DOCSLIB.ORG

Eustress in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Students Amanda C

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Eustress in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Students Amanda C University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School October 2018 Eustress in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Students Amanda C. Moseley University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Educational Psychology Commons Scholar Commons Citation Moseley, Amanda C., "Eustress in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Students" (2018). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7549 This Ed. Specalist is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Eustress in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Students by Amanda C. Moseley A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Education Specialist Department of Educational and Psychological Studies College of Education University of South Florida Major Professor: Shannon Suldo, Ph.D. Lindsey O’Brennan, Ph.D. Robert Dedrick, Ph.D. Date of Approval: October 1, 2018 Keywords: adolescents, high school accelerated curricula, stress self-report Copyright © 2018, Amanda Moseley ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are several individuals who have supported me throughout the completion of my thesis whom I would like to thank. First, I have had a wonderful thesis committee that has supported and encouraged me throughout this process. Dr. Shannon Suldo has been a constant source of support and encouragement and has helped enormously with this project from conceptualization to completion. I have become a better thinker, writer, and mental health professional due to her guidance and mentoring. I would also like to thank Dr. Robert Dedrick for his thoughtful contribution to the research methodology in this study, and his willingness to support me through complicated analyses. I would also like to thank Dr. Lindsey O’Brennan for constantly being a positive influence and supporter of me throughout this project, and many other endeavors. Additionally, I am thankful to be surrounded my wonderful peers from the USF School Psychology program whom I consider mentors, colleagues, and friends. Last, I am forever grateful to my amazing parents, Ken and Caroline, and my wonderful husband, Ryan, for encouraging me to be the best person I can. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables v List of Figures vi Abstract vii Chapter I: Introduction 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Measurement of eustress. 1 Correlates of eustress. 2 Outcomes of eustress. 3 Eustress in unique youth populations, namely students in accelerated curricula. 4 Purpose of the Study 4 Definition of Key Terms 5 Academic success 6 Advanced Placement (AP). 6 Coping. 6 Emotional well-being. 6 Engagement. 6 Eustress. 6 Flow 7 Grit. 7 International Baccalaureate (IB). 7 Nomological network. 7 Savoring. 7 Self-efficacy. 7 Stress. 7 Student success. 8 Research Questions 8 Hypotheses 9 Significance of the Study 11 Chapter II: Literature Review 13 Conceptualization of Stress 13 Theoretical Background of Stress 15 Holistic Stress Model. 16 Conceptualization of stress in the current study. 17 Conceptualizing Eustress 18 Challenge Stressor-Hindrance Stressor Framework. 23 i Measurement of Eustress 24 Qualitative approach. 25 Quantitative approach. 26 Constructs Related to Eustress among Adolescents 34 The Adolescent Development Context and Stressors 36 Constructs Potentially Associated with Eustress in Adolescents 37 Self-efficacy. 37 Flow. 38 Student engagement. 39 Coping. 41 Grit. 42 Adolescents in Accelerated Curricula 43 Summary of the Literature 46 Chapter III: Methods 48 Participants 48 Issues of Diversity 50 Procedures 51 Data collection. 51 Measures: Nomological Network of Eustress 52 School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised 52 Perceived Stress Scale 54 Eustress Scale 54 Coping with Academic Demands Scale 56 Short Dispositional Flow Scale-2 57 Short Grit Scale 58 Measures: Outcomes 58 Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale 58 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System 59 School Burnout Inventory 59 Academic outcomes 60 Grade Point Average 60 Ethical Concerns 62 Data Analysis 62 Chapter IV: Results 66 Data Screening 66 Data entry 66 Missing data 66 Psychometric Properties of the Eustress Scale 67 Descriptive statistics. 67 Factor structure. 69 Total sample. 69 Gender. 72 ii Grade. 73 Program. 75 Reliability. 76 Eustress by Gender, Grade, and Program 76 Correlates of Eustress 77 Distress. 77 Student engagement. 79 Coping strategies. 82 Self-efficacy. 86 Flow. 87 Grit. 89 Relationship Between Eustress and Student Outcomes 90 Academic Performance. 91 Life Satisfaction. 92 School Burnout. 93 Psychopathology 95 Chapter V: Discussion 99 Measuring Eustress within Adolescents in Rigorous Academic Programs 99 Measuring Eustress within Gender, Grade Level, and Program Subgroups 101 Correlates of Eustress 103 Relationship between Eustress and Student Outcomes 106 Implications for School Psychologists 107 Contributions to the Literature 109 Limitations 111 Summary and Future Directions 112 References 116 Appendices 126 Appendix A: Eustress Scale used by O’Sullivan (2011) 127 Appendix B: Parent Consent Form 128 Appendix C: Student Assent 130 Appendix D: Demographics Form 131 Appendix E: School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R) 132 Appendix F: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) 134 Appendix G: Modified Eustress Scale 135 Appendix H: Coping with Academic Demands Scale (CADS) 136 Appendix I: Short Grit Scale 140 Appendix J: Student Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) 142 Appendix K: School Burnout Inventory (SBI) 143 Appendix L: Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Gender 144 Appendix M: Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Grade 145 Appendix N: Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Program 147 iii Appendix O: Eustress Distress Model 148 Appendix P: Eustress Affective Engagement Model 149 Appendix Q: Eustress Cognitive Engagement Model 150 Appendix R: Eustress Time and Task Management Model 151 Appendix S: Eustress Cognitive Reappraisal Model 152 Appendix T: Eustress Talk with Classmates and Friends Model 153 Appendix U: Eustress Deterioration Model 154 Appendix V: Eustress Self-Efficacy Model 155 Appendix W: Eustress Flow Model 156 Appendix X: Eustress Grit Model 157 Appendix Y: Model Fit Information for Eustress and Student Outcomes 158 Appendix Z: Permission Information for Figure 2 159 Appendix AA: IRB Approval Letter 160 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Eustress Self-Report Measure 32 Table 2: Demographic Characteristics of Participants 49 Table 3: Measures Selected from Primary Data Set 61 Table 4: Descriptive Statistics for Eustress Items 69 Table 5: Model Fit Indices for Eustress Measure 73 Table 6: Descriptive Statistics for Distress 79 Table 7: Descriptive Statistics for Student Engagement 81 Table 8: Descriptive Statistics for Coping Strategies 84 Table 9: Descriptive Statistics for Self-Efficacy 88 Table 10: Descriptive Statistics for Flow 89 Table 11: Descriptive Statistics for Grit 90 Table 12: Eustress and Student Outcomes Coefficients and Significance 92 Table 13: Descriptive Statistics for Life Satisfaction 93 Table 14: Descriptive Statistics for School Burnout 95 Table 15: Descriptive Statistics for Psychopathology 97 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Seyle’s Conceptualization of Stress 14 Figure 2: Holistic Model of Stress 17 Figure 3: Yerkes-Dodson Law 21 Figure 4: Potential Nomological Network Diagram of Eustress, with Corresponding Measure(s) Indicated in Far-Right Column 51 Figure 5: Factor Diagram for Eustress Measure 71 vi ABSTRACT Eustress, the positive response to stress, is a relatively understudied concept. Most of the research on eustress has been concentrated in the occupational and management setting. Empirical studies of eustress in adolescents are absent, even though youth experience unique sources and magnitudes of stress. Specifically, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) students report more stress than their general education peers but excel in their rigorous academic program. Eustress is related to a variety of positive psychological and physiological outcomes among adult samples, which makes it an important concept to explore in adolescent samples. Many constructs such as self-efficacy, hope, meaningfulness, flow, engagement and coping have correlated with eustress among samples of adults. This study investigated different aspects of eustress in a sample of 2379 AP and IB students (grades 9 – 12), and explored if its relationship with positive outcomes (among adults) holds true in this population. First, the psychometric properties of a modified self-report measure of eustress were examined. Results from this study supported a five-item eustress measure that had adequate reliability (α= .85) and construct validity based on a confirmatory factor analysis. Second, differences between the eustress measure in different subgroups, namely gender, grade level, and academic program were explored. Only a significant difference in eustress was found between grade levels, indicating that students in upper grade levels had higher levels of eustress. Third, relationships between eustress scores and a nomological network of theoretically similar vii constructs (potential correlates) and salient outcomes – indicators of students’ academic and emotional success— were examined. Consistent with
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Effect of Eustress, Flow, and Test Anxiety on Physical Therapy Psychomotor Practical Examinations Todd Joseph Bourgeois Walden University
    Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Effect of Eustress, Flow, and Test Anxiety on Physical Therapy Psychomotor Practical Examinations Todd Joseph Bourgeois Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Psychology Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, and the Quantitative Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Todd J. Bourgeois has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. C. Diebold, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Anthony Perry, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Anne Morris, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2018 Abstract Effect of Eustress, Flow, and Test Anxiety on Physical Therapy Psychomotor Practical Examinations by Todd J. Bourgeois MA, Walden University, 2016 BS, McNeese State University, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Psychology Walden University November 2018 Abstract Students at the graduate level undergo higher levels of stress compared to their peers, and this stress is known to affect academic performance.
    [Show full text]
  • Resilience in Health and Illness
    Psychiatria Danubina, 2020; Vol. 32, Suppl. 2, pp 226-232 Review © Medicinska naklada - Zagreb, Croatia RESILIENCE IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS 1,2 3 1,4 2 1 Romana Babiü , Mario Babiü , Pejana Rastoviü , Marina ûurlin , Josip Šimiü , 1 5 Kaja Mandiü & Katica Pavloviü 1Faculty of Health Studies, University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2Department of Psychiatry, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina 3Faculty of Science and Education University of Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina 4Department of Surgery, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina 5Department of Urology, University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina received: 11.4.2020; revised: 24.4.2020; accepted: 2.5.2020 SUMMARY Resilience is a relatively new concept that lacks clarity although it is increasingly used in everyday conversation and across various disciplines. The term was first introduced into psychology and psychiatry from technical sciences and afterwards thorough medicine and healthcare. It represents a complex set of various protective and salutogenic factors and process important for understanding health and illness, and treatment and healing processes. It is defined as a protective factor that makes an individual more resilient to adverse events that lead to positive developmental outcomes. Resilience is a positive adaptation after stressful situations and it represents mechanisms of coping and rising above difficult experiences, i.e., the capacity of a person to successfully adapt to change, resist the negative impact of stressors and avoid occurrence of significant dysfunctions. It represents the ability to return to the previous, so-called "normal" or healthy condition after trauma, accident, tragedy, or illness. In other words, resilience refers to the ability to cope with difficult, stressful and traumatic situations while maintaining or restoring normal functioning.
    [Show full text]
  • Eustress Vs Distress-A Review
    Sivasubramanian [Subject: Nursing Science] International Journal of Vol. 4, Issue: 5, July: 2016 Research in Humanities & Soc. Sciences [I.F. = 0.564] ISSN:(P) 2347-5404 ISSN:(O)2320 771X Eustress Vs Distress-A Review PROF. SIVASUBRAMANIAN Principal, Nootan College of Nursing, Visnagar Gujarat (India) Abstract: In daily life, we often use the term "stress" to describe negative situations. This leads many people to believe that all stress is bad for you, which is not true. Eustress means beneficial stress-either psychological, physical (e.g. exercise), or biochemical/radiological (hormesis).The term was coined by endocrinologist Hans Selye, consisting of the Greek prefix eu- meaning "good", and stress, literally meaning "good stress". It is typically assumed that experiencing chronic stress, either in the form of distress or eustress, is negative. However, eustress can instead fuel physiological thriving by positively influencing the underlying biological processes implicated in physical recovery and immunity. Keywords: Eustress, Distress 1. Stress is not always a bad thing. Stress is simply the body's response to changes that create taxing demands. The previously mentioned Dr. Lazarus (building on Dr. Selye's work) suggested that there is a difference between eustress, which is a term for positive stress, and distress, which refers to negative stress. 2. Definition Eustress occurs when the gap between what one has and what one wants is slightly pushed, but not overwhelmed. The goal is not too far out of reach but is still slightly more than one can handle. This fosters challenge and motivation since the goal is in sight. The function of challenge is to motivate a person toward improvement and a goal Distress is the most commonly referred to type of stress, having negative implications.
    [Show full text]
  • Explaining Relationships Between Stress and Resilience in Pharmacy Students
    University of Missouri, St. Louis IRL @ UMSL Dissertations UMSL Graduate Works 7-13-2020 Explaining Relationships Between Stress and Resilience in Pharmacy Students Rebecca Jones University of Missouri-St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Jones, Rebecca, "Explaining Relationships Between Stress and Resilience in Pharmacy Students" (2020). Dissertations. 956. https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/956 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the UMSL Graduate Works at IRL @ UMSL. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of IRL @ UMSL. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RE Explaining Relationships Between Stress and Resilience in Pharmacy Students Rebecca E. Jones M.S., College Student Personnel, Eastern Illinois University, 2007 B.A. Psychology, DePaul University, 2005 A Dissertation Submitted to The Graduate School at the University of Missouri – St. Louis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Education with an emphasis in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies August 2020 Advisory Committee Dr. Patricia Boyer, Ph.D. - Chairperson Dr. Emily Brown, Ph.D. Dr. Courtney Boddie, Ph.D. Dr. George Vineyard, Ph.D. Copyright, Rebecca E. Jones, 2020 EXPLAINING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STRESS ii ABSTRACT Stress is a growing issue on college campuses, and students in a professional pharmacy program may be at an even greater risk for problems associated with it. The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain information about resilience and its relationship with stress, high-risk behaviors, and grade point averages (GPAs) in college students who recently completed their first professional (P1) year of a pharmacy program.
    [Show full text]
  • Resilience Timeline Manuscript-Cleaned
    In psychological resilience research, resilience refers to “the ability of most people, when exposed even to extraordinary levels of stress and trauma, to maintain normal psychological and physical functioning and avoid serious mental illness (Russo, Murroughl et al. 2012)”. Psychological resilience theory has developed in four major waves(Wright, Masten et al. 2012). These four waves demonstrate a shift in interpretation of resilience as an individual personality trait to resilience as a dynamic and systemic process that unfolds in space and time. Table 2. The evolutionary waves of psychological resilience and their key findings. Wave Focus of the illustrative wave Key message 1 Identifying individual resilience and factors Resilience does not necessarily mean that one is unaffected or that make a difference. untouched by the trauma one has endured nor does it mean that one always functions well. 2 Studying resilience as a process. Finding Resilience viewed from a complexity perspective. similar patterns between developmental and ecological systems(Masten and Obradovic Resilience is dynamic. It is possible to show resilience at one 2008). point in life and not at another, or in one domain and not in another. Human judgment plays a critical role in defining desirable or undesirable adaptation regimes or outcomes. 3 Developing intervention strategies to foster Research shows that a resilient adaptation rests on good family or resilience surrogate family relationships (i.e., early relationship with caregivers provide the foundation for developing secure attachments to others(Wright, Masten et al. 2012)). Protective factors were discovered to moderate the impact of adversity on adaptation. Examples of protective factors include the individual, social circles, mentors, the community, and the government.
    [Show full text]
  • Perceived Stress and Resilience and Their Relationship with the Use of Mobile Phone Among Nursing Students
    Perceived stress and resilience and their relationship with the use of mobile phone among nursing students 1 Maya Sahu Original article Sailaxmi Gandhi2 Manoj Kumar Sharma3 P. Marimuthu4 1 RN, RM, BSN, MSN. Ph.D Scholar, Department of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health & Neu- rosciences (Institute of National Importance), India. Perceived Stress and Resilience and Email: [email protected] 2 RN, RM, BSN, MSN, Ph.D, Additional Profesor & Their Relation with the Use of the Head, Department of Nursing, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (Institute of National Mobile Phone among Nursing Students Importance) India. Email: [email protected] Corresponding author 3 M.Phil (Medical & Social Psychology), Ph.D, Profe- sor, Department of Clinical Psychology, National Ins- Abstract titute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (Institute of Objective. The study sought to explore the relationship National Importance) India. Email: [email protected] between levels of stress and resilience with the use of 4. BSc (Statistics), MSc (Statistics), PhD (Science), the mobile phone in nursing students. Methods. Cross- Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of sectional study conducted with 102 nursing students Mental Health & Neurosciences (Institute of National Importance) India. from several Nursing schools in India who were invited Email: [email protected] to participate in the research. The data were gathered by Conflicts of interest: none. using the following instruments: Perceived Stress Scale Received: December 4th, 2018. (PSS) by Cohen, The Connor-Davidson Resilience scale Approved: September 30th, 2019. (CD-RISC), and Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire How to cite this article: Sahu M, Gandhi S, Sharma MK, (MPIQ) by Walsh. Results. Most of the participants were Marimuthu P.
    [Show full text]
  • The Adolescent Distress-Eustress Scale
    The Adolescent Distress-Eustress Scale: Designing, Evaluating, and Utilising a Holistic Measure of Adolescent Stress Victoria Branson School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide November 2019 Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy/Masters of Psychology (Clinical) i CONTENTS List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... v List of Figures .................................................................................................................. ix List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... xi Abstract ........................................................................................................................... xii Declaration ..................................................................................................................... xiv Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... xvii Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................. xix Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 Brief Definition of Stress ......................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Clinical Relevance of Stress in Adolescence ...................................................
    [Show full text]
  • An Investigation of Organisational Stressor, Individual Moderators And
    Department of Psychology Postgraduate Course Work Cover Sheet Student ID: 21970292 Name: Frances Walls Course Code: APSY 660 ........................... Due Date: 01/04/2012 Essay/Assignment Topic and Number (i.e Report 1, Essay 2) (if applicable) Assignment #: Dissertation….Topic: Dual-response approach to work stress: An investigation of organisational stressors, individual moderators and wellbeing outcomes. Statement regarding dishonest practice The Department’s interpretation of what constitutes dishonest practice includes the following: Plagiarism: Using the words or ideas of others and deliberately presenting them as your own, eg by failing to acknowledge or cite your sources. Collusion: Work undertaken in whole or in part in conjunction with another person or persons, but submitted as if it had been completed by the named author alone. Note: This is different from cooperative or collaborative work, where the contribution of all authors is acknowledged. Ghost Writing: The use of another party to prepare all or part of an item of work submitted for assessment. Under the University Regulations, evidence of any of these or other forms of dishonest practice by any student represents ground for disciplinary action and may result in penalties ranging from denial of credit for the work in question to exclusion from the University. This statement is not intended to discourage students from having discussions with each other about how to approach a particular assigned task, and incorporating general ideas coming out of such discussions into their own individual submissions. Quoting: Quoting is the direct reproduction of the exact words of some person other than the author of the document in which the quote occurs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mediating Effect of Eustress and Distress on the Relation Between the Mindset Towards Stress and Health
    Running head: MEDIATING EFFECT OF EUSTRESS AND DISTRESS The Mediating Effect of Eustress and Distress on the Relation between the Mindset Towards Stress and Health Finja Marten University of Twente Dr. Mirjam Radstaak Dr Llewellyn E. van Zyl MEDIATING EFFECT OF EUSTRESS AND DISTRESS Abstract This study examined the effect of eustress and distress on the relation between the mindset towards stress and health. It was hypothesized that a stress-is-enhancing mindset is associated with better health and this association can be explained though eustress and a stress-is- debilitating mindset is associated with worse health, which can be explained through distress. In a descriptive, cross-sectional study (N = 59), participants had to fill in three questionnaires regarding their mindset towards stress, the perception of stress, thus whether they experienced eustress and distress, and their general health. To analyze the associations, the MEDIATE File of Preacher and Hayes was implemented. To circumvent the power problem, the bootstrap sample was increased to 50,000. In sum, the findings supported the two hypotheses. The effect a stress-is-enhancing mindset had on health was mediated by eustress and the effect a stress-is-debilitating mindset had on health was mediated by distress. Thus the perception of stress was the main indicator of whether the mindset had a positive or negative relation with health. If the mindset resulted in eustress, it was associated with better health and if the mindset resulted in distress, it was associated with worse health. Keywords: Mindset, Eustress, Distress, Health 2 MEDIATING EFFECT OF EUSTRESS AND DISTRESS Introduction The most common way of researching stress was to look at the reaction towards stress after a specific stressor occurred.
    [Show full text]
  • The Eustress Concept: Problems and Outlooks
    World Journal of Medical Sciences 11 (2): 179-185, 2014 ISSN 1817-3055 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjms.2014.11.2.8433 The Eustress Concept: Problems and Outlooks 1, 2Roman Kupriyanov and 1, 3Renad Zhdanov 1M.A. Sholokhov Moscow University for Humanities, Russian Institute for Advanced Studies, 16-18, Verkhnjaja radischevskaya St., Moscow 109240, Russian Federation 2Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan 420015, Russian Federation 3Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russian Federation Abstract: The concepts of eustress and allostasis are discussed in terms of their inter-relationship and penetration. Historical research on general adaptation syndrome is examined from the standpoint of an interdisciplinary approach in which the effects of stress are manifested in four areas: physiology, behaviour, subjective experience and cognitive functions. This article provides a review of eustress concepts. The key problems and contradictions of eustress concept are disclosed and discussed. The authors propose an approach to eustress from the position of the adaptation process. The definition of eustress is substantiated as a form of stress after which a person’s adaptive capacity increases. The ways and mechanisms of eustress are described. The role of eustress is reviewed in the context of allostasis, a form of adaptation more complex than homeostasis. The authors propose the working hypothesis of allostatic states to describe the phenomena of distress and eustress. Key words: Stress Adaptation Eustress Allostasis Allostatic Load Adaptive Capacity INTRODUCTION to eustress. Similarly, a search for synonyms of eustress, “positive stress” and “good stress,” yields 461 and Nowadays stress is an attribute of modern life. 19 references, respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • The Explanatory Role of Eustress and Distress in the Relationship Between Extraversion and Depression a Cross-Sectional Study El
    The explanatory role of Eustress and Distress in the relationship between Extraversion and Depression A Cross-sectional Study Elena T. Matejek s1878387 Bachelor Thesis University of Twente, Enschede June 2019 BMS Faculty: Department of Behavioral, Management and Social Sciences Subject: Positive Psychology and Technology 1st supervisor: Dr. Mirjam Radstaak 2nd supervisor: Roos Wolbers Abstract Objectives: This cross-sectional study investigated the mediating roles of eustress and distress in the association between the personality trait extraversion and depression. Eustress can be defined as a positive form of stress, in which the stressor is perceived by people as challenging but not as threatening. In contrast, distress describes the negative kind of stress, which results in adverse physical and mental pressure. Investigating interrelationships would help to analyze the impact of eustress and distress on people’s mental health and might give a new perspective on the qualities of extraverts. It was hypothesized that 1) extraversion correlates positively with eustress and negatively with distress and that 2) eustress and distress mediate the relationship between extraversion and depression. Methods: The sample consisted of 159 students of the University of Twente, predominantly female and German. They completed an online questionnaire involving the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) measuring eustress and distress; the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), which measured depressive symptoms; and the Big Five Inventory (BFI; only Extraversion scale) measuring levels of the personality trait extraversion. The data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and bootstrapping by Hayes’ PROCESS SPSS macro. Results: Correlation analyses demonstrated that 1) extraversion and eustress were positively related (r= .21, p < .01); extraversion and distress negatively (r = -.26, p < .01).
    [Show full text]
  • Emotional Intelligence: Does It Really Matter? a Guide to Coping with Stressful Experiences
    Emotional intelligence: Does it really matter? A guide to coping with stressful experiences Phillip W. Bowen Cognitive Science and Psychology Copyright © 2019 Vernon Press, an imprint of Vernon Art and Science Inc, on behalf of the author. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Vernon Art and Science Inc. www.vernonpress.com In the Americas: In the rest of the world: Vernon Press Vernon Press 1000 N West Street, C/Sancti Espiritu 17, Suite 1200, Wilmington, Malaga, 29006 Delaware 19801 Spain United States Cognitive Science and Psychology Library of Congress Control Number: 2019937914 ISBN: 978-1-62273-679-9 Product and company names mentioned in this work are the trademarks of their re- spective owners. While every care has been taken in preparing this work, neither the authors nor Vernon Art and Science Inc. may be held responsible for any loss or dam- age caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inad- vertently overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition. For Sonia Table of contents List of tables xi List of diagrams xiii Acknowledgement xv Introduction xvii Background xxi Chapter 1 Emotional intelligence 1 A little background to emotional intelligence
    [Show full text]