Coping
the process by which people try to manage the perceived discrepancy between the demands and resources they appraise in a stressful situation
2 main functions of coping
- Can alter the problem causing the stress
- Can regulate the emotional response to the problem
3 types of coping
- Emotion-focused coping: aimed at controlling emotional response to stressful situation (both behavioural – ie. Seeking support; and cognitive – ie. Redefining/reframing situation) -> often used when you can do little to change the situation
- Problem-focused coping: aimed at dealing with or reducing the demands of a stressful situation (ex. Switching careers, seeking medical treatment)
- Relationship-focused coping: involves emotion or problem-focused coping intented to maintain social relationships during stress (ie. Compromising; dyadic coping – partners working together to deal with stress)
challenges associated with measuring coping
- Most measures aren’t very accurate in predicting coping
- Most measures are retrospective, and people often struggle to accurately remember how they’ve coped with things in the past
5 specific coping strategies
- Engaging positive emotions: using positivity -> helps balance against feelings of distress
- Finding benefits or meaning: looking for meaning/positive aspect in a stressful event -> less depression and greater feelings of well-being
- Emotional approach: actively processing and expressing feelings -> expression associated with improved self-perceived health, vigor, and less distress (however, processing can lead to more distress -> rumination)
- Accommodating a stressor: adapting to presence of stressor and carrying on with life
- Demand-withdrawal: maladaptive relationship-focused method (one partner confronts, other withdraws) -> can be reduced by emphatic responding, compromise, support provision, and collaboration
research on use and development of coping methods across the lifespan
- People tend to be consistent in the way they cope with a particular type of stressor
- People seldom use just one method to cope with a stressor
- Methods people use to cope with short-term stress may be different from long-term stress
- Genetic influence in coping styles
- As kids age, they use cognitive coping strategies, then emotional coping methods; middle-aged people use more problem-solving coping; elderly people use more emotion-focused
role of personality, gender, and socio-cultural context in coping
- Coping is not a personality trait (not stable over time), but neurotic people engage in less-effective coping strategies, and other Big 5 traits engage in adaptive coping strategies
- Men more likely to use problem-focused coping, women emotion-focused (but if they have similar education and occupation, few differences)
- People with higher incomes and education levels use more problem-focused coping (poorer people don’t believe they have control)
- Being religious/spiritual can have positive impact on coping/health (better able to reappraise/find meaning)
how can social support be enhanced to reduce stress?
Joining community organizations, using community programs like rec facilities and social events
how can personal control be enhanced to reduce stress?
- Parents, teachers, etc. Can show a child love/respect, praise accomplishments, and set reasonable standards
- nursing homes can allow people more responsibilities like cooking and cleaning -> gives people sense of control over their lives
how can assertiveness manage stress?
Being assertive (expressing opinions directly without insulting other person) is a good interpersonal strategy to reduce stress
3 elements of time management
- setting attainable goals
- making daily to-do lists
- setting a daily schedule and allocating time for each item on the list
- doing all of these things reduces stress
how can exercise manage stress?
People who exercise show less reactivity to stressors and are less likely to be hypertensive; may help prevent people from developing stress-related illnesses
how can preparing for stress reduce stress?
- Preparing for stressful events can reduce potential for stress – ie. Taking kid to meet new daycare teacher before they officially start; preparing surgery patients by giving them feelings of control (ie. Rehabilitation exercises, focusing on positive aspects of surgery, giving lots of information)
- However, too much information can overwhelm people (especially kids) and cause more stress
stress management
program of behavioural and cognitive techniques designed to reduce psychological and physical reactions to stress
4 techniques of stress management
- medication
- behavioural methods
- cognitive methods
- massage, meditation, relaxation, and hypnosis
stress management: medication
- Benzodiazepines (ex. Valium, Xanax) decrease neural transmission in central nervous system
- Beta-blockers reduce anxiety and blood pressure by reducing activity in peripheral nervous system
stress management: behavioural methods
- Relaxation: Progressive muscle relaxation (focusing on tightening and relaxing muscle groups)
- Systematic desensitization: reverses association of event/thing with stress by pairing feared object with a pleasant or neutral thing
- Uses stimulus hierarchy (gradual approximations of feared situation)
- Biofeedback: devices monitor person’s physiological processes (ie. Hear rate) and report info back to individual so they can gain voluntary control over those processes through operant conditioning (especially good for children)
- Modelling: watching people coping with stressful things can help you cope
stress management: cognitive methods
- cognitive restructuring
- Problem-solving training: learning strategies for identifying, discovering, or inventing effective ways to address everyday problems
- Stress-inoculation training: teaching people skills for alleviating stress by learning about its nature, acquiring behavioural and cognitive skills, and practicing coping skills
cognitive restructuring
- replacing stress-provoking thoughts/beliefs with more constructive/realistic ones
- Stress-provoking beliefs: “can’t-stand-it is”, “musterbating”, arbitrary influence, magnification
- Cognitive therapy is popular approach: helps teach people they’re not responsible for all problems that occur, negative events aren’t catastrophes, and maladaptive beliefs aren’t logical
stress management: massage, meditation, hypnosis
- Massage: increases oxytocin -> decreases blood pressure and stress hormone levels
- Meditation: creates a relaxation response -> reduced physiological activity and blood pressure and increased mindfulness
- Hypnosis: altered state of consciousness, can reduce stress
how can stress management reduce coronary disease risk?
- Modifying type A behaviour: ex. Through muscle relaxation, stress-inoculation training, specific training on reducing type-A behaviour
- Treating hypertension: multidimensional approach more successful, meditation helpful
proactive coping
efforts taken to prevent or minimize stress; typically involve problem-focused methods
stigma, discrimination, and prejudice: effects on stress
Stigma, discrimination, and prejudice leads to stress (ie. For trans people -> job discrimination, relationship exclusion, smaller social support networks, etc.)
when are coping strategies most effective?
Coping strategies are often most effective when they’re multi-dimensional (ie. Multiple techniques)
