A computer-based avatar task can differentiate avoidant and non-avoidant coping styles

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground/Objective: Coping styles play a role in how individuals respond to stress and therapy. One aspect of coping which has been linked to adverse outcomes including anxiety disorders and PTSD is avoidance. However, a tendency to avoid may affect the accuracy of paper and pencil inventories used to identify avoidant temperaments. Previously, we showed that a computer-based task in which an on-screen “avatar” is guided through a series of onscreen events could predict avoidance including behavioral inhibition, harm avoidance, and self-reported PTSD symptoms. Since some coping styles involve avoidance, we extended this work to determine whether scores on the avatar task would also differentiate avoidant and non-avoidant coping styles as measured by the Brief COPE.Methods: One hundred and fifty undergraduates voluntarily completed the avatar task and the Brief COPE.Results: Scores on the avatar task had a significant positive relationship with an aggregate score for the five avoidant coping styles and a significant negative relationship with an aggregate score for the nine non-avoidant coping styles.Conclusions: The effectiveness of the avatar task to differentiate coping styles based on avoidance further validates this task and also shows selectivity to avoidant coping styles as opposed to other non-avoidant coping styles.