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Innovations in the Measurement of Life Stress: Crisis Theory and the Significance of Event Resolution

Journal of Health and Social BehaviorPublished 1 March 1992
R. Jay Turner, William R. Avison
Citations133
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score2.52
SNIP2.29

TL;DR

The possibility that life events that have been resolved successfully may not contribute to individual stress is examined, suggesting an innovation in stress measurement suggested by a proposition drawn from crisis theory that recognizes life events as representing opportunities as well as hazards.

Abstract

Further progress in understanding the significance of stress for psychological well-being requires improved strategies for controlling both inter- and intra-event variability across subjects studied. This paper reports on an innovation in stress measurement suggested by a proposition drawn from crisis theory that recognizes life events as representing opportunities as well as hazards. The crucial contingency is hypothesized to be the outcome of the event with respect to the extent of its resolution in emotional and practical terms. This paper examines the possibility that life events that have been resolved successfully may not contribute to individual stress. Data was gathered from community samples of physically limited individuals and of non-limited comparison subjects. Results from separate analyses of these data generally support this hypothesis.

Keywords

PsychologySocial Sciences