Personal resources, environmental constraints, and adaptational processes: The predictive power of a theoretical stress model

According to the theory of emotion and coping the dynamics of stress encounters can be conceived of as an unfolding process of causal antecedents, mediating processes, and effects as parts of a transactional stress process. The present study investigates to what extent this theoretical structure is capable of predicting adaptational processes in a sample of East German migrants during their first year after moving to West Germany. Within a longitudinal design, self-efficacy, optimism and helplessness served as antecedent personal resource factors at Time 1, whereas employment status and housing conditions were used as environmental factors. Stress appraisals, emotional coping tendencies, and subjective illness as criteria were assessed 9 months later at Time 2. Using covariance structure analysis (LISREL), a considerable predictive power of the theoretical model could be demonstrated. Personal resources and environmental constraints turned out to be strong predictors of stress appraisals, which in turn had a significant impact on coping and health. Stress appraisals were also found to be the decisive mediator of the antecedents' effects on these latter variables, as predicted by theory.