156 research outputs found
An integrated dual‐process model for coping behaviour
No full textStress management interventions have traditionally aimed to change coping behaviour with little attention to mechanisms that drive behaviour change. We sought to test an integrated dual-process model, accounting for reasoned and automatic processes, for predicting problem-focussed coping behaviour. The study adopted a two-wave prospective correlational design with a 1-week follow-up. University students aged 17–25 (N = 272) completed survey measures online. At Time 1, participants completed self-report measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, intention, behavioural automaticity, and past problem-focussed coping behaviour. At Time 2, participants completed follow-up measures of behavioural automaticity and problem-focussed coping behaviour. Structural equation modelling testing the hypothesised dual-process model exhibited a good fit to the data, accounting for 50.0% and 45.4% of the variance in intentions and problem-focussed coping behaviour, respectively. Attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and past behaviour directly predicted intention. Intention, past behaviour, and behavioural automaticity directly predicted problem-focussed coping behaviour. Past behaviour also indirectly predicted problem-focussed coping behaviour via behavioural automaticity. Results suggest that problem-focussed coping behaviour tends to be regulated by reasoned psychological processes, and more strongly by automatic psychological processes. Future research aiming to increase problem-focussed coping should utilise behaviour change methods known to influence these processes.No Full Tex
A meta-analysis of the social cognition predictors of unintentional drowning behaviours
No full textDrowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional death, accounting for 7% of injury related deaths worldwide (Franklin et al., 2020). Scholars have therefore sought to investigate the factors which precipitate unintentional drowning with the ultimate goal of creating evidence-based behaviour change strategies. One key avenue for such research is the investigation of the beliefs and cognitions which predict individuals’ intentions to engage in behaviours which exacerbate or reduce their risk of drowning. For example, by investigating the predictors of behaviours such as wearing a life jacket, drinking alcohol near water, or enrolling one’s child in formal swimming education (Hamilton, Keech, et al., 2018; Hamilton, Demant, et al., 2020; Hamilton, Keech, et al., 2020; Peden, Demant, et al., 2018; Peden, Smith, et al., 2018). The aforementioned evidence naturally has inherent value in understanding a range of behaviours, and has in turn been extended into the testing and creation of several theory based public health strategies and behaviour change interventions (Hamilton et al., 2022; Hamilton, Keech, et al., 2018; Hamilton, Peden, et al., 2018; Hatfield et al., 2012). However, despite the value of individual studies, to date there is yet to be an empirical synthesis of the evidence regarding the social cognition predictors of unintentional drowning behaviours. The current research aims to provide such a synthesis, and to provide a more accurate estimate of the predictive effects of social cognition on unintentional drowning behaviours, while controlling for study specific effects and investigating pertinent methodological and theory-based moderators
Reconciling the interpersonal consequences of stress mindset interventions
No full textInterventions aimed at promoting a mindset that stress can be enhancing appear to benefit individuals by buffering the impacts of stress on health and performance. However, recent evidence has suggested that while stress mindset interventions may produce favorable intrapersonal outcomes, they may have unintended interpersonal consequences. This study examined the impact of a stress mindset intervention on perceptions of others’ stress and intentions to provide social support. A preregistered 2 × 2 mixed experimental design was adopted, testing three models. Participants were randomized (N = 176; 76% female) into an intervention or control group (between-subjects factor in all models). In an online survey, participants completed self-report measures of stress mindset and rated their perceptions of distress and their social support intentions, toward a close friend and a colleague, in two hypothetical scenarios. Stress mindset was the within-subjects factor in the first model. Relationship type was the counterbalanced within-subjects factor in the second and third models. The intervention yielded a significant large effect on stress mindset. No significant differences in stress perceptions or social support intentions emerged between the groups. Contrary to previous findings, we did not find evidence that promoting the mindset that stress can be enhancing alters the way people perceive and intend to respond to others’ stress. Hence, current findings support stress mindset interventions as valuable for stress management and provide directions for future research and practice.Full Tex
Workplace demands, resources and wellbeing: A study of police staff working in forensic services
No full textBackground: Forensic staff play a crucial role in law enforcement through providing specialist services to police agencies in criminal investigations. Given the unique nature of their work, including frequent exposure to potentially distressing material, administrative workloads, and other work-related pressures, forensic staff are at risk of experiencing increased occupational stress and decreased mental and physical wellbeing. Indeed, previous research suggests that approximately one in three employees working in forensic contexts are at risk of experiencing negative stress-related outcomes such as burnout (measured in this study as physical and psychological exhaustion) and/or psychological injury (Kelty & Gordon, 2015; Kelty et al., 2021).
Aims: Given these specific challenges, the current research was commissioned by the Forensic Services Group of the Queensland Police Service (QPS). It aimed to investigate how work demands and resources contribute to stress and wellbeing outcomes among forensic staff. Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, the purpose of this report was to: (1) describe the demands, resources, stress-related outcomes, and barriers to help-seeking among the QPS forensic services workforce; and (2) examine the demands and resources that are associated a range of stress-related outcomes amongst this same cohort.No Full Tex
Understanding young males’ alcohol use around water: A qualitative analysis
No full textDrowning is a major issue worldwide, particularly for young men. Additionally, alcohol and drug use have been identified as major risk factors for drowning in males aged 18-34. The current study used a qualitative approach to investigate and understand the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes that young males hold towards consuming alcohol around water. Through inductive analyses of interviews with 23 males who have previously consumed alcohol around water, participants provided rich in-depth descriptions of their lived experience which allowed the current study to isolate a range of commonly occurring themes. These themes can play a key role in planning future research and campaigns aimed at reducing young males’ consumption of alcohol around water. Findings provide support for potential public safety campaigns, policy changes, and intervention programs to reduce alcohol consumption around water by targeting behavioural, normative and control beliefs associated with alcohol consumption around water.Full Tex
Open science in behavioural medicine: An Australian perspective
No full textAdoption of open science practices have been steadily increasing in Australia since around 2015, albeit slowly. Emerging data indicates that uptake of many practices such as open sharing of data and analysis scripts, pre-registration of research plans and methods, and open sharing of research materials are still low among psychology researchers. Furthermore, to date, it seems only a couple of universities are leading the way in the open science movement. A range of barriers may be hindering uptake of open science practices in Australia including lack of knowledge, existing beliefs and teachings about ‘questionable’ research practices, and structural issues which may include incentive structures or lack of top-down support. For example, fewer than half of Australian universities have a policy or statement on open access, and publications in Nature or Science are still weighted considerably in key university rankings. As behavioral medicine researchers, how can we work toward a consensus on the creation of incentive structures that encourage ‘best’ practice research without creating new problems? Lack of knowledge of open science practices is also a significant issue among Australian academics; thus, how can we address this knowledge gap in our undergraduate teachings and leadership roles so information can filter through to the next generation of researchers and create an institutional and societal shift in perceptions and practices toward open science? Currently, only some academics in Australia share information about open science through their undergraduate teaching, and this content does not form a key part of the curriculum in research methods.No Full Tex
Managing Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond : Reappraisal and Mindset Approaches
No full textAbstract The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a truly global public health crisis with substantive human, social, and economic costs. The pandemic and the associated preventive ‘lockdown’ measures have also given rise to a parallel mental health crisis, with elevated levels of chronic stress observed in the general population. Stress levels are also likely to be higher among at-risk groups such as those who have become employed or are on furlough, those in essential services with higher risk of exposure, and those from underserved communities. Development of efficacious means to assist individuals in effectively managing their during the pandemic and beyond is an imperative. We outline how stress reappraisal interventions offer a potentially efficacious, cost effective strategy to manage pandemic-related stress and minimize deleterious health consequences. Specifically, we advocate two stress management strategies: stress reappraisal, which involves prompting individuals to appraise stress as challenging and to be approached rather than threatening and to be avoided, and stress mindsets, which involves highlighting the enhancing nature of stress. We outline how these strategies may be implemented during the pandemic as part of interventions aimed at promoting stress management and better mental health during the pandemic and as communities emerge from lockdown. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.peerReviewe
Evaluation of an implementation intentions intervention for managing university student stress
No full textUniversity students consistently report high levels of stress, which has been associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Promoting adaptive coping behaviours, such as problem-focused coping for managing university stress, is therefore a timely area of investigation. Current coping intervention approaches target reasoned cognitive processes; however, recent research has suggested that automatic processes are more strongly associated with problem-focused coping behaviour. The current study examined the effect of an implementation intentions intervention, a technique that can support behaviour to be performed automatically by facilitating continued repetition of a plan, on problem-focused coping behaviour under stress and stress-related outcomes. Following a pilot study (N = 21), a preregistered randomized controlled trial was conducted with university students (N = 154) using an online survey. Participants completed baseline measures of problem-focused coping behaviour, behavioural automaticity, behavioural intentions, action planning, perceived stress, procrastination, and psychological wellbeing; before receiving the intervention or control condition stimuli, and then at a 2-week follow-up. Behavioural intention and action planning were also measured immediately post-intervention. The intervention had a significant medium-sized effect on action planning for problem-focused coping, but no other significant effects were detected. Exploratory assessment of plan quality revealed medium-sized correlations between plan quality and changes in problem-focused coping behaviour. Findings indicate that implementation intentions may be a promising approach for increasing planning for the use of problem-focused coping. Indicators of plan quality found to be associated with changes in problem-focused coping provide valuable avenues for intervention optimisation in future research.Full Tex
Reasoned and implicit processes in heavy episodic drinking : An integrated dual‐process model
No full textObjectives:
University students commonly engage in heavy episodic drinking (HED), which contributes to injury risk, deleterious educational outcomes, and economic costs. Identification of the determinants of this risky behaviour may provide formative evidence on which to base effective interventions to curb HED in this population. Drawing from theories of social cognition and dual‐process models, this study tested key hypotheses relating to reasoned and implicit pathways to action for HED in a sample of Australian university students who drink alcohol.
Design:
A two‐wave correlational design was adopted.
Methods:
Students (N = 204) completed self‐reported constructs from social cognition theories with respect to HED at an initial time point (T1): attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, intentions, habit, past behaviour, and implicit alcohol identity. Four weeks later (T2), students self‐reported their HED behaviour and habit.
Results:
An initial path model indicated attitude and subjective norm predicted intentions, and intentions and implicit alcohol identity predicted HED. Inclusion of past behaviour and habit revealed direct effects of these on HED. Effects of T1 habit on HED were indirect through T2 habit, and there were indirect effects of past behaviour on HED through habit at both time points and the social cognition constructs. Direct effects of intentions and implicit alcohol identity, and indirect effects of attitude and subjective norm, on HED, were attenuated by the inclusion of past behaviour and habit.
Conclusion:
Results indicate that university students’ HED tends to be governed by non‐conscious, automatic processes than conscious, intentional processes.peerReviewe
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