Appraisal Variables Research Articles

The clinical utility of metacognitive beliefs and processes in emotional distress in people with multiple sclerosis

AimMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease that poses significant life challenges. Depression and anxiety often occur in people with MS (PwMS). An information processing model of psychopathology, the Self-Regulatory Executive Function (S-REF) model specifies that maladaptive metacognitive beliefs play a fundamental role in the development and maintenance of distress. The model also asserts that a style of thinking known as the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS), which consists of worry and rumination, focusing on sources of threat, and unhelpful coping responses, is common across all psychological conditions. This study investigated for the first time whether metacognitive beliefs explained additional variance in distress in PwMS, after accounting for demographic, clinical, and illness appraisal variables. MethodOne hundred and thirty-two participants with MS completed self-report questionnaires measuring distress, fatigue, pain, metacognitive beliefs, illness appraisals, and the CAS. Hierarchical regression modelling was used to test whether metacognitive beliefs accounted for distress. Mediational modelling examined if the CAS mediated the association between metacognitive beliefs and distress. ResultsMetacognitive beliefs made a unique contribution to distress, over and above demographic and clinical variables, and illness appraisals. The CAS fully mediated the relationship between positive metacognitive beliefs and distress, and partially mediated the relationship between negative metacognitive beliefs and distress. ConclusionsMetacognitive beliefs are associated with emotional distress in PwMS, and the CAS mediates this relationship. Future studies should examine if modification of metacognitive beliefs and processes in PwMS will lead to effective alleviation of emotional distress.

Factors affecting adoption of smart meters in the post-Fukushima era in Taiwan: an extended protection motivation theory perspective

ABSTRACTThis study aims to understand factors influencing the intention to adopt smart meters (SM) to save energy in the face of expected increases in electricity costs, stemming from the impact of Taiwan’s plans to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the post-Fukushima era demand. As far as we know, compared to previous relevant studies based on constructs of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes, this study is the first one based on the application of protection motivation theory (PMT), which uses threat appraisal, coping appraisal, Social Influence, Secondary Data Influence constructs, and control variables to explain the correlation and impact of residential communities’ intention to adopt SM. With 292 valid questionnaires, this study applies SmartPLS 3 software in model analysis, and finds that the impact of coping appraisal variables is more significant than that of threat appraisal variables, while Secondary Data Influence, Age, and Electricity Cost variables have a significant influence on the intention to adopt SM. The relevant results and practical contributions are discussed.

Caregiver Demand and Distress in Parents of Youth with Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases: Examining Illness Intrusiveness and Parenting Stress as Mediators

To examine illness intrusiveness and parenting stress as potential serial mediators in the relationship between parents’ illness-specific caregiver demand and psychological distress in parents of youth with juvenile rheumatic diseases (JRDs). Sixty-eight caregivers of youth diagnosed with a JRD completed measures of illness-specific caregiver demand (CD), illness intrusiveness (IIS-P), general parenting stress (PSI-SF), and psychological distress (BSI). Bootstrap regression analyses revealed a significant CD → IIS-P → PSI-SF → BSI complex serial mediation path. Results also revealed significant CD → IIS-P → BSI and CD → PSI-SF → BSI simple indirect effects. Results provide support for examining both illness-specific (caregiver demand, illness intrusiveness) and illness non-specific (general parenting stress) parent appraisal variables in determining psychological distress among parents of youth with JRDs. Additionally, results provide clarification regarding the mechanisms that may drive psychological distress in parents, and suggest directions for parent-targeted interventions with this population.

Factor affecting Performance Appraisal of Employees: A Study of Life Insurance Company

This research is an attempt to explore the factors affecting the performance appraisal of employees. All measures were tested for reliability through computation of Cronbach’s Alpha. The Alpha coefficient value was found 0.781 for performance appraisal variables like Education Experience, Targets achieved, Position in the organization, Influence of the senior, Targets achieved by the employee, Attendance & regularity of the employee, Vacant position if any to be filled, Rapport of the employer & employee and Past negative or positive experience of the employee etc. Factor Analysis was used to assigned loads to each factor that affects and has impact on the performance appraisal system. Further, the effect of age group and target achieved of the employees were evaluated using chi-square test and it was found that there is no association of targets achieved with the age of the employees. This shows that the performance/output of the employees is not affected by the age.

Posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors and its relationship with cognitive appraisal

Objective To explore the status and influencing factors of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in breast cancer patients and identify the influence of cognitive appraisal on PTG and the relationship between PTG and cognitive appraisal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Totally 356 breast cancer patients were investigated with the revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Cognitive Appraisal Scale. Results The average score of PTG in breast cancer patients was (55.06±14.36) points. There were significant differences between different education level and health-care payment patients in the total score of PTG (t=5.886, 5.154, P <0.01). The level of PTG was correlated with the patients' cognitive appraisal way. It was negatively correlated with uncertain appraisal about disease and threat appraisal,and positively correlated with positive appraisal and responsible appraisal. The main prediction factors for PTG were positive appraisal, uncertain appraisal about disease, responsible appraisal, health-care payment and education level. All the variables could explain 42.7% variance of PTG. Conclusions Breast cancer patients in this study report moderate level of posttraumatic growth. The level of PTG in breast cancers is influenced by variables of patients' education level, health-care payment and cognitive appraisal. Cognitive appraisal could predict the development of PTG significantly. Key words: Breast neoplasm; Posttraumatic growth; Cognitive appraisal

Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale (CATIS): A systematic review of the literature.

The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature utilizing the Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale (CATIS) as a measure of illness attitudes within pediatric chronic illness, including epilepsy, and provide recommendations for its use. This review includes an examination of the psychometric properties of the CATIS and the relationship between the CATIS and psychological, academic, behavioral, and illness variables. Electronic searches were conducted using Medline and PsychINFO to identify twenty-two relevant publications. The CATIS was identified as a reliable and valid self-report assessment tool across chronic illnesses, including pediatric epilepsy. Although originally developed for children ages 8-12, the CATIS has demonstrated reliability and validity in youth ages 8-22. The CATIS scores were reliably associated with cognitive appraisal variables and internalizing symptoms. Initial support exists for the relation between illness attitudes and externalizing behavior, academic functioning, and psychosocial care needs. Mixed findings were reported with regard to the relation between illness attitudes and demographic and disease variables, as well as both social and family functioning. The CATIS is a psychometrically sound self-report instrument for measuring illness attitudes and demonstrates clinical utility for examining adjustment outcomes across chronic illnesses, particularly pediatric epilepsy.

Understanding online safety behaviors: A protection motivation theory perspective

Internet users experience a variety of online security threats that require them to enact safety precautions. Protection motivation theory (PMT) provides a theoretical framework for understanding Internet users' security protection that has informed past research. Ongoing research on online safety recommends new motivational factors that are integrated here in a PMT framework for the first time. Using PMT, a cross-sectional survey (N = 988) of Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) users was conducted to examine how classical and new PMT factors predicted security intentions. Coping appraisal variables were the strongest predictors of online safety intentions, especially habit strength, response efficacy, and personal responsibility. Threat severity was also a significant predictor. Incorporating additional factors (i.e., prior experiences, subjective norms, habit strength, perceived security support, and personal responsibility) into the conventional PMT model increased the model's explanatory power by 15%. Findings are discussed in relation to advancing PMT within the context of online security for home computer users.

Intentions to receive a potentially available Lyme disease vaccine in an urban sample.

The only human Lyme disease vaccine of LYMErix was voluntarily removed from the market in the United States in 2002 for a number of reasons. A new human Lyme disease vaccine is currently being developed. We would like any future approved human Lyme disease vaccine to be of interest and marketable to consumers. We surveyed 714 participants to determine variables associated with intentions to receive a Lyme disease vaccine. Predictor variables included demographics, protection motivational theory, Lyme disease knowledge, Lyme disease preventive behaviors, beliefs and perceived health. We found in multivariate linear regression analyses that Asian/Asian American race/ethnicity (p < 0.001), South Asian race/ethnicity (p = 0.01) and coping appraisal variables of response efficacy (p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (p < 0.001) were each significantly associated with increased intentions. The belief that vaccines are typically not safe was significantly associated with decreased intentions (p = 0.03). Asian/Asian American and South Asian race/ethnicities have a strong interest in receiving a Lyme disease vaccine. Although pharmaceutical companies may benefit by advertising a Lyme disease vaccine to Asian/Asian Americans and South Asians, marketers need to address and use approaches to interest those from other race/ethnicities. Also, marketers need to address the erroneous belief that vaccines are typically not safe in order to interest those with such beliefs to use a Lyme disease vaccine.

Living in a continuous traumatic reality: Impact on elderly persons residing in urban and rural communities.

This study is an exploration of the contribution of exposure to the continuous threat of Qassam rocket attacks to PTSD among elderly residents of urban and rural communities. Specifically, we examined the contribution of sociodemographic variables, psychological resources, and perceived social support to PTSD, and whether this relationship is mediated by cognitive appraisals. The sample consisted of 298 residents of 2 different communities: urban (n = 190), and rural (n = 108). We examined the main research question by calculating the correlations of the sociodemographic variables, the psychological resource (self-esteem), social support, and cognitive appraisals with the dependent variable (PTSD). Our model explained the variance in PTSD (53% for urban residents, and 56% for rural residents). Higher levels of PTSD were found among the urban residents. Most of the predictors contributed to PTSD, but differences were found between each type of community with regard to the combination of components. Results indicated that the type of community is related degree of protection against stress-related triggers such as Qassam rockets. The psychological resource (self-esteem) and cognitive appraisal variables were found to be important for older people facing a continuous threat, and can serve as a basis for professional intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record

A protection motivation explanation of base-of-pyramid consumers' environmental sustainability

The purpose of this research is to use the protection motivation theory to examine base-of-the pyramid (BoP) consumers' environmentally friendly behaviors. BoP consumers suffer from the threat of environmental degradation and resource scarcity, particularly in emerging economies. They have not benefited from worldwide economic development as much as their counterparts in the middle and affluent classes. Based on the protection motivation theory, we investigate how threat appraisal and coping appraisal affect BoP consumers' intentions to engage in pro-environmental household behaviors. The proposed relationships are tested using self-reported data of Chinese BoP consumers. The results indicate that these threat and coping appraisal variables are related to BoP consumers' low-cost and/or high-cost household green behaviors. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Abstract IA30: Modeling of socioeconomic wellbeing, follow-up care communication, stress appraisal, coping, and physical functioning among Chinese and non-Hispanic white breast cancer survivors

Abstract IA30: Modeling of socioeconomic wellbeing, follow-up care communication, stress appraisal, coping, and physical functioning among Chinese and non-Hispanic white breast cancer survivors

Distilling the essence of appraisal: a mixed methods study of people with multiple sclerosis.

This study aimed to identify the essential parts of the Quality of Life (QOL) Appraisal Profile that capture the most important differences in the ways that people with multiple sclerosis respond to patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. This process will enable the eventual development of a more practical, less resource-intensive version of the QOL Appraisal Profile to facilitate its use in clinical research and practice. This is a secondary analysis of longitudinal PRO data (n = 859) of participants in the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis registry. Following the Rapkin and Schwartz (Health Qual Life Outcomes 2(1):14, 2004) model, we computed a "standard QOL model," and then multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and discriminant function (DF) analysis to identify patterns of appraisal measures associated with group differences in response to each QOL outcome. The "standard QOL model" explains a moderate amount of variance (i.e., 15-17 %) in physical functioning and disease-specific disability, and very little variance in mental health functioning. The MANOVAs identified the appraisal variables that mattered by PRO, and the DF analysis included 10-16 of the 83 potential appraisal variables in two DFs per outcome that distinguished groups with better, average, and worse expected scores, as well as groups with better-than-expected, as-expected, and worse-than-expected scores. The dominant appraisal parameters were more similar between the generic and disease-specific measure of physical functioning and disability, respectively, than between the mental health measure and the former two measures. The practical implications of this work all revolve around a fundamental recommendation: Whenever one measures QOL, one should measure appraisal.

Measuring the Caregiver Burden of Caring for Community-Residing People with Alzheimer's Disease.

ObjectivesTo assess the direct and indirect effects of patient or caregiver factors on caregiver burden of caring for community-residing people with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD).MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with AD from two hospitals and three communities in Taiyuan, China and their caregivers. For this survey, 200 patients with mild AD and their caregivers were selected. Caregivers were asked to provide sociodemographic information including age, gender, relationship with the patient, level of education, and number of contact hours per week with the patient. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Caregivers Burden Inventory. The caregivers also completed other measures including the Positive Aspects of Caregiving, the Family Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, and Resolve, and the Social Support Rating Scale. The patients with AD completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment; their caregivers completed the Activities of Daily Living Scale and a questionnaire about the patients’ Behavioral and Psychological symptoms of Dementia. The main outcome in this study was caregiver burden. The care receivers’ level of cognitive function, physical function, and behavioral problems were treated as original stress; the primary appraisal variable was measured as the number of hours of caregiving in the previous week reported by the caregiver. Mediator variables included perceived social support, family function, and caregiving experience. Path analysis was used to build the interrelationship among caregiver burden and patient or caregiver factors.ResultsA lower level of cognitive function in patients (r = −0.28, p<0.001) and longer hours of caregiving (r = 0.17, p = 0.019) were related to increased caregiver burden. Greater social support (r = −0.23, p<0.001), family function (r = −0.17, p = 0.015) and caregiving experience (r = −0.16, p = 0.012) were related to decreased caregiver burden. Social support (r = 0.16, p = 0.040) and family function (r = 0.25, p = 0.002) were directly related to patients’ level of cognitive functioning, but were mediator factors between level of cognitive function in patients and caregiver burden. Similarly, social support was a mediator factor between patients' daily function (r = −0.23, p = 0.004) and caregiver burden; while caregiving experience mediated the link between behavioral and psychological symptoms in patients (r = 0.36, p<0.001) and caregiver burden.ConclusionLevel of cognitive function and hours of caregiving were directly related to caregiver's burden. Social support, family function and caregiving experience could mediate the relationship between patient factors and caregiver burden. Focusing on patient factors and promoting caregiver care will be helpful in lowering the perceived burden of caregiving.

Determinants of online safety behaviour: towards an intervention strategy for college students

How can young adults be motivated to enact security precautions? Communication about the risks of Internet use or online safety communication is a context in which personal responsibility is especially salient. The present research builds on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to examine the role of a previously unexplored variable, personal responsibility, in the protective behaviour of college students. Two studies are reported here. In the first (N = 565), the relationship of personal responsibility to safe (i.e. protective) online behaviour is tested in relationship to standard PMT variables. A multiple regression analysis of survey data shows that personal responsibility explained additional variance in protective behaviour after accounting for the effects of traditional threat and coping appraisal variables. Building on this, the second study (N = 206) examines the possibility of influencing personal responsibility through an intervention and experimental manipulation among college students. The experimental manipulation of personal responsibility found evidence of a causal relationship between personal responsibility and protective behaviour in the college student sample. Interactions with pre-existing levels of safety involvement and self-efficacy were uncovered. Based on the results, strategies for targeted online safety interventions are suggested.

Examining Asian Women’s Motivations to Undergo Breast Cancer Screening

Purpose: This study utilizes Protection Motivation Theory as a theoretical framework to predict women’s intentions to go for mammogram screening in Singapore, a country with the highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire centered on the theoretical predictive model of early detection behavior was developed to examine the hypothesized relationships. Data was collected from Singaporean women between 40 to 69 years of age. The data was analyzed using hierarchical regression. Results: Amongst all predictors tested, we found that Perceived Severity influences protection motivation (Beta=.346, p=.033), whereas Perceived Vulnerability has little effect on protection motivation (Beta= .075, p=. 355). There is also a significant relationship between Self-Efficacy and protection intention (Beta= .373, p<.001). However, contrary to expectations, neither Response Cost (Beta=.136, p=.101) nor Physical Cost (Beta=-.051, p=-.036) was related to protection intention. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that coping appraisal variables are more significantly associated with protection motivation than threat appraisal variables. In particular, self-efficacy was found to be the strongest predictor of breast cancer screening intentions, whereas response cost and physical cost were found to have little effect. This implies that breast cancer screening motivators should communicate the ease of undergoing the procedure and other confidence building messages. Implications for health education and policy are discussed.

Interactive relationship between parent and child event appraisals and child PTSD symptoms after an injury.

The current study investigated the relationships between child and parent event-related appraisals and child posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (PTSS) soon after the child's traumatic injury. Cross-sectional data were collected from 40 child emergency department (ED) patients and their caregivers following an unintentional injury. Hierarchical regression models were used to determine whether child event appraisals were related to child PTSS and the extent to which parent event appraisals moderated this relationship. Significant main effects were found for child event-related appraisals (i.e., of stressor severity, of whether their life had been permanently changed/destroyed, of heightened future danger, and of alienation) predicting child PTSD symptoms. Parent appraisal of alienation and of permanent change were the only parent appraisal variables that were significantly associated with child PTSS. Parent and child appraisals were not significantly correlated. Subsequent analyses revealed that parent appraisal of permanent change (β = −.1.64, p

Caregiver Demand and Parent Distress in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease: The Mediating Effect of Parent Attitude Toward Illness

Parents of youth with juvenile rheumatic diseases (JRD) often take on illness management responsibilities that can become burdensome, potentially resulting in poor parent adjustment outcomes. However, not all caregivers will experience increased distress as a result of variability in stress appraisals. The current study examined the role of parent illness attitudes in the relation between perceived caregiver demand and parental distress. Youth (N = 70) ages 7-18 years diagnosed with a JRD and their parents were recruited from a pediatric rheumatology clinic. Parents completed measures of caregiver demand, parental distress, and illness attitudes. Hierarchical regression revealed a relationship between caregiver demand and parental distress. A significant relationship was also found between caregiver demand and parent illness attitudes, as well as parent illness attitudes and parental distress. Thus, parent illness attitudes mediated the relationship between caregiver demand and parental distress. Techniques aimed at altering negative illness attitudes may help parents cope with their caregiving responsibilities.

Ups and downs of daily life: age effects on the impact of daily appraisal variability on depressive symptoms.

Day-to-day variability in appraisals has emerged as an index of emotion regulation and overall well-being; there is also evidence that such emotion regulation processes change with age. We investigate the impact of day-to-day variability in positive and negative event appraisals on depressive symptoms, focusing on (a) how variability and mean appraisal characteristics interact to impact well-being and (b) whether these effects differ by age. Participants from the Notre Dame Study of Health & Well-Being (aged 40-75 years, N = 654) completed daily diaries for up to 56 days, along with a global survey. Measures included daily data on life events and appraisals and global assessments of depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale) and neuroticism. Both mean and variability components of daily positive and negative event appraisals predict global depressive symptoms; mean and variability interactions were also significant. The negative appraisal effects became less pronounced with age. Findings suggest that those in later life are better able to manage the impact that their cognitive and emotional responses to daily stressors have on depressive symptoms. The results also highlight the importance of examining daily variability-in addition to mean levels-in understanding the impact of daily events and appraisals on well-being.

Comment: The Appraising Brain: Towards a Neuro-Cognitive Model of Appraisal Processes in Emotion

Appraisal theories have described elaborate mechanisms underlying the elicitation of emotion at the psychological-cognitive level, but typically do not integrate neuroscientific concepts and findings. At the same time, theoretical developments in appraisal theory have been pretty much ignored by researchers studying the neuroscience of emotion. We feel that a stronger integration of these two literatures would be highly profitable for both sides. Here we outline a blueprint of the “appraising brain.” To this end, we review neuroimaging research investigating the processing of major appraisal variables, and sketch a neuro-cognitive process model of appraisal with a special emphasis on the chronometry and the recursive aspect of emotional evaluation. We hope that this contribution will stimulate more hypothesis-driven research on the neuroscience of appraisal.

Using Appraisal Theory to Predict Emotional and Coping Responses to Hurtful Messages

Based on appraisal theory (Lazarus 1991; 1999), this study examined the degree to which primary and secondary cognitive appraisals of hurtful messages predict the amountof hurt individuals feel, and the coping behaviors they enact. This study presents a significant step forward in its operationalization of both primary and secondary appraisal variables by treating hurt as an outcome, rather than an antecedent, of the appraisal process, and considers an extensive range of coping responses. We surveyed participants (N = 217) about hurtful messages they received within an array of relationship types. The results revealed that fours types of appraisals predicted the amount of hurt recipients experienced. All coping behaviors except positive reappraisal were significantly predicted by the primary appraisals (categories of risk) and secondary appraisals (perceived intentionality and frequency of hurtful messages). The findings explicate appraisal theory’s potential in explaining individuals’ responses to hurtful communication.