Examining the influence of perceived stress on developmental change in memory and perceptual speed for adopted and nonadopted individuals.

Little is known about the naturalistic development of mindfulness in adolescence, and whether changes in this mental faculty are associated with perceived stress and emotional well-being. The current longitudinal study examined the development of one dimension of mindfulness, nonreactivity to inner experience, in a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample (N = 1,657) during the transition from middle school to high school. Students participated in up to four assessment waves, from fall of 8th grade through spring of 9th grade, during which they completed self-report measures assessing nonreactivity, perceived stress, and positive affect. Latent growth curve models indicated that levels of nonreactivity increased linearly during the two-year study period. Developmental change in nonreactivity varied minimally by gender, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. Parallel process latent growth curve models showed that changes in nonreactivity were associated with concomitant reductions in perceived stress and increases in positive affect. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that within-person nonreactivity prospectively predicted changes in perceived stress and positive affect. This is the first study to track naturalistic developmental change in mindfulness during adolescence. Results suggest that the nonreactivity dimension of mindfulness may boost resilience during the transition from middle school to high school.

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Anforderungen, Entscheidungsfreiräume und Stress im Studium

Diagnostica ◽

10.1026/0012-1924/a000213 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 63-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Laura I. Schmidt ◽

Fabian Scheiter ◽

Andreas Neubauer ◽

Monika Sieverding

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Soziale Arbeit ◽

Stress Index ◽

Job Content Questionnaire ◽

Reliabilität Und Validität ◽

Körperliche Beschwerden ◽

Job Content ◽

Demand Control

Zusammenfassung. Mit dem Demand-Control-Modell und dem dazugehörigen Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) existiert im Arbeitsumfeld ein bewährtes Modell zur Vorhersage physischer und psychischer Gesundheitsrisiken. Um diese auch unter Studierenden theoriegeleitet vorhersagen zu können, passten wir den JCQ auf den Hochschulkontext an und untersuchten mittels unseres Fragebogens zu strukturellen Belastungen und Ressourcen im Studium (StrukStud) den Erklärungsbeitrag hinsichtlich Stresserleben und Wohlbefinden. In 4 Studien mit insgesamt 732 Studierenden (Psychologie, Lehramt, Soziale Arbeit, Wirtschaftsrecht und Erziehung & Bildung) wurden die Demand-Control-Dimensionen (StrukStud), Stresserleben (Heidelberger Stress-Index HEI-STRESS & Perceived Stress Questionnaire) und weitere Referenzkonstrukte wie Studienzufriedenheit und körperliche Beschwerden erfasst. Befunde zur Reliabilität und Validität werden vorgestellt. Die Ergebnisse belegen die psychometrische Qualität des StrukStud sowie dessen Potenzial zur Erklärung von Stress im Studium. Mit dem StrukStud liegt für den deutschsprachigen Raum erstmals ein ökonomisches Selbsteinschätzungsinstrument zur Erfassung von psychologischen Anforderungen und Entscheidungsfreiräumen im Studium vor.

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Speeded Paper-Pencil Sustained Attention and Mental Speed Tests

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001.29.4.205 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 205-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Stefan Krumm ◽

Lothar Schmidt-Atzert ◽

Kurt Michalczyk ◽

Vanessa Danthiir

Keyword(s):

Sustained Attention ◽

Time Pressure ◽

Factor Model ◽

Higher Order ◽

Future Research ◽

Perceptual Speed ◽

Speed Factor ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Task Processing ◽

Order Factor

Mental speed (MS) and sustained attention (SA) are theoretically distinct constructs. However, tests of MS are very similar to SA tests that use time pressure as an impeding condition. The performance in such tasks largely relies on the participants’ speed of task processing (i.e., how quickly and correctly one can perform the simple cognitive tasks). The present study examined whether SA and MS are empirically the same or different constructs. To this end, 24 paper-pencil and computerized tests were administered to 199 students. SA turned out to be highly related to MS task classes: substitution and perceptual speed. Furthermore, SA showed a very close relationship with the paper-pencil MS factor. The correlation between SA and computerized speed was considerably lower but still high. In a higher-order general speed factor model, SA had the highest loading on the higher-order factor; the higher-order factor explained 88% of SA variance. It is argued that SA (as operationalized with tests using time pressure as an impeding condition) and MS cannot be differentiated, at the level of broad constructs. Implications for neuropsychological assessment and future research are discussed.

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The Buffering Effect of Character Strengths on Depression

European Journal of Health Psychology ◽

10.1027/2512-8442/a000036 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 101-109

Author(s):

Beatrice Lee ◽

Cahit Kaya ◽

Xiangli Chen ◽

Jia-Rung Wu ◽

Kanako Iwanaga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Attributional Style ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Character Strengths ◽

Empirically Supported ◽

High School To College ◽

Transition From High School ◽

Adjustment Issues ◽

Negative Attributional Style

Abstract. The transition from high school to college can be very stressful for Turkish students because they may experience value conflicts and adjustment issues, which can trigger the development of mental health problems. Character strengths can serve as a buffer against psychopathology. The aim of the study was to examine perceived stress and negative attributional style as mediating factors between character strengths and depression among Turkish college students. Bootstrap testing approach was implemented to compute direct and indirect effects and total effect in the mediation analysis. Altogether 235 students from two Turkish universities participated in the study. The results showed that character strengths were associated with lower levels of depression and it was negatively associated with perceived stress and negative attributional style. The results also indicated that perceived stress and negative attribution style completely mediated the relationship between character strengths and depression among Turkish college students. These findings suggested the need to develop empirically supported interventions that can promote character strengths toward reducing stress, negative attributions, and depression in this population.

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Guilty Pleasure No More

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000223 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 126-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Robin L. Nabi ◽

Debora Pérez Torres ◽

Abby Prestin

Keyword(s):

Stress Management ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Media Use ◽

Well Being ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Positive Role ◽

Individual Difference Variables ◽

Relative Value ◽

Management Techniques ◽

Managing Stress

Abstract. Despite the substantial attention paid to stress management in the extant coping literature, media use has been surprisingly overlooked as a strategy worthy of close examination. Although media scholars have suggested media use may be driven by a need to relax, related research has been sporadic and, until recently, disconnected from the larger conversation about stress management. The present research aimed to determine the relative value of media use within the broader range of coping strategies. Based on surveys of both students and breast cancer patients, media use emerged as one of the most frequently selected strategies for managing stress across a range of personality and individual difference variables. Further, heavier television consumers and those with higher perceived stress were also more likely to use media for coping purposes. Finally, those who choose media for stress management reported it to be an effective tool, although perhaps not as effective as other popular strategies. This research not only documents the centrality of media use in the corpus of stress management techniques, thus highlighting the value of academic inquiry into media-based coping, but it also offers evidence supporting the positive role media use can play in promoting psychological well-being.

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