The effects of coping strategies on psychological and psychophysiological responses in aversive stressful settings

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Behavior Therapy Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 85 - 97
• Main Authors: Sakano, Yuji, Suzuki, Shin-ichi, Kumano, Hiroaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies( JABCT ) 30.09.1998; 一般社団法人 日本認知・行動療法学会
• Subjects: distress; effort; stress coping; ストレス対処
• ISSN: 0910-6529; 2424-2594
• DOI: 10.24468/jjbt.24.2_85

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of coping strategies on psychological and psychophysiological responses in aversive stressful settings. Subjects were 40 male undergraduate students, who were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an effort coping group, a distress coping group, an effort-distress coping group, and a control group. Heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance level, and psychological stress responses were compared among the four groups in the coping session and in the shock anticipating session. The main findings were as follows: (1) Effort coping strategy activated cardiovascular responses in the coping session, and reduced psychological and psychophysiological responses in the shock anticipating session; (2) Distress coping strategy activated electrodermal activity and psychological responses in the coping session, and intensified electrodermal activity in the shock anticipating session; and (3) Effort-distress coping strategy activated moderately psychological and psychophysiological responses in both the coping session and the shock anticipating session.