Abstract
The present study investigated interactions between cognitive appraisals of, and coping with, stressful life events and their relationship with psychological symptomatology. Specifically, the “goodness of fit” between appraisals of the controllability of events and the use of problem- and emotion-focused coping was assessed for major life events and daily hassles. In relation to major life events, symptomatology was high when there was a poor fit between appraisals and coping (e.g., trying to change a stressor that was appraised as uncontrollable) and low when there was a good fit between appraisals and coping (e.g., palliating one's emotions when a stressor was perceived as uncontrollable). No effects were found in relation to daily hassles. Results were generally consistent with cognitive-transactional models of stress and coping.
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The authors wish to thank Sue Rolka for her assistance in data collection and analysis, Harold Leitenberg for comments on an earlier draft of this paper, and Carol Miller and David Howell for comments regarding data analysis.
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Forsythe, C.J., Compas, B.E. Interaction of cognitive appraisals of stressful events and coping: Testing the goodness of fit hypothesis. Cogn Ther Res 11, 473–485 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01175357
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01175357