Task Value Mediating the Effects of Stress on the Selection of Coping Among College Freshmen

• In Event: 65.037 - Motivation, Purpose, and College Student Outcomes

Abstract

It has been reported that problem-focused coping (PFC) decreases stress and emotion-focused coping (EFC) exacerbates stressful situations in the long term (Kim & Duda, 2003); however, not all college freshmen engaged in PFC adaptively cope with stress. The current study tested a motivation indicator, subjective task value (Eccles et al., 1984), as a cognitive appraisal that facilitates the selection of stress coping in Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. Results revealed that 321 freshmen who valued college education as enjoyable, important, and/or rated its cost value as low were more likely to engage in PFC. The theoretical developments of stress and motivation theory, as well as practical implications for freshmen adaptively coping with stress are discussed.

Authors

• Ying Dong, University of North Dakota

• Robert H. Stupnisky, University of North Dakota