TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-efficacy as a component of active coping
T2 - Effects on cardiovascular reactivity
AU - Gerin, William
AU - Litt, Mark D.
AU - Deich, James
AU - Pickering, Thomas G.
PY - 1996/5
Y1 - 1996/5
N2 - Active coping remains a poorly understood construct in cardiovascular reactivity testing. We have shown that active coping comprises two independent effects: the enhanced control and the effort of exercising control. The present study tested the proposition that, with effort left unconstrained, increased self-efficacy will increase cardiovascular response. Forty women were assigned to low or high self-efficacy conditions; self-efficacy was manipulated using false feedback. Subjects then engaged in a video game shape-matching task, while blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. SBP and DBP changes were smaller in the low self-efficacy group, as predicted: 17.9 versus 25.2 mmHG for SBP (p<0.05); and 8.7 versus 13.0 mmHG for DBP (p = 0.07). Heart rate was similar for the two conditions. We conclude that self-efficacy for a task may be an integral part of the active coping process, indirectly affecting the blood pressure response by acting on the effort involved in the coping response.
AB - Active coping remains a poorly understood construct in cardiovascular reactivity testing. We have shown that active coping comprises two independent effects: the enhanced control and the effort of exercising control. The present study tested the proposition that, with effort left unconstrained, increased self-efficacy will increase cardiovascular response. Forty women were assigned to low or high self-efficacy conditions; self-efficacy was manipulated using false feedback. Subjects then engaged in a video game shape-matching task, while blood pressure and heart rate were monitored. SBP and DBP changes were smaller in the low self-efficacy group, as predicted: 17.9 versus 25.2 mmHG for SBP (p<0.05); and 8.7 versus 13.0 mmHG for DBP (p = 0.07). Heart rate was similar for the two conditions. We conclude that self-efficacy for a task may be an integral part of the active coping process, indirectly affecting the blood pressure response by acting on the effort involved in the coping response.
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U2 - 10.1016/0022-3999(95)00642-7
DO - 10.1016/0022-3999(95)00642-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 8803857
AN - SCOPUS:0029882953
VL - 40
SP - 485
EP - 493
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
SN - 0022-3999
IS - 5
ER -