Coping dispositions and the processing of ambiguous stimuli.

Höck, Michael; Krohne, Heinz Walter; Kaiser, Jochen

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.70.5.1052

Cited by 62 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…In fact, over time she may have developed strong positive associations between these factors and her interactions with men and consequently look forward to them rather than avoid them. It is not surprising then that a much higher level of these risk factors is required before a woman makes a judgment that she needs to be on guard compared with those situations that are judged to constitute clearer risk (see Hock, Krohne, & Kaiser, 1996, for a discussion of difficulties in detecting threat-related meaning in ambiguous stimuli). Specific unwanted actions taken by a man proved to be more readily discernible or "clear" risk factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a Date Changes from Fun to Dangerous

Norris

Nurius

Graham

1999

Violence Against Women

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Women's ability to perceive risk of acquaintance sexual assault is key to decreasing its likelihood. This study examined the relationship between women's recognition of known situational risk factors and global perceived risk, prior victimization, and drinking habits. Women consistently distinguished between clear and ambiguous situational risk factors although these were not related to perceived global risk. They also manifested positivity bias, the tendency to underestimate their own risk of being assaulted relative to other women. Both prior victimization and drinking habits were related to risk judgments. This study raises important issues concerning developing effective defensive strategies for combating sexual assault.Early recognition that a social situation with a male acquaintance or intimate partner has become threatening can aid a woman in preventing a serious incident of sexual aggression. Despite substantial evidence that women are more likely to be assaulted by someone they know than by a stranger (Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987), women typically fear stranger sexual aggression more (Hickman & Muehlenhard, 1995) and prepare themselves better to fend off an aggressive incident by a stranger (Fischoff, Furby, & Morgan, 1987). This study was conducted to explore some of the cognitive processes that underlie women's perceptions of sexual aggression risk by a male acquaintance.The first goal of this study was to assess the extent to which women recognize known risk factors associated with acquaintance sexual aggression as presenting a potential threat for them personally. Judging that a social situation is dangerous is a more complex psychological task than making the same judgment about a stranger attack (Amick & Calhoun, 1987). Many risk factors for sexual assault such as alcohol consumption, a man paying for dating expenses, and being alone with a man (Harney & Muehlenhard, 1991;Mandoki & Burkhart, 1989;Muehlenhard & Linton, 1987) are also common elements of socializing. Thus, women may not view these risk factors as danger cues, but rather see them as positive or normal aspects of socializing with men.© 1999 Sage Publications, Inc. HHS Public Access Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author ManuscriptThe second goal of this study was to examine the relationships between situationally specific and global risk perceptions. Are women's judgments of specific situational risk factors related to a global sense of being at risk? As noted by Nurius (in press), the two phenomena involve different types of cognitive assessments. Evaluating risk for a specific outcome requires focusing on the situation as well as on one's relationships, goals, and history. Within this framework, one considers what might pose a threat, how large the threat is, and how it might be countered (Smith, Haynes, Lazarus, & Pope, 1993;Weinstein, 1993). In contrast, global risk perception involves focusing on broad environmental conditions that pertain to whole groups rather than to an individual herself. On...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a Date Changes from Fun to Dangerous

Norris

Nurius

Graham

1999

Violence Against Women

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“…This becomes an effective perceptual defence or barrier to unwanted material. Hock et al (1996) also stated cognitive avoiders process (unconsciously in the initial stages), far less threatening information than vigilant copers. In a dental surgery study by Baume et al (1995), this was seen as advantageous as such patients were viewed as being less anxious during the procedure.…”

Section: Vigilant and Avoidant Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hock et al (1996) reported vigilant individuals could often make matters worse for themselves in stressful situations as they ".. often impose threatening interpretations on ambiguous event descriptions." (p. 1062).…”

Section: Vigilant and Avoidant Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(p. 336). Hock et al (1996) defined cognitive vigilance as the "...increased intake and exhaustive processing of threatening information" and cognitive avoidance as "…turning attention away from, and inhibiting the further processing of, cues associated with threat." (p. 1052).…”

Section: Vigilant and Avoidant Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The scenarios related to i) waiting to be seen by the dentist, ii) walking alone through a city street at night, iii) being the front seat passenger in a car with an inexperienced driver at the wheel and, iv) being a passenger on an aircraft experiencing turbulence. The questionnaire has been validated and utilised in similar studies on numerous occasions (Krohne 1989, Hock et al 1996. The formula provided was utilised to calculate each participants' vigilant and avoidant coping score, as this is a two-dimensional coping model.…”

Section: State Anxiety Only (Hypothesis 2)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychological preparation for patients undergoing day surgery

Mitchell

2000

Ambulatory Surgery

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Potential school violence: Relationship between teacher anxiety and warning-sign identification

Robinson

Clay

2005

Psychol. Schs.

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This study examined the relationship between teacher anxiety and their identification of warning signs of student violence. Fifty-six public school teachers, 22 male and 34 female, between the ages of 23 and 60 participated. Participants identified warning signs in five fictional student case files created for this study and completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a demographic survey. The case files included positive and negative information, and high-and low-severity warning signs. Neither state (r ϭ .02) nor trait (r ϭ .04) anxiety was significantly correlated with high-severity warning-signs identification. Low-severity warning-signs identification was positively correlated with state anxiety (r ϭ .28, p Ͻ .05) but not trait anxiety (r ϭ .18, p Ͼ .05). False positive identification was not significantly related to state anxiety (r ϭ .07) or trait anxiety (r ϭ .06). The findings indicate that teachers who experience higher levels of state anxiety when confronted with warning signs of potential violence are better able to identify low-severity warning signs than do their less anxious counterparts, without over-identifying nonthreatening information as potential warning signs.

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Coping dispositions and the processing of ambiguous stimuli.

Cited by 62 publications

References 65 publications

When a Date Changes from Fun to Dangerous

When a Date Changes from Fun to Dangerous

Psychological preparation for patients undergoing day surgery

Potential school violence: Relationship between teacher anxiety and warning-sign identification

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