Dysphoric Responses to a Naturalistic Stressor: Interactive Effects of Hope and Defense Style

The present study utilizes a prospective longitudinal approach with a naturalistic stressor (exam feedback) to expand upon previous findings (Kwon, 2000, 2002). This study extended previous work on defensive hopelessness by examining the combination of low hope and defense maturity in the face of stress. As hypothesized, individuals with defensive hopelessness did not become dysphoric after feedback regarding poor exam performance. The study also demonstrates that the combination of low hope, high defense immaturity, and high stress produced the highest increase in dysphoria. Finally, given that high hope was not associated with dysphoria under any conditions, our findings do not support the notion of false hope.