Citation

Priester MJ, Clum GA. J. Couns. Psychol. 1993; 40(1): 79-85.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/0022-0167.40.1.79

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A longitudinal design with a mild, naturalistic stressor (poor grade on a midterm exam) tested whether perceived problem-solving ability predicted adjustment in a sample of 303 college students. Participants completed assessments before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) the stressor. Individuals who appraised their problem-solving ability as lower at Time 1 were found to be more vulnerable to the stress of a low grade and experienced higher levels of depression and hopelessness, though not of suicide ideation, at Time 2. These results were obtained independent of prestress scores on these adjustment measures. The results support the model of Perceived Problem-Solving × Stress as a predictor of adjustment.

Language: en