Predicting performance under acute stress: The role of individual characteristics.

Abstract

This prospective study examined how differences in coping style, coping self-efficacy, and metacognitive awareness influence coping behavior and performance during a realistic acute stressful exercise in 2 military samples (n ϭ 122 and n ϭ 132). Results showed that coping self-efficacy and coping style affected coping behavior, and that, in turn, coping behavior affected performance. The findings of a post hoc analysis suggested that metacognitive awareness had an indirect relationship with coping behavior, through task-focused coping style and coping self-efficacy, instead of a predicted direct relationship. Together, these results indicate that coping style and coping self-efficacy are important predictors of performance under acute stress, and that this effect is mediated by coping behavior.

Performance under acute stress: A qualitative study of soldiers’ experiences of hand-to-hand combat.

“…This finding is consistent with stress and coping theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) and previous acute stress studies (Delahaij et al, 2011;Zach et al, 2007), which suggest that problem-focused coping is effective under conditions of high stress.…”

“…Acute stress research conducted by the military (Delahaij, van Dam, Gaillard, & Soeters, 2011;Morales-Negron, Eklund, & Tenenbaum, 2011;Zach, Raviv, & Inbar, 2007) has often involved hand-to-hand combat, which is defined as "a physical confrontation between two or more persons using empty-hand fighting or weapons that cannot fire (US Army, 2002, p. 1)."…”

Work Ability of Finnish Physical Education Teachers

“…For physical health, mental health, and work ability, we used questions from the Quality of Life (QOL; Spitzer, et al, 1981); for physical fitness, we used questions from the study by Sollerhed, Apitzsch, Råstam, and Ejlertsson (2008). The work motivation question was based on Dittrich, Büsch, and Micheel's (2011) study, the scale for salary, working conditions, and relations with PE TEACHERS' WORK ABILITY colleagues was developed by Knoop (1994), the administration of the work and professional competence scale based on Bogler's (2001) study, the work environment scale was developed by Feldt (1997), the balance between work and family was based on Valcour's (2007) study, and the stress resilience scale was developed by Delahaij, Gaillard, and Soeters (2011). For the present study, the data were categorized as follows:…”

Assembling a synthetic emotion mediator for quick decision making during acute stress

“…Clore and Huntsinger (2007) found that people's judgments are influenced by their current mood or emotion. When a person enters a stressful situation in which he or she needs to make a decision, the first step is primary appraisal to assess the severity of the (potential) danger (Delahaij 2009). It seems therefore that if mood influences the appraisal in a negative way, this may lead to a negative decision.…”