15: Stress, Coping, and Health - Coping with Stress

Question 1

Coping with Stress

Answer 1

Coping strategies when faced with a stressor can be divided into three classes:

• Problem focused coping – attempt to confront and deal directly with demands of the situation, or change the situation so that it is no longer stressful (Examples: studying for a test, going directly to another person to work out a misunderstanding, etc.)
• Emotion focused coping – attempt to manage the emotional responses that result from it (Examples: appraising the situation in a manner that minimizes the emotional impact, avoidance or acceptance of the stressful situation)
• Seeking social support – turning to others for assistance and emotional support in times of stress

Question 2

Effectiveness of Coping Strategies

Answer 2

Problem focused coping and seeking social support often demonstrate favorable adjustment in stressors, while emotion focused coping often predict depression and poor adjustment

Question 3

Controllability and Coping Efficacy

Answer 3

In hostage studies, problem focused coping and seeking social support fare better than those with no strategy, but emotion focused coping was found to help individuals adapt most to uncontrollable conditions of captivity

Question 4

Bottling Up Feelings: The Costs of Constraint

Answer 4

People with high stress who are too emotionally restrained to express negative feelings have a higher likelihood of developing cancer

Question 5

Gender, Culture, and Coping

Answer 5

Men are more likely to use problem focused coping, while women often seek social support and use emotion focused coping

Question 6

Applications

Stress Management