Chapter 4 - Coping Processes Flashcards
Coping
Efforts to master, reduce, or tolerate the demands created by stress
Learned helplessness
Passive behaviour produced by exposure to unavoidable aversive events
Sometimes transferred to situations where person is not helpless
Passive vs active problem solving
Behavioural disengagement
Cognitive interpretation of aversive events is pessimistic explanatory style, out of control, feel helpless, give up
Increased distress
Goal adjustment
Giving up can be adaptive, ie goals unrealistic
Displacement
Freud: using a substitute target for aggression
Catharsis
Freud: aggressive acts release pent up emotional tension
Acting aggressively research more. It less anger and aggression
Media violence
Highly correlated to aggression
Self indulgence
Poor impulse control, excessive eating, Gambling, internet addiction
Catastrophic thinking
Attributing failures to personal shortcomings, focus negative feedback, pessimistic about future
Increased distress and depression for natural disasters, illness
Heightened ptsd and shame in sexual abuse
Defense mechanisms
Largely unconscious reactions that protect people from unpleasant emotions
Self deception
Baumeister optimal margin of illusion
Extreme self deception is maladaptive but small illusions may be beneficial
Constructive coping
Efforts to deal with stressful events that are healthy
Constructive coping examples
Confront problems directly
Effort
Realistic appraisals of stress and coping resources
Recognize and manage disruptive emotional reactions to stress
Exert control over destructive habitual behaviours
Appraisal focused constructive coping
Ellie’s ABC model, appraisal of stressful events is critical to coping process
Negative appraisal exaggerates magnitude
Positive appraisal allows cc
Humour as a stress reducer
Creates positive appraisal
Increases pos emotions
Pos social interactions
Problem focused constructive coping
Clarify problem
Alternative course of action
Evaluate alternatives, select
Take action, maintain flexibility
Seeking help
Asians and collectivistic cultures less likely to seek help from others, avoid burdening others with ones problems
Improving time management
Future oriented - see consequences of behaviour on future goals, less likely to procrastinate better able to meet goals
Present oriented - less concerned with impact
Emotion focused constructive coping
Enhancing emotional intelligence - ability to perceive and express emotions, understand and reason with emotion, regulate
Emotional intelligence components
Accurately perceive emotions in self and others
Know emotions shape thinking
Understanding of complex or contradictory emotions
Regulation of emotions
High EI
Better social, better health, better leaders, problem focused coping strategies
Low EI linked with burnout
Emotional disclosure
Better mood, positive self perceptions, better health
Bensons relaxation response
Quiet, focal point, passive attitude, comfortable position
Procrastination
70-90% college students put off academic assignments
Seeking social support
Problem focused coping
Perceived social support is much more important than actual social support
Real acquisition of help negative
Reciprocity: pay back support
Threats to self esteem
Skeptical about reasons (altruistic vs egoistic helping)
Helpful behaviour
Allow victim to express feelings
Be together show you care
Unhelpful behaviour
Giving unprompted advice
Withholding support
Encouraging to recover
