Diagnostics of subjective appraisal of difficult life tasks

Background. In the modern psychology of coping, there is a strong need to create a tool to measure appraisals of difficult life tasks (DLT). The DLT is one of the most common types of life situations associated with the achievement of significant goals.

Objective. The aim is to adapt the questionnaire, which measures the cognitive appraisal of difficult life situations, to research special types of difficulties (life tasks) and to estimate psychometric properties of the developed version of the questionnaire.

Sample. The study involved 1032 respondents aged 17 to 67 years (M_age = 23.86; SD = 6.53; 686 women), students and specialists of various profiles.

Methods. The research had a survey design. Three questionnaires were used in the work: “Appraisal Criteria of the Difficulty of One’s Life Situation”, “Types of Orientations in Difficult Situation”, “Ways of Coping” questionnaire. To process quantitative data we used confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, Cronbach’s α coefficient, Student's t-test, Cohen's d coefficient. Content analysis was used to differentiate between the types of situations.

Results. A new structure of the questionnaire for appraisal criteria has been developed. This structure corresponds to empirical data on life tasks and includes 7 scales: 1) general features of difficult life tasks, 2) uncontrollability of the situation; 3) unclearness of the situation; 4) need for a quick and active response; 5) difficulty of making a decision (dilemma); 6) difficulty of predicting the situation; 7) negative emotions. The scales showed a sufficient consistency (Cronbach’s α value varied from 0.548 to 0.805). Correlations, descriptive statistics of the scales, and a pattern of score distribution are presented. Differences in the appraisal of the difficulties by men and women were revealed on the following scales: general features, negative emotions, unclearness of the situation, and difficulty of making a decision (women have higher scores on average). Convergent validity testing revealed expected relationships between the scales of the questionnaire and other constructs. General features of difficult life tasks include the significance of the situation and its consequences, great effort, anxiety, and subject’s influence on the consequences of the situation.

Conclusion. This study tested a questionnaire that measured subjective appraisal of a difficult life tasks. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were confirmed. The questionnaire can be used to analyse and compare life tasks of different types, as well as to develop models that include parameters to assess difficulty and coping strategies.

References

Bityutskaya, E.V. (2014). Factor structure of the Russian-language version of the methodology “Questionnaire of coping methods”. Voprosy psikhologii (Questions of Psychology), 5, 138–150. (In Russ.).

Bityutskaya, E.V., Eliseeva, I.N., Shoigu, Yu.S. (2015). About psychological mechanisms of training rescuers for professional activity. In V.T. Kudryavtsev (Eds.), Learning and Development: Modern Theory and Practice. Proceedings of the XVI International Readings in memory of L.S. Vygotsky in Moscow, November 16–20: in 2 parts. Part 1 (pp. 240–244). Moscow: “Lev”. (In Russ.).

Bityutskaya, E.V., Korneev, A.A. (2020). Diagnostics of perception of life events: the situational version of the questionnaire “Types of orientations in difficult situation”. Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo oblastnogo universiteta (Bulletin of Moscow State Regional University), 4, 141–163. doi: 10.18384/2224-0209-2020-4-1047 (In Russ.).

Bityutskaya, E.V., Korneev, A.A. (2021). Subjective appraisal of a difficult life situation: diagnostics and structure. Voprosy psihologii (Questions of Psychology), 4, 145–161. (In Russ.).

Bityutskaya, E.V., Korneev, A.A. (2021). Subjective appraisal and orientations in difficult life situations as predictors of coping strategies. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 14 (3), 180–199.

Bityutskaya, E., Lebedeva, N. (2022). How mothers of terminally ill children cope and appraise their life situation. European Psychiatry, 65, 937–937. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.606

Brandstädter, J., Rothermund, K. (2002). The life-course dynamics of goal pursuit and goal adjustment: A two-process framework. Developmental Review, 22, 117–150. doi: 10.1006/drev.2001.0539

Danina, M.M., Kiselnikova, N.V., Kaminskaya, E.A., Lavrova, E.V., Golzitskaya, A.A. (2017). Methods of studying ways of solving personal problems. Voprosy psikhologii (Questions of Psychology), 3, 70–79. (In Russ.).

Dörner, D., Funke, J. (2017). Complex problem solving: What it is and what it is not. Frontiers in Psychology, 11 (8), 1153. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01153

D'Zurilla, T.J., Chang, E.C. (1995). The relations between social problem solving and coping. Cognitive therapy and research, 19 (5), 547–562. doi: 10.1007/BF02230513

Gollwitzer, P.M., Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A metaanalysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. doi: 10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1

Gordeeva, T.O. Psychology of achievement motivation: Textbook for university students studying in the direction and specialties of psychology. M.: Smysl: Academia, 2006. (In Russ.).

Himi, S.A., Volberg, G., Bühner, M., Hilbert, S. (2022). Individual differences in everyday multitasking behavior and its relation to cognition and personality. Psychological Research. doi: 10.1007/s00426-022-01700-z

Kato, T. (2012). Development of the Coping Flexibility Scale: Evidence for the coping flexibility hypothesis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59 (2), 262–273. doi: 10.1037/a0027770

Komkova, E.I., Ovchinnikova, M.B. (2018). The cognitive assessment as a predictor of strategies of coping behavior of mangers. Vestsі BDPU. Seria 1, Pedagogіka. Psіkhalogіya. Fіlalogіya (Seria 1. Pedagogy. Psychology. Philology), 1, 52–57. (In Russ.).

Kryukova, T.L. (2019). How constructive are illusions in the coping with the stresses of life changes? In M.V. Saporovskaya, T.L. Kryukova, S.A. Khazova (Eds.), Psychology of stress and coping behavior: Challenges, resources, well-being. Proceedings of the V International Scientific Conference Kostroma on September 26–28: in 2 volumes, Vol. 1 (pp. 91–95). Kostroma: Kostroma State University. (In Russ.).

Leonova, E.N. (2021). Hardiness and cognitive appraisal of difficult life situation as predictors of coping strategies. Chelovecheskii kapital (Human Capital), 4 (148), 90–103. doi: 10.25629/HC.2021.04.08 (In Russ.).

Odintsova, M.A., Radchikova, N.P., Aleksandrova, L.A. (2022). COPE-30: psychometric properties of the short version of the Russian-language inventory for coping strategies evaluation. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya 14. Psikhologiya (Moscow University Psychology Bulletin), 4, 247–275. doi: 10.11621/vsp.2022.04.11 (In Russ.).

Peacock, E.J., Wong, P.T. (1990) The Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM): A multi-dimensional approach to cognitive appraisal. Stress Medicine, 6 (3), 227–236. doi: 10.1002/smi.2460060308

Petrovsky, V.A. (2013). “I” a personological perspective. Moscow: Izdatel’skyy dom Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki. (In Russ.).

Poddyakov, A.N. (2021). Designing problematic situations and problems as creativity. Report at a meeting of the Laboratory of Psychology and Psychophysiology of Creativity of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, June 21, 2021. (Retrieved from http://hse.ru/pubs/share/direct/content_document/480081534.pdf) (review date: 03.02.2023). doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32681.72809

Poddyakov, A.N. (2007). Uncertainty in complex problems solving. In A.K. Bolotov (Eds.), A man in a situation of uncertainty (pp. 177–193). Moscow: TEIS. (In Russ.).

Poddyakov, A.N. (2014). Complicology: the creation of developing, diagnosing and destructive difficulties. Moscow: Izdatel’skyy dom Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki. (In Russ.).

Pretz, J.E., Naples, A.J., Sternberg, R.J. (2003). Recognizing, defining, and representing problems. In J.E. Davidson, R.J. Sternberg (Eds.), The psychology of problem solving (pp. 3–30). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511615771.002

Sanbonmatsu, D.M., Strayer, D.L., Medeiros-Ward, N., Watson, J.M. (2013). Who multi-tasks and why? Multi-tasking ability, perceived multi-tasking ability, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. PLoS One, 8 (1), e54402. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054402

Saporovskaia, M.V., Kryukova, T.L., Voronina, M.E., Tikhomirova, E.V., Samokhvalova, A.G., Khazova, S.A. (2021). A Decrease in Psycho-Emotional Health in Middle-Aged Russian Women Associated with Their Lifestyle. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (2), 338. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020388

Tsymbalyuk, A.E. (2011). The maintenance of mental representation of reality situations at youthfoul age. Yaroslavskii pedagogicheskii vestnik (Pedagogical Bulletin of Yaroslavl), 2 (4), 245–248. (In Russ.).