予定される高校受験の認知的評価と対処方略がストレス関連成長に及ぼす影響

―ストレス対処の理論的枠組みによる検討―

抄録

This study investigates the characteristics of stress-related growth in junior high school students appearing for high school entrance examinations in a few months and examines the effect of cognitive appraisals and coping strategies within the theoretical framework of stress and coping emphasizing stress-related growth.

Participants were 194 junior high school students,who were asked to answer a socio-demographic questionnaire comprising the following contents related to entrance examinations: cognitive appraisals, coping strategies, and stress-related growth. These variables were analyzed using cluster analysis and a two-way ANOVA.

Results of the cluster analysis showed that cognitive appraisal for entrance examinations was classified into 3 clusters: high severity/high challenge/low threat, low severity/low challenge/middle threat, and high severity/high challenge/high threat. Coping strategies were classified into the following 3 clusters describing students' coping styles: high coping, low coping, and support-seeking focused students. Results of the two-way ANOVA showed that the high severity/high challenge/low threat cluster had the highest stress-related growth score of the cognitive appraisal clusters. Moreover, students with high coping used comprehensive coping strategies such as support seeking, reflective coping, planning, preventive coping, and proactive coping, and showed high stress-related growth score.

These findings suggest that cognitive appraisals and coping strategies for anticipated high school entrance examinations affect students' stress-related growth. In summary, students who identified examinations as high severity/high challenge/low threat coped by using inclusive high coping strategies and reported high levels of stress-related growth. Therefore, it is possible that students' stress-related growth can arise from the process, or result in stress and coping.