The Effects of Dispositional and Situational Coping, Perceived Social Support, and Cognitive Appraisal on Immediate Outcome
Abstract
Summary: The effects of coping styles and strategies, perceived social support, and primary and secondary cognitive appraisal on immediate outcome were examined in this study. Two theoretical models were tested via linear structural equation modelling (LISREL VI) on a sample of 116 women. The first model was derived from the structural approach to stress and coping, while the second was based primarily on a theoretical position of the transactional approach to stress and coping process. Both models were tested twice, by taking into account appraisal of threat and appraisal of controllability. The results indicate the importance of cognitive appraisals and their effects on adaptational outcomes, situational coping efforts as well as their mediating role between some coping resources and adaptational outcomes. The main differences obtained in the models tested account for the type of cognitive appraisal included in the analyses. The appraisal of threat proved to be a more central component of stressful experience than appraisal of controllability. The results also show that dispositional as well as situational coping strategies exert relatively weak effects on immediate outcome.
References
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