-structured interview adapted from the Diabetes Social Support Interview (La Greca et al., 1995) to assess supportive behaviours and the KINDL (Ravens-Sieberer & Bullinger, 1998) to assess QOL. It was predicted that illness-specific support would mediate the relationship between family dysfunction and quality of life. Qualitative analyses identified parents as important sources of tangible support, peers as important sources of companionship and emotional support, and siblings bridging the two, by providing tangible, companionship and emotional support to the adolescent. Mediator analyses found that specific parent behaviours perceived as unsupportive by the adolescent mediated the relationship between family dysfunction and self-oriented quality of life. Clinical implications support the integration of medical and psychological expertise in the treatment of asthma. Future research directions are also discussed.

Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka elevers upplevda stress och deras tillvägagångssätt för att hantera denna stress med hjälp av copingstrategier, vilket sedan sätts i relation till biologiskt kön. Arbetet utgår ifrån ett elektroniskt frågeformulär som inkluderar både kvantitativa och kvalitativa aspekter. Resultaten av denna studie visar sig i några fall avvika från den tidigare forskningen, vilket leder till intressanta analyser och diskussioner. Ett av dessa resultat är pojkarnas användande av emotionsfokuserade copingmetoder, som annars är färre än flickornas. Ett annat intressant och avvikande resultat är stressnivåerna inom gruppen flickor, då det visar sig att de som går ett yrkesförberedande program procentuellt är mer stressade än högskoleförberedande programmets flickor.<br>The purpose of this study is to examine students experienced stress and their ways of coping with that stress using coping strategies, which is later also put in relation to biological sex. The study is using a mixed method in the form of an electronic questionnaire. The results of this study turned out to deviate from previous research, which leads to interesting analyzes and discussions. One of these results is the boys’ usage of emotion-focused coping methods, which otherwise is fewer than the girls. Another interesting and deviating result is the stress levels within the girls’ group, since it turns out that girls who attend a profession-based program are more stressed, percentage wise, than the girls who attend a college-based program.