To investigate whether gender, tension-reduction expectancies, and hardiness would be predictors of alcohol consumption level, the I5-item Hardiness Scale, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-III, and the Cahalan Drinking Practices Questionnaire were given to 603 college students (female = 454). A forward stepwise regression analysis revealed that all three variables were significant independent predictors of alcohol consumption yet tension-reduction expectancies accounted for the most variance. These findings reiterate the role of tension-reduction expectancies and gender in alcohol consumption and suggest a role for hardiness.
This study examined the relations between coping strategies and individual differences. Coping strategies were assessed using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), which includes problem-focused, emotion-focused, and social support seeking scales. Sensing and thinking (ST), and intuition and feeling (NF) preferences measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) were considered as cognitive styles. In addition, gender and social support were also examined. A total of 396 college students (139 males and 257 females) participated in the study. Two-hundred and sixteen subjects were selected using the MBTI results, They were divided into the ST group (123 subjects) and the NF group (93 subjects). The data from 396 subjects were used to investigate gender differences in coping strategies and social support. The findings indicated that the ST group tended to use problem-focused coping strategies, while the NF group preferred to use emotion-focused coping strategies. No gender differences were found in problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies (except one subscale of emotion-focused coping, the distancing scale; males revealed higher scores than females). However, there was a significant relation between females and social support.
This survey was designed to identify the illness representation shared by the middle class of Koreans. In order to understand social representation of physical illness about illness and/or health adapted by the middle class, a survey was conducted using 710 college students located at six universities across the nation and 631 of their parents. The present study revealed that Koreans predominantly adapted a psychosocial model developed recently as well as traditional medicine model (e.g. ki) as a useful explanation for health and/or treatment. The majority of people also endorsed oriental medicine and folk medicine, suggesting the need for alternative medicine as a viable approach even in health psychology. The present study reported the general pattern of illness representation shared by the middle class of Koreans. It also reported the similarities and differences by age (young adult vs. middle age) and by health status (health vs. unhealthy). Major findings were discussed with previous studies and some implications for future studies are suggested.
The purpose of this research is to find the effects of the 'Study Stress Coping Training Program' on the reduction of study stress and the academic achievements in high school students. This program is mainly based on Won, Ho Taek's 'Study Stress Coping Training Program' and Kim, Young Jin's counseling method for study. This program is aimed at enhancing the student's abilities to understand and manage study stress. The content of this program covers 'understanding of the stress as a transactional model; the correction of irrational thought; time management', etc. The instruction of study skill can be a way of reducing the study stress. That's why we dealt with the study skill program such as PQRST reading skill, concentration and memory, taking notes and preparing for exams, etc. A total of 20 students from the 2nd grade of a girls' high school in Seoul joined this program voluntarily and they were assigned to one experimental group and one control group, 10 students in each group. Each group consists of the students having similar academic achievements. The experimental group had 20 hours' training for 5 weeks. On the contrary, the control group didn't get any treatment during those periods. To evaluate the effects of this program, ANCOVA was applied and the results of the evaluation are as follows: 1) After the training, there was significant reduction in the experimental group at the level of stressor (F(1,17)=0.03, p<.0l) and stress response (F(1,17)=8.53, p<.001). 2) Among the 6 subscales of stressor (Grade, Test, Lesson, Study, Course, and Outer Environment) there was significant reduction in Grade and Study. Among the three subscales of stress response (Physical, Psychological, and Behavioral Response), the scores of the experimental group were significantly decreased in Physical and Psychological Response. 3) This program was efficient for improving the grades of Korean History and English for the experimental group.
This study was designed to test the effects of anger-in tendency and problem-solving on anger experiences and blood pressure within the anger-arousing social interactional context. Fifty two female college students who had either a high or a low level of anger-in tendency were randomly assigned in either problem-solving condition or no problem-solving condition. Blood pressure and anger experiences were repeatedly measured during baseline, anger-arousing, problem-solving and recovery phase. Major results of this study were as follows: First, subjects who had a high level of anger-in tendency experienced higher anger than subjects who had a low level of anger-in tendency during baseline, anger-arousing, problem-solving and recovery phase. Second, subjects in a non-problem-solving condition exhibited higher blood pressure than subjects in a problem-solving condition during a problem-solving period and subjects of a problem-solving condition showed slower pace in blood pressure recovery than subjects in a non-problem-solving condition. Third, in a non-problem-solving condition, subjects who had a high level of anger-in tendency exhibited higher anger and blood pressure than subjects who had a low level of anger-in tendency after a problem-solving period. In conclusion, this study suggests that problem-solving condition can moderate the effects of anger-in tendency on the anger experience and blood pressure. It also suggests that it is useful to distinguish between anger-in tendency as a trait compared to state anger-in behavior for dissolving the problem of anger-in (Spielberger) and anger-out (Siegman) controversy in CHD and high blood pressure.
This study was intended to study the effects of individuals' personality traits and life events on drinking motives. Personality traits were measured using Type A personality and big-five personality factors (extroversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and intellect) and life events were measured using 17 conflict life events. Correlational analyses, based on the data from 400 university students, showed that personality traits and life events were related to drinking motives. Stepwise regression analyses, with personality traits and life events as predictors, showed that personality traits and life events predicted drinking motives. Among all the predictors, a smoking problem had the largest effect on explaining drinking motives. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine if life events contribute a significant amount of incremental variance to the prediction of drinking motives after entering personality traits first. Results showed that life events added a significant amount of incremental variance to the prediction of all six factors of drinking motives. Implications and limitations of the results and suggestions for future study were discussed.
Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) is typically defined as the fear of anxiety symptoms (including thoughts and somatic sensations) arising from beliefs that they have harmful social, physical, or psychological consequences. Catastrophizing over the potential negative consequences of pain appears to be common, as does fear and escape/avoidances. So this study investigated the effects of AS on pain-related fear and catastrophic thoughts (negative expectancies) and escape/avoidance. Patients with chronic pain (N=212) completed measures of AS, pain severity, pain-related fear and catastrophic thoughts, and escape/avoidance. Structural equation modeling supported the prediction that AS exacerbates negative expectancies and promotes pain related escape/avoidance. Also it was found that AS directly promoted pain related escape/avoidance, consistent with the prediction. This effect was significant when controlling the influence on pain severity. These results suggest that AS plays an important role in negative expectancies of pain and escape/avoidance and in the maintenance of pain behavior and related disability in people with chronic pain. The implications of these results are discussed.
This article examined the factors that influence life-satisfaction and academic grade among primary, junior high, and senior high school students. A total of 3,095 students (961 primary, 898 junior high, and 1,236 senior high students) completed a questionnaire developed by the first two authors and the self-efficacy scale developed by Bandura (1995). Results of analysis of co-variance indicated significant group differences. Specifically, primary school students had higher scores on life-satisfaction, self-efficacy, and social support received from parents. Although the social support received from parents and teachers decreased with age, social support received from friends increased. LISREL analyses indicated that social support influences self-efficacy and life-satisfaction. Secondly, self-efficacy influences life-satisfaction and academic grade. When we examined differences among the providers of social support, the influence of teachers decreases with age and the importance of paternal social support increases with age. Finally, self-efficacy had strong influence on life-satisfaction and academic grades.
This study examines generational differences and life-satisfaction among a sample of adolescents. adults, and elderly. A total of 2,789 participants (1,298 male, 1,489 female participants, and 2 missing) of which 981 were adolescents, 1,661 were adults, and 147 were elderly, completed a survey developed by the present researchers, in addition to the self-efficacy subscales developed by Bandura (1997). The results indicated significant interaction between generation and gender. First, intergenerational conflict was greatest for female adolescents and elderly males. Second, male adolescents and elderly females were more likely to hold conservative values. Third, male adolescents scored higher than females adolescents on self-efficacy to control distressing rumination and resiliency, while such differences were not found for elderly. Fourth, for self-regulatory efficacy, males adolescents scored higher than female adolescents, while the opposite was true for the elderly. Fifth, female adolescents and elderly males were more likely to use mobile phones than their counterpart. For main effects, first, elderly perceived greatest intergenerational conflicts. Second, adolescents were most likely to hold progressive values. For life goals, social service was the highest mean for the elderly, while self-actualization was the highest for adolescents. Third, elderly preferred professional careers (e.g., doctors, professors), while adolescents preferred occupation in the entertainment sector (e.g., musicians, atheletes). Fourth, elderly were more likely to adopt coping strategies that emphasize avoidance or seeking social support. Fifth, the elderly preferred traditional sex-role differentiation, while adolescents preferred more egalitarian role obligations. For TV programs, adolescents preferred variety shows, and the elderly preferred drama. For music, adolescents preferred Hip-Hop and Rock 'n Roll, while the elderly preferred traditional and nostalgic music. For life-satisfaction, those with higher socio-economic status, self-efficacy beliefs, conservative values, and low intergenerational conflict had higher life satisfaction. Finally, those elderly who live in the extended family, rather than nuclear family, and those who had progressive values had higher life-satisfaction scores.