Catecholamine secretion as a function of perceived coping self-efficacy.

The present research tested the hypothesis that perceived coping self-efficacy mediates the effects of environmental events on catecholamine secretion. Differential levels of perceived self-efficacy were induced in phobic subjects through modeling. Their level of catecholamine secretion was then measured as they were presented coping tasks in their high, medium, and low ranges of perceived self-efficacy. High perceived self-efficacy was accompanied by low levels of plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine during interaction with a phobic object, whereas moderate perceived self-inefficacy gave rise to substantial increases in plasma catecholamines. Both catecholamines dropped sharply when phobics declined tasks for which they judged themselves completely inefficacious. In contrast, dopac was released maximally by mere apperception of task demands that phobics regarded as overwhelming their coping capabilities. After perceived self-efficacy was strengthened to the maximal level by participant modeling, all of the tasks were performed without any differential catecholamine responses.