Hostility, Interpersonal Competence, and Daily Dependent Stress: A Daily Model of Stress Generation

Abstract

We used a daily diary design to evaluate a daily model of stress generation that included both daily sadness and hostility as precipitants, and interpersonal competence as a moderator variable. Our results indicated that daily stress generation was precipitated by daily hostile, but not sad, mood. Participants' skill at initiating interactions influenced daily stress generation in an unexpected direction. Specifically, the positive daily relationship between hostility and dependent stress was stronger for those with higher initiation scores. The results suggest that stress generation at the daily level functions differently than stress generation involving major life events. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research on stress generation.

Vulnerability-specific stress generation: an examination of depressogenic cognitive vulnerability across multiple domains

“…In contrast, Caldwell et al (2004) reported a relation between negative relational self-schemata, characterized as a composite of social self-worth and self-competence, and prospective peer-related stressors. These results, however, also differed from findings from another study that found high self-perceived interpersonal competence to interact with trait hostility to predict greater daily dependent stress (Sahl, Cohen, & Dasch, 2009). Given this wide range of results, more research is required before firm conclusions can be drawn regarding the potential role of self-perceived social competence in stress generation.…”

Dysfunctional Attitudes and Affective Responses to Daily Stressors: Separating Cognitive, Genetic, and Clinical Influences on Stress Reactivity

“…Participants completed an average of 11.63 diaries on time (i.e., before 3AM the day after they were mailed). This response rate of 83.1 % is similar to that of prior studies in similar samples (e.g., Sahl et al 2009). Compliance rates were unrelated to DAS score, BDNF genotype, or YASR scores ( p s > .10).…”

Interpersonal Competence and Daily Stress Generation in Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder Symptoms

“…had occurred that day. This checklist was based on measures previously used in daily stress studies with college students (Sahl et al, 2009) and was previously published in Cummings et al (2010). Each event was rated for dependence by three doctoral students in clinical psychology, using a method developed by Hammen (personal communication, August 12, 2008).…”

“…In addition, social skills deficits in depressed individuals are associated with poor recovery and depression chronicity (for a review see Joiner, 2000;Lara & Klein, 1999). As previously mentioned, interpersonal competence has also been shown to be particularly important in the daily stress generation process, as there is some evidence that it moderates the relationship between daily negative mood and daily stressful events (Sahl et al, 2009) and mediates the relationship between current depressive symptoms and daily stressful events (Cummings et al, 2010). Expected correlates of interpersonal competence, such as reassurance seeking (Shih & Auerbach, 2010) and anxious attachment (Eberhart & Hammen, 2009), have also been shown to relate to daily stress generation.…”

“…Although there are only a few stress generation studies that focus on stress at the daily level, some potentially important predictors of daily stress generation have been reported. Among these are hostile daily mood (Sahl et al, 2009), poor conflict management skills (Cummings et al, 2010), reassurance seeking and sociotropic personality style in women (Shih & Auerbach, 2010), and anxious attachment (Eberhart & Hammen, 2009). Together, these findings substantially extend stress generation theory and link it to research indicating that daily events contribute to a significant proportion of the variance in stressful experiences (Monroe & Simons, 1991) and also impact mental health (Bolger, DeLongis, Kessler, & Schilling, 1989).…”