Construct Validity of an Aspect of the Coping Process: Potential Adaptation to Stress

Abstract

The focus of this study was to examine construct validity of the Adaptive Potential Assessment Model (APAM). Incorporated within a larger theory and paradigm entitled Modeling and Role-Modeling, APAM depicts three main states, arousal, equilibrium, and impoverishment; each state represents a different potential to mobilize coping resources. Arousal and impoverishment are considered stress states while equilibrium is considered a nonstress state. The sample was young, male students (N = 73) who were experiencing varying degrees of stress. Physiological and psychological data were gathered by utilizing several instruments and clinical assessment techniques. APAM was validated in a healthy population. Discriminant function analysis revealed motor-sensory behavior, fatigue-sadness, hope, and verbal anxiety as useful predictors in determining adaptive potential states. Misclassifications of subjects determined to be at risk by the investigator and not by the mathematical algorithm are considered. The benefits of holistically identifying clients' ability to mobilize coping resources is that nurses can plan intervention more effectively if these categorizations can be consistently verified.

Fatigue and Relatedness Experiences of Inordinately Tired Women

“…Individuals' adaptive potential (Barnfather, Swain, & Erickson, 1989) and their sense of environmental mastery (Schwartz, Coulthard-Morris, & Zeng, 1996) are affected by fatigue. Researchers have shown that both internal demands (Jensen & Given, 1991;Lee et al, 1994;Libbus et al, 1995) and external demands (Lee et al, 1994) are associated with fatigue.…”

Hope and interpersonal psychiatric/mental health nursing: a systematic review of the literature – part two

“…Hope has been linked to individuals’ ability to cope with stress. Barnfather et al . (1989) found that hope predicted adaptive potential in 73 healthy men aged 18–22 years who were experiencing stress.…”

Evaluation of Two Assessment Techniques for Adaptation to Stress

“…one APAM state or another are based on the theoretical underpinnings and include tenseness/anxiousness, sadness/depression, fa-tigue, motor-sensory behavior, autonomic responses, and verbal anxiety. Furthermore, it is the patterning of these variables that determines an individual's APAM state (Barnfather, Swain & Erickson, 1989;Barnfather, 1987;Erickson, 1976;Erickson & Swain, 1982). The APAM was developed to provide a means of assessing an individual's ability to mobilize coping resources at any moment in time-that is, a state of coping.…”

“…Identifying the usefulness of these two theories across the life span facilitates a holistic approach which can best be discussed under the next heading. (Barnfather, 1987;Barnfather, Swain, & Erickson, 1989;Erickson, 1976;Erickson & Swain, 1982) suggest that the patterned variables identified as feelings of tenseness-anxiousness, sadness-depression, fatigue, hope, verbal anxiety, as well as autonomic signs and sensorimotor behavior, are important determinants in viewing clients holistically. Biophysical and psychosocial phenomena are clearly integrated regarding individual's differential potential for mobilizing adaptive resources.…”