Comparison of induced affect and covert rehearsal in the acquisition of stress management coping skills.

Direct and generalized effects of cognitive-behavioral coping skills program for test anxiety were assessed. Either covert rehearsal or induced affect was used as the coping skills rehearsal procedure. Both training conditions produced significant reductions in test anxiety, but induced affect yielded a larger test-anxiety decrease than did covert rehearsal, and greater improvement in academic test performance when compared with a control condition. Covert rehearsal, on the other hand, exhibited stronger generalization of treatment effects to general trait anxiety. In the induced-affect condition, improved test performance was highly correlated with reductions in state anxiety. No such relation was found following covert rehearsal, which suggests that the two rehearsal techniques may optimally promote the acquisition and utilization of different classes of coping skills. Consistent with predictions derived from a coping skills model, generalization effects were found on measures of generalized self-efficacy and locus of control for both treatment conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of psychological attributes on changes in disability among low-functioning older persons

We studied the impact of four psychological attributes (neuroticism, extraversion, mastery or perceived control, and general self-efficacy expectancies) on changes in disability in a community-based sample of 575 low-functioning elderly persons between 1993 and 1995. Unlike elderly persons with low or medium levels of mastery and general self-efficacy expectancies, older persons with high levels of such attributes showed no significant increase of disability between 1993 and 1995. However, multivariate analyses showed only unique contributions of mastery to changes in disability. Neuroticism and extraversion were found to be not related to changes in disability, supporting previous research outcomes. Findings highlight that, particularly, feelings of perceived control are crucial for maintaining functional ability in later life.     

Mechanisms governing empowerment effects: A self-efficacy analysis.

This experiment tested the hypotheses that perceived coping and cognitive control self-efficacy govern the effects of personal empowerment over physical threats. Women participated in a mastery modeling program in which they mastered the physical skills to defend themselves successfully against unarmed sexual assailants. Multifaceted measures of theoretically relevant variables were administered within a staggered intragroup control design to test the immediate and long-term effects of the empowerment program and the mechanisms through which it produced its effects. Mastery modeling enhanced perceived coping and cognitive control efficacy, decreased perceived vulnerability to assault, and reduced the incidence of intrusive negative thinking and anxiety arousal. These changes were accompanied by increased freedom of action and decreased avoidant behavior. Path analyses of causal structures revealed a dual path of regulation of behavior by perceived coping self-efficacy, one mediated through perceived vulnerability and risk discernment and the other through perceived cognitive control self-efficacy and intrusive negative thinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial characteristics of adolescents who refuse cancer treatment.

Examined psychosocial variables by comparing 10 13–17 yr old adolescents (and their mothers) who had refused cancer treatment with a group of 10 consenting adolescents who were matched on age and demographic and illness variables. Adolescents completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and measures of family characteristics, locus of control, religion, hopelessness, impact of event, and satisfaction with physician. Mothers completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and measures of coping and religion. Adolescent refusers scored lower on state anxiety and subjective distress but scored higher on trait anxiety, religiosity, and external locus of control. Their mothers also scored higher than did the consenting-group mothers on religiosity and trait anxiety. It is suggested that refusers are prone to anxiety and cope with their present distress by maintaining the belief that their lives are determined by fate or religious convictions. An intervention approach that fosters mastery over the cancer experience is advocated. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer-model attributes and children's achievement behaviors.

In two experiments, we investigated how attributes of peer models influenced achievement behaviors among children who had experienced difficulties learning mathematical skills in school. In Experiment 1, children (M?=?10.6 years) observed either a same- or opposite-sex peer model demonstrating rapid (mastery model) or gradual (coping model) acquisition of fraction skills. Observing a coping model led to higher self-efficacy, skill, and training performance. In Experiment 2, children (M?=?10.9 years) observed either one or three same-sex peer models demonstrating mastery or coping behaviors while solving fractions. Children in the single-coping-model, multiple-coping-model, and multiple-mastery-model conditions demonstrated higher self-efficacy, skill, and training performance, compared with subjects who observed a single mastery model. In both studies, children who observed coping models judged themselves more similar in competence to the models than did subjects who observed mastery models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anxiety, locus of control, type of preparatory information, and adjustment to dental surgery.

Evaluated the effects of 2 types of preparatory information (general, specific), given prior to dental surgery, on state anxiety and adjustment in the dental situation for 63 19-74 yr old dental patients who differed in locus of control orientation and generalized level of dental anxiety. N. L. Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale, administered an average of 24 days presurgery, predicted differential elevations in state anxiety in the dental situation. This finding is discussed in terms of the need to develop situation-specific trait anxiety measures for physical threat situations. Internal Ss viewing the specific information tape showed better adjustment during surgery than internals who viewed the general tape. The converse was true of external Ss, who responded more favorably to the general information tape. Findings are discussed in terms of the locus of control construct and are viewed as supporting the need for the development of differential treatment strategies for homogeneous patient groups. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of an educational support group on family participants who take care of their schizophrenic relatives.

Using a stress-coping framework, we designed a six-session educational support group offering family caretakers information about schizophrenia, training in problem-solving skills for managing patient behavior, and greater access to social support and community resources. Subjects were recruited through local community mental health centers; 24 subjects participated in one of five identically structured caretakers' groups and another 24 subjects served as matched controls. Results of the multivariate analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference between the experimental and control caretakers following the intervention. Caretakers of the educational support group reported significantly reduced anxiety and personal distress and significantly more active coping behaviors (increased use of community resources and better management of home life with their schizophrenic family member). However, no changes were reported in the frequency of their negative feelings toward their mentally ill family member or in their generalized sense of self-efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive-relaxation and social skills interventions in the treatment of general anger.

Social skill and cognitive-relaxation interventions for general-anger reduction were compared with a no-treatment control in a pretreatment, posttreatment, and 5-week-follow-up design. By follow-up, treatment groups reported significantly less general anger, lowered tendencies to suppress or exhibit general anger, and lowered state anger and greater constructive coping in an analogue provocation than did the control group. Cognitive-relaxation subjects reported significantly less personal-situational anger than did control subjects. Social skills subjects did not differ from either group on this measure. Cognitive-relaxation subjects also perceived their treatment as significantly more helpful than did social skills subjects. No group differences were found for physical and verbal antagonism in the analogue, though these measures were low in the initial assessment, or for trait anxiety, anger-related physiological reactivity, or daily anger intensities, though the latter approached significance (p?     

Effects of transcendental meditation and muscle relaxation on trait anxiety, maladjustment, locus of control, and drug use.

Randomly assigned 60 undergraduate volunteers to receive training in transcendental meditation (TM), training in a muscle relaxation technique, or no treatment. The training in muscle relaxation was designed to be maximally similar in structure and atmosphere to training in TM. The Adjective Check List, Behavioral Anxiety Measure, Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale, Incomplete Sentence Test, and other personality and drug-use measures were administered before and after the 9-wk treatment period. On the behavioral measure of trait anxiety, the scores of all 3 groups decreased equally, but on the self-report measure the TM Ss reported steady decreases in anxiety, whereas the scores of the other 2 groups remained unchanged. There were no differences in maladjustment, locus of control, or drug use as a function of treatment. Although TM Ss held higher expectancies for benefits and were slightly more regular in practicing their technique, individual differences in expectancy and frequency of practice were not correlated with degree of reported anxiety reduction. It is concluded that TM may reduce trait anxiety, but it has not been shown to be of value in inducing general personality change. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer models: Influence on children's self-efficacy and achievement.

Investigated how the self-efficacy and achievement of 72 children (aged 8 yrs 6 mo to 10 yrs 10 mo) were influenced by their observing peer models learn a cognitive skill. Within this context, the effects of modeled mastery and coping behaviors were explored. Ss were children who had experienced difficulties learning subtraction with regrouping operations in their classes. Ss were pre- and posttested on measures of subtraction self-efficacy, skill, and persistence. Ss observed a same-sex peer demonstrate either rapid (mastery model) or gradual (coping model) acquisition of subtraction skills, observed a teacher model demonstrate subtraction operations, or did not observe a model. Ss then judged self-efficacy for learning to subtract and received subtraction training. Observing a peer model led to higher self-efficacy for learning, posttest self-efficacy, and achievement than did observing the teacher model or not observing a model. Ss who observed the teacher model scored higher than no-model Ss on these measures. No significant differences due to type of peer modeled behavior (mastery/coping) were obtained on any measure. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy expectancies, outcome expectancies, and the persistence of pain control in childbirth.

Examined A. Bandura's (see record 1977-25733-001) self-efficacy theory of mastery behavior, which distinguishes self-efficacy expectancies (SEEs) from outcome expectancies (OEs), by the relative roles of SEEs, OEs, and importance as predictors of persistence of pain control in medication-free childbirth. 52 primiparous women made self-efficacy judgments before and during labor and then reported in postdelivery interviews the timing and amount of medication use during labor and delivery. SEEs predicted persistence in pain control without medication better than OEs, importance, and 7 other alternative predictors. These results support several aspects of construct validation to the SEE construct. However, SEEs and OEs were highly correlated and largely redundant in their correlations with mastery. Three possible reasons and implications for this lack of differentiation are discussed. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of a multicomponent, behaviorally oriented, problem-based "summer school" program for adolescents with diabetes

A 2-week summer school program, combining problem-based learning with behavior therapy, was developed to help adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their ability to cope with obstacles to dietary management. Ten students participated in a first session, and 9 participated in a second session, serving as a waiting list control group. Outcomes were evaluated pre- and postsession and at a 4-month follow-up using 3-day food diaries, blood glucose data, and paper-and-pencil tests of diabetes-related knowledge, self-efficacy, coping strategies, and general problem solving. Improvements were observed in self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and self-reported coping strategies. No significant changes were observed in daily intake of fat, cholesterol, calories, mean blood glucose levels or blood glucose variability, and diabetes knowledge. Comparisons between the first group and the waiting list control group do not allow the significant pre-post changes to be clearly attributed to the summer school program.     

Anxiety management training and relaxation as self-control in the treatment of generalized anxiety in medical outpatients.

55 23–72 yr old outpatients expressing interest in a 6-wk program on coping with stress and anxiety were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: relaxation as self-control (RSC), anxiety management training (AMT), or waiting-list control groups. Pre- and posttreatment assessments included the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List. At posttreatment and 4-wk follow-up assessments, AMT and RSC groups reported significantly less trait and state anxiety and stress reactivity in 2 stressful situations, general physiological arousal, person-specific anxiety symptoms, depression, and anger than the control group. Among these measures only 1 difference was found between AMT and RSC, and it was not significant at follow-up. No between-groups differences were found on systolic or diastolic blood pressure. No differences were found on resting heart rate posttreatment. At follow-up, however, the RSC group had a significantly lower heart rate than the control group. Results are interpreted in terms of both the efficient development of relaxation coping skills for medical outpatients and the potential for counseling psychology in behavioral medicine. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Significant predictors of problem-solving appraisal.

Multiple regression was used to determine the unique predictive contributions of several variables to problem-solving appraisal in 2 samples comprising 443 Ss, total. Problem-solving appraisal was the dependent variable, and the following variables were possible predictors: level of problem-solving skill; negative and positive coping strategies; internal-external locus of control; and a composite sum score of depression, trait anxiety, and self-concept. The combined multiple regression (SPSSX) results accounted for 50% and 41% of the variance for Samples 1 and 2, respectively, in problem-solving appraisal. The results revealed 2 consistent significant predictors: (1) positive coping strategies that seem to represent the process of doing something positively to solve problems through cognitive restructuring, focusing on the problem, and effecting interpersonal actions; and (2) global problem-solving self-efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fifteen-month follow-up of social skills and cognitive-relaxation approaches to general anger reduction.

This article presents a 15-mo follow-up of a study by J. L. Deffenbacher, G. A. Thwaites, T. L. Wallace, and E. R. Oetting (see record 1994-38333-001) that compared inductive social skills training (ISST) with skill assembly social skills training and cognitive-relaxation coping skills (CRCS) interventions for general anger reduction in college students. Compared with the control group at 15-mo follow-up, counseled groups reported lower trait anger, general anger, anger across many situations, and anger-related physiological arousal; less anger suppression and outward negative expression; and greater calm, controlled expression. ISST and CRCS participants also reported less anger in their worst ongoing, angering situation. More counseled participants showed clinically significant improvement on trait anger as well. In none of these comparisons did counseled groups differ among themselves. No treatment effects were found on nontargeted assertiveness and trait anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of long-term efficacy of treatments and of the importance of long-term follow-up. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Managerial coping with organizational change: A dispositional perspective.

In a departure from the organizational development literature, this study hypothesized that managerial responses to organizational change are influenced by 7 dispositional traits (locus of control, generalized self-efficacy, self-esteem, positive affectivity, openness to experience, tolerance for ambiguity, and risk aversion). Data were collected from 6 organizations (N?=?514) to test the hypotheses. The 7 traits were reduced to 2 factors: Positive Self-Concept and Risk Tolerance. Both of these trait factors significantly predicted self-reports and independent assessments of coping with change. Results also indicated that coping with organizational change was related to extrinsic (salary, job level, plateauing, job performance) and intrinsic (organizational commitment, job satisfaction) career outcomes and that coping mediated roughly half of the relationships between the dispositional factors and these career outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social skills and cognitive-relaxation approaches to general anger reduction.

Inductive social skills training (ISST), skill assembly social skills training (SASST), and cognitive relaxation coping skills (CRCS) training were compared with a no-treatment control condition for general anger reduction. At 4-wk follow-up, compared with the control group, all treatment groups showed equivalent reductions of the amount of anger experienced in a wide range of situations. ISST and CRCS Ss reported less anger in their worst ongoing provocation than did control Ss, whereas SASST Ss did not differ from Ss of other groups. Treatment groups enhanced anger control equally relative to the control group, but only the CRCS group significantly lowered outward, negative expression of anger, and only the ISST group reduced anger suppression, although active treatment groups did not differ from one another on these measures. The ISST group lowered day-to-day anger more than other groups. No treatment effects were found for nontargeted trait anxiety and assertiveness. Results are discussed in terms of prior findings and the efficacy and flexibility of ISST. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching coping skills enhances quality of life more than peer support: Results of a randomized trial with multiple sclerosis patients.

This 2-year randomized trial of multiple sclerosis patients compared a coping skills group (n?=?64) with peer telephone support (n?=?68). Growth curve analyses that adjusted for neurological deterioration and gender revealed that the coping skills intervention yielded gains in psychosocial role performance, coping behavior, and numerous aspects of well-being. In contrast, the peer support intervention increased external health locus of control but did not influence psychosocial role performance or well-being. Subgroup analyses revealed that patients with affective problems were more likely to benefit from the peer support intervention than the coping skills group in terms of reported depression, anxiety, use of avoidant coping, and some aspects of well-being. The coping group is discussed as a vehicle for facilitating response shift, helping patients to change their internal referents, their conceptualization of quality of life, and their priorities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-management training for improving job performance: A field experiment involving salespeople.

In a control-group field experiment using a reversal design, 30 insurance salespeople were randomly assigned to an experimental group that received self-management training. A multivariate analysis of variance and subsequent repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed that, compared with a control condition (n= 30), training in self-management skills significantly improved job performance as assessed through both objective and subjective measures. Performance improvement continued with time, and increases were sustained across a 12-month period posttraining. Subsequent training of the control group produced similar increases in self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and job performance. Potential mediating effects of self-efficacy and outcome expectancies on the self-management-performance relationship were explored and partially supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)