Date of Award
1991
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of stress inoculation training on asymptomatic children, to examine gender differences in responding to the training, and to investigate gender differences in levels of stress response under nonstress-induced conditions. The variables under investigation were psychological stress response, physiological stress response, and behavioral stress response. The sample consisted of 54 fifth and sixth grade students who were identified as experiencing a high level of stress response. Twenty-four students completed the treatment and posttest measures and 30 were assigned to a wait-list control group. Within the structure provided by stress inoculation training, the treatment group was exposed to a multicomponent package consisting of cognitive and behavioral elements. At the end of the treatment, twelve sessions over a six-week period, the three variables were collectively analyzed in a 2 (treatment--control) x 2 (female--male) multivariate analysis of variance. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance indicated no significant difference in reduction of stress response between the treatment and control groups and no significant gender difference in responding to the stress inoculation training. However, there were significant gender differences in responding to stress under nonstress-induced conditions. Upon further analysis, the results indicated that the differences lie in behavioral stress response. The results of this study are inconsistent with previous research which has shown that stress inoculation training is effective in reducing the stress response in symptomatic children and asymptomatic adults. This study indicates that a stress inoculation training program of six-weeks duration involving cognitive and progressive relaxation components is not effective in reducing stress response in asymptomatic children. However, there is some evidence of a delayed treatment effect, three weeks posttreatment, in reducing girls' physiological stress response. The results of this study are consistent with previous research which indicates that the way in which children demonstrate stress response is a function of gender. Boys evidence more behavioral stress response than girls, but girls and boys demonstrate similar levels of psychological and physiological stress response.
Recommended Citation
Bischoff, Ellen, "The Effectiveness Of Stress Inoculation Training On Asymptomatic Children'S Stress Response" (1991). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 884.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/884