Positive Evaluation as a Strategy for Coping with Stress

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of positive evaluation of stressful experiences as a strategy for coping with stress. Two methods of manipulating positive evaluation (i.e., videotape modeling and writing) were compared with a coping-instructions control condition, a no-instructions control condition, and a no-stress control condition. Measures of physiological arousal indicated that, relative to the control conditions, positive evaluation produced greater rather than less stress during anticipation of and confrontation with electric shock. A postexperimental questionnaire assessing cognitive behaviors indicated that the positive-evaluation manipulations produced increased preoccupation with the stressful aspects of the situation. The results are discussed in relation to other research and theory on the positive evaluation of stressful experiences.