Appraisal Processes, Coping, and the Regulation of Stress-Related Emotions in a College Examination

People differ dramatically in their suspectibility to stress, and attempts are being made to understand why. In this study, predictions were made concerning the role cognitions and coping strategies play in generating poststress emotions. Specifically, the following two hypotheses were tested: (a) that the appraisal of a forthcoming stressful event influences the direction of emotions experienced, and (b) that the adaptiveness of a particular coping pattern is a result of how well the coping style used (i.e., active or avoidant) matches the person's original appraisal of the situation. The results supported the proposed hypotheses. First, outcome expectancies influenced the tone of emotions experienced prior to an exam. Second, coping interacted with expectancy appraisals to affect emotions experienced after the exam. It was concluded that a flexible coping style, one that is responsive to circumstantial demands and constraints, is most adaptive.