title: Understanding the utility of emotional approach coping: evidence from a laboratory stressor and daily life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dispositional emotional approach coping (EAC) marks an adaptive tendency to process and express emotions. EAC's association with cognitions, affect, and intra- and interindividual characteristics that may account for its utility was examined in response to an acute stressor and in daily life.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included a laboratory stress task and ecological momentary assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy undergraduate students (n = 124; mean age: 20; women: 56%) completed a laboratory component (baseline survey, speech stress task, pre- and posttask measures) and five subsequent days of surveys via palm pilot (six surveys/day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Controlling for sex, neuroticism, and social support, greater EAC was associated with more positive cognitive appraisals, personal resources, and positive affect and less-negative affect during the lab stressor, and with more perceived control and positive affect in daily life. Significant EAC × sex interactions were found for poststressor affect: men with high EAC reported more positive affect and women with high EAC reported less negative affect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings provide support that EAC's utility may be independent of intra- and interindividual characteristics, and that men and women may benefit from EAC in different ways in regards to affect. The proclivity to use EAC may come with a resiliency that protects against stress and promotes general well-being.
authors.affiliation: a Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway , University of California , Irvine , CA 92697 , USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Juth
authors.forename: Sally S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: Peggy M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Zoccola
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: affect; cognition; ecological momentary assessment; emotional approach coping; laboratory stressor