Four stress management techniques were evaluated for their general appeal, their immediate benefits, and the subjective experiences they evoke. One hundred undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups: (1) progressive muscle relaxation (PMR); (2) distraction imagery; (3) focused imagery; (4) listening to music; (5) sitting quietly (control). Distraction imagery and listening to music were the only techniques found to reduce anxiety to a greater extent than simply sitting quietly. The techniques differed in the way they made subjects feel, but not in their general appeal. Individuals with a “blunting” coping style were more likely to find all five techniques appealing.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
LichsteinK. L., Clinical Relaxation Strategies, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1988.
2.
GordonR. M., Effects of Volunteering and Responsibility on the Perceived Value and Effectiveness of a Clinical Treatment, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44, pp. 977–801, 1976.
3.
BeehrT. A.O'HaraK., Methodological Designs for the Evaluation of Occupational Stress Interventions, in Stress and Health: Issues in Research Methodology, KaslS. V.CooperC. L. (eds.), John Wiley, Chichester, England, 1987.
4.
WoolfolkR. L.LehrerP. M., Principles and Practice of Stress Management, Guilford Press, New York, 1984.
5.
SchwartzG. E.DavidsonR. J.GolemanD. J., Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise, Psychosomatic Medicine, 40:4, pp. 321–328, 1978.
6.
WaddenT. A.LuborskyL.GreenS.Crits-ChristophP., The Behavioral Treatment of Essential Hypertension: An Update and Comparison with Pharmacological Treatment, Clinical Psychology Review, 4, pp. 403–429, 1984.
7.
MorrowG. R.DobkinP. L., Anticipatory Nausea and Vomiting in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment: Prevalence, Etiology, and Behavioral Interventions, Clinical Psychology Review, 8, pp. 517–556, 1988.
8.
TaylorC. B.AgrasW. S.SchneiderJ. A.AllenR. A., Adherence to Instructions to Practice Relaxation Exercises, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, pp. 952–953, 1983.
9.
EverlyG. S.Jr., A Clinical Guide to the Treatment of the Human Stress Response, Plenum Press, New York, 1989.
10.
MartelliM. F.AuerbachS. M.AlexanderJ.MercuriL. G., Stress Management in the Health Care Setting: Matching Interventions with Patient Coping Styles, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55:2, pp. 201–207, 1987.
11.
ScottL. E.ClumG. A., Examining the Interaction effects of Coping Style and Brief Interventions in the Treatment of Postsurgical Pain, Pain, 20, pp. 279–291, 1984.
12.
Ludwick-RosenthalR.NeufeldR. W. J., Stress Management during Noxious Medical Procedures: An Evaluative Review of Outcome Studies, Psychological Bulletin, 104:3, pp. 326–342, 1988.
13.
DelmonteM. M., Factors Influencing the Regularity of Meditation Practice in a Clinical Population, British Journal of Medical Psychology, 57, pp. 275–278, 1984.
14.
MillerS. M., When Is a Little Information a Dangerous Thing? Coping with Stressful Events by Monitoring versus Blunting, in Coping and Health: Proceedings of a NATA Conference, LevineS.UrsinH. (eds.), Plenum Press, New York, pp. 145–169, 1980.
15.
MillerS. M., Monitoring and Blunting: Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Styles of Information Seeking under Threat, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, pp. 345–353, 1987.
16.
MillerS. M.LeinbachA.BrodyD. S., Coping Style in Hypertensives: Nature and Consequences, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, pp. 333–337, 1989.
17.
DavidsonR. J.SchwartzG. E., The Psychobiology of Relaxation and Related States: A Multi-Process Theory, in Behavior Control and Modification of Physiological Activity, MostofskyD. I. (ed.), Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pp. 399–442, 1976.
18.
ScheierM. F.CarverC. S., Optimism, Coping, and Health: Assessment and Implications of Generalized Outcome Expectancies, Health Psychology, 4:3, pp. 219–247, 1985.
19.
ScheierM. F.CarverC. S., Dispositional Optimism and Physical Weil-Being: The Influence of Generalized Outcome Expectancies on Health, Journal of Personality, 55, pp. 169–210, 1987.
20.
MillerL. C.MurphyR.BussA. H., Consciousness of Body: Private and Public, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41:2, pp. 397–406, 1981.
21.
LandyF. J.SternR. M., Factor Analysis of a Somatic Perception Questionnaire, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 15, pp. 179–181, 1971.
22.
SheehanP. W., A Shortened Form of Bens' Questionnaire upon Mental Imagery, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 23, pp. 386–389, 1967.
23.
BernsteinD. A.BorkovecT. D., Progressive Relaxation Training: A Manual for the Helping Professions, Research Press, Champaign, Illinois, 1973.
24.
Crits-ChristophP.SingerJ. L., An Experimental Investigation of the Use of Positive Imagery in the Treatment of Phobias, Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 3, pp. 305–323, 1983–84.
25.
SpielbergerC. D.GorsuchR. L.LusheneR. E., The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Test Manual, Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, California, 1970.
CareyM. P.BurishT. G., Providing Relaxation Training to Cancer Chemotherapy Patients: A Comparison of Three Delivery Techniques, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, pp. 732–737, 1987.
28.
BorkovecT. D.GraysonJ. B.CooperK. M., Treatment of General Tension: Subjective and Physiological Effects of Progressive Relaxation, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, pp. 518–528, 1978.
29.
SulsJ.FletcherB., The Relative Efficacy of Avoidant and Nonavoidant Coping Strategies: A Meta-Analysis, Health Psychology, 4:3, pp. 249–288, 1985.
30.
SmithJ. C., Personality Correlates of Continuation and Outcome in Meditation and Erect Sitting Control Treatments, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, pp. 272–279, 1978.
31.
TurkD. C.MeichenbaumD.GenestM., Pain and Behavioral Medicine, The Guilford Press, New York, 1983.
