The effects of challenge and threat states on coping flexibility: evidence from framing and exemplar priming

Social Support and Loneliness among Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Children: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of the Roles of Social Competence and Stress Mindset

“…They may be able to rapidly direct their attention toward positive information in their environments (e.g., social support) and efficiently evoke positive emotional responses to the available support. Moreover, having a positive attitude toward stress enables individuals to respond to the environment in an approach manner cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally, such as showing greater cognitive flexibility [ 21 ], adopting more approach coping strategies like support-seeking and problem-solving [ 27 ], displaying greater coping flexibility [ 55 , 56 ], and experiencing more positive affect like excitement and happiness [ 21 , 55 ]. These processes may further facilitate migrant children to make better use of the available support in their social networks and consequently feel less lonely.…”

“…Eight items measured a stress-is-a-challenge mindset (e.g., “Adversity provides a good opportunity for learning”) and four items measured a stress-is-a-threat mindset (e.g., “Stress means the end of the world and I am not able to resolve it”). These two subscales have shown good validity with coping patterns and psychological health in prior studies on migrant children [ 27 ] and typically developing youth [ 55 , 56 ]. Scores of all relevant items for each subscale were averaged to indicate a stress-is-a-challenge mindset (Cronbach’s α = 0.71) and a stress-is-a-threat mindset (Cronbach’s α = 0.70), respectively.…”

“…Scores of all relevant items for each subscale were averaged to indicate a stress-is-a-challenge mindset (Cronbach’s α = 0.71) and a stress-is-a-threat mindset (Cronbach’s α = 0.70), respectively. Given that these two types of stress mindsets may play distinct roles during the process of stress coping [ 27 , 55 , 56 ], we computed the challenge–threat ratio (dividing the stress-is-a-challenge mindset by the stress-is-a-threat mindset) to indicate a positive stress mindset. A higher challenge–threat ratio suggests a more positive stress mindset.…”

“…In the present study, we follow Chen and colleagues’ [ 27 , 55 , 56 ] definition to classify stress mindset as a “stress-is-a-challenge mindset” (referred to as the belief that stress is an opportunity for personal growth and gains) and a “stress-is-a-threat mindset” (referred to as the belief that stress is a risk of damage, harm, or loss). Holding a stress-is-a-threat mindset is usually related to greater psychological distress such as more anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas having a stress-is-a-challenge mindset can be related to fewer emotional symptoms through adaptive coping patterns in rural-to-urban migrant children [ 27 ] and university students [ 55 , 56 ].…”

“…People with a stress-is-a-challenge mindset tend to engage in a challenge state across situations, which leads to biological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses in an approach-oriented manner [ 57 ], such as greater cognitive flexibility [ 21 ], better working memory [ 55 , 58 ], and more functional coping patterns [ 27 , 56 ]. By contrast, individuals with a stress-is-a-threat mindset tend to engage in a threat state, which leads to responses in an avoidance-oriented manner [ 57 ], such as debilitated cognitive processes [ 20 , 21 , 55 , 56 ] and dysfunctional coping patterns [ 27 , 58 ]. Thus, we expected that migrant children who have a stress-is-a-challenge mindset would respond more proactively to the available support in their environments and acquire knowledge and learn social skills more efficiently through seeking and utilizing social support.…”