What is Stress? u A physiological response? u Particular emotions? u A major life event? u A minor life event? u A circumstance? u A conflict between two competing drives?

What do adolescents find stressful? u Academic u Interpersonal: –Family –Peer: Friends, romance –Girls: Network events (stress of caring)

Stress Appraisal u Stress is in the ‘eye of the beholder ’

Lazarus and Folkman: Primary Appraisal Process Appraisal influenced by characteristics of circumstance (e.g., intensity, duration), and by individual differences (e.g., temperament, attachment history, previous trauma)

Lazarus and Folkman: Secondary Appraisal Processes “Coping: constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person.”

Lazarus and Folkman: Secondary Appraisal Process

Problem-Focused Coping u Coping efforts intended to act on the stressor u Examples: (e.g., generating alternative solutions; talking to someone who can help one eliminate a problem)

Emotion-Focused Coping  Coping efforts which are intended to regulate the emotional states associated with or resulting from the stressor u Examples: see the silver lining, acceptance, cognitive avoidance

Different Theoretical Approaches to Coping u Coping Resources u Coping Styles u Coping Efforts

Coping Resources u Relatively stable characteristics of the self or the environment that facilitate successful adaptation to stress. u Individual resources: –problem solving, interpersonal skills –Emotional resources (for example, ability to relax, tolerance for negative emotion, self-worth) –secure working model of attachment u Environmental resources: –social support networks –financial resources –community resources

Coping Styles u Individual’s coping tendencies that are relatively stable across situation and across time u Example: Approach vs. Avoidance –Approach: move closer to stressor. Tendency to focus on and respond to potential for reward, positive emotion. –Avoidance: move further away from stressor. Greater focus on a negative/defensive system, potential for punishment or failure, inhibit approach. u Example: 15 year old boy, attracted to girl.

Coping Efforts u Specific coping cognitions, feelings, behaviors –Examples: Evaluation, willful cognitive distraction, positive reappraisal, venting, seeking emotional support, constructive stress relief, direct action u Assumption: not sufficient to study characteristic resources or styles, because coping efforts can vary across time, situation

Coping as Effortful u “Effortful” implies executive control over lower- order systems (e.g., approach vs. avoidance) u For example, attentional control –Ability to shift attention away from stress, to soothe self. Ability to direct attention to sources of safety –However, too much attentional avoidance missing important information in environment, and missed opportunity to learn to cope. Must attend to stress as well.