The role of cognition in stress: Relationship between perceived life stress, self-efficacy, optimism, self-esteem, positive affect, negative affect, and work stress

Higgins, Glynn (2017) The role of cognition in stress: Relationship between perceived life stress, self-efficacy, optimism, self-esteem, positive affect, negative affect, and work stress. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

This study examined the role of cognition in stress in a sample of 523 Irish college students. The development of our understanding of the construct of stress is vital as it can pose a substantial threat to both our physiological and psychological well-being. This is demonstrated by the large body of research associating stress with many common negative health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, anxiety, and depression. This study proposed a cognitive model of stress which assessed the relationship between the dependent variable perceived life stress and the cognitive predictor variables self-efficacy, optimism, self-esteem, positive affect, and negative affect. Negative affect was found to be by some way the most significantly strongly associated variable with perceived life stress in the model. This indicates that negative emotions encompassed under the negative affect cognitive process domain would appear to significantly influence stress levels. This study also evaluated the relationship between work stress and perceived life stress and found there to be a significantly strong relationship between the two variables. Future research should seek to greater comprehend the impact of specific negative emotional states and work stress on life stress as a whole. In turn this would further develop our understanding of the stress process and the role cognition plays within the process.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology > Cognition H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Industrial Psychology > Workplace Stress
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2017 14:12
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2017 14:12
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/2819

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