Redefinition Of Situation Research Articles

Adaptive Livelihood Strategies among Households after the Closure of Fluorspar Mining Company in Keiyo South Sub-County, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

The establishment and existence of the Fluorspar Mining Company created direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local population. However, the closure of mining activities within the mining area may have led to social and economic challenges for the local communities. The study objective was to analyze the livelihood strategies among households in Keiyo South Sub-county Elgeyo Marakwet County Kenya. The theory informed the study of Redefinition of situation. Survey research design guided the study. The target population was all the households' heads in the study area. The sample size was 254 respondents. A multistage sampling technique was used. Data collection methods included questionnaires, interviews, and observation and focus group discussions. Quantitative data collected were analyzed using frequencies and percentages and presented in the form of matrix tables. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results of the study show that mining is a major propellant of economic activities in most mining areas by creating wealth, providing jobs, and stimulating business ventures for community members. Further, closure of the company acted as a major economic setback to the community as a whole. The study findings also show that majority 91(44.4%) of respondents earned an income of 4001-8000ksh while minority 7(3.4%) earned an income of between 0-500kshs. The average income per month after closure was too low since their main source of income was lost, leaving them in despair. Communities and mineworkers should be involved in planning for company closure and all other matters that affect their livelihoods.

Relationship of sense of coherence to stressful events, coping strategies, health status, and quality of life in women with breast cancer

To test the hypothesis that Antonovsky's concept of sense of coherence (SOC) predicts stressful events, coping strategies, health status, and quality of life (QoL) in a cohort of postmenopausal women (n = 131) with newly diagnosed primary or recurrent breast cancer. Regression analyses of longitudinal data at baseline through 6 months following breast cancer diagnosis examined the relationships between SOC (13-item version), daily assessment of coping with stressful events, health status, and QoL (EORTC QLQ-30). The findings support Antonovsky's concept of SOC. Women with strong SOC reported fewer stressful events and more days without stressful events. They used more coping strategies and more frequently used distraction, situation redefinition, direct action, and relaxation, but seldom religion, to cope with stressful events, and reported better health status and QoL. Women with weak SOC experienced more distress and used fewer coping strategies, and they more frequently used coping strategies such as catharsis and seeking social and spiritual support, but seldom acceptance of the situation. They reported worse health status and QoL, regardless of disease stage or treatment. The relationships between SOC and health status and QoL were linear. Sense of coherence significantly predicts distress, number and type of coping strategies such as direct action and relaxation, health status, and QoL in women with breast cancer. Our data suggest that the SOC scale may be a useful screening tool to identify individuals particularly vulnerable to distress and unable to cope adequately. Assessing SOC strength may assist health care providers to provide individualized patient interventions.

Control of respiration as a means of controlling responses to threat.

After a 30-minute rest period, (a) subjects in a respiration tracing condition began replicating their breathing patterns from the rest period; (b) subjects in an attention tracing condition participated in a comparable task that did not involve the control of respiration; and (c) subjects in a no-tracing condition were not assigned to perform any task. After the tracing manipulation was introduced, half of the subjects were assigned to a threat condition and informed that they would receive a series of painful electric shocks, whereas the other subjects were assigned to a no-threat condition and informed that they would receive red light stimulation. Analyses of heart rate and self-report data indicated that (a) the threat manipulation was effective; (b) controlling respiration did not reduce subjects' stress responses; and (c) subjects in the no-tracing condition were the only stressed subjects to show decreases in physiological arousal over time, an effect that may have been due to their use of a cognitive coping strategy (situation redefinition). These findings do not provide evidence that control of respiration is an effective strategy for controlling stress but do suggest that, when not interferred with, subjects can employ relatively effective, self-generated cognitive coping strategies.

The effectiveness of attentional diversion and situation redefinition for reducing stress due to a nonambiguous Threat

After receiving a sample shock, subjects in a Threat Condition were told that they would receive additional painful shocks while subjects in a Nonthreat Condition were not threatened with additional shocks. Subjects in an Attentional Diversion Condition were then instructed to read and think about an amusing story, subjects in a Situation Redefinition Condition were instructed to write down reasons why they should not be afraid in this situation, and subjects in a Control Condition were not given any instructions for coping with stress. (Coping Conditions were factorially crossed with Threat Conditions and 192 subjects were employed.) Physiological measures (pulse rate, finger pulse volume, skin resistance) indicated that unlike the results of previous research, attentional diversion was effective in reducing stress but situation redefinition was not. Discussion was focused on the parameters which determine whether or not a coping strategy will be effective.

Influence of denial (situation redefinition) and projection on anxiety associated with threat to self-esteem.

Influence of denial (situation redefinition) and projection on anxiety associated with threat to self-esteem.

Influence of denial (situation redefinition) and projection on anxiety associated with threat to self-esteem.

Subjects in a threat condition were informed that they had failed an important test while subjects in a nonthreat condition were not told that they had failed. To manipulate the use and timing of coping strategies for dealing with threat, subjects were told to (a) redefine the nature and importance of the test before receiving feedback, (b) redefine the nature and importance of the test after feedback, or (c) estimate the performance of their friends on the test (i.e., project) after receiving feedback. Repeated measures of subjective anxiety and pulse rate indicated that (a) the threat manipulation was effective in increasing stress, (b) redefinition occurring before the onset of threat was effective in eliminating stress, and (c) redefinition occuring after the onset of threat was ineffective in reducing stress. Projection reduced the report of subjective anxiety. The results revealed factors that influence coping strategy effectiveness and resolved conflicts in previous findings.

Effectiveness of situation redefinition and affective isolation in coping with stress.

Subjects in three threat conditions were told that they would receive a series of painful electric shocks, while the subjects in a no-threat condition were not told about shocks. In one threat condition (threat redefinition), the subjects were told to reduce stress by thinking of the shocks as interesting new physiological sensations. In another threat condition (threat isolation), the subjects were told to reduce stress by remaining detached and uninvolved. Data from self-report of anxiety, pulse rate, and skin resistance indicated that the threat of shock increased stress and that subjects using redefinition and isolation showed smaller increases in stress than subjects who were not told to use those coping strategies.