Original scientific paper
The Relation Between Coping Strategies and Moods During Stressful Transaction
Igor KARDUM
Jasna HUDEK-KNEŽEVIĆ
Tamara MARTINAC
Abstract
On a sample of 147 examinees, the changes in coping
strategies and positive and negative moods during the
specific stressful situation of the final high-school graduation
exam were analysed, as well as the bidirectional and
prospective relations between coping strategies and positive
and negative moods. Coping strategies and moods were
measured three times during the stressful situation: the
period prior to taking the exam, during the written
graduation exam and the period following the exam up to
the moment the results of the written exam were announced.
The results obtained indicate that significant changes
occurred during this time in using the problem-aimed coping
strategy and avoidance strategy, while emotionally-aimed
coping did not change during the stressful transaction.
Problem-aimed coping is highest in the period during the
written exam, while in this phase, coping through avoidance
is the lowest. Examinees’ moods also changed siginificantly, and, generally speaking, during the stressful transaction
positive mood dropped and negative mood rose. Problemaimed
coping is concurrently positively correlated with the
positive mood, and also demonstrates a lagged positive
correlation with positive and lagged negative correlation with
negative mood. Furthermore, positive mood has a lagged
positive correlation with problem-aimed coping. Emotionallyaimed
coping is concurrently and lagged positively
correlated with negative mood, and negative mood is also
lagged positively correlated with this coping strategy. Coping
through avoidance is the least connected with moods,
demonstrating a lagged positive correlation with both
positive and negative mood, depending on the phase of the
stressful transaction.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
20458
URI
Publication date:
31.10.1998.
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