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Originalia

Optimism, Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Stress as Predictors of Self-Reported Health Symptoms in College Students

Published Online:October 26, 2009https://doi.org/10.1026/0943-8149.17.4.185

Abstract

Abstract. Studies provide support for the notion of increased vulnerability to upper respiratory track infections (URIs) with exposure to psychological stress, but only few have examined whether optimism and self-efficacy might moderate this relationship. The purpose of the present study was to examine (a) the influence of academic exam stress on susceptibility to URIs and (b) the extent to which these personality characteristics buffer against stress-related vulnerability to URIs. Using a repeated-measures design, URI infection status was measured in a sample of 80 college students with self-reports both during an exam period and outside such a period. Results suggested that optimism may protect from the adverse influence of heightened stress and that pessimistic, low self-efficacious participants may be at elevated risk for the development of URIs at times of increased stress.


Optimismus, Selbstwirksamkeit und Stress als Mediatoren von Gesundheitssymptomen bei Studenten

Zusammenfassung. Verschiedene Studien haben belegt, dass psychische Belastung die Vulnerabilität für Infektionen der oberen Atemwege (IOA) steigern kann. Allerdings wurde bisher noch kaum untersucht, ob Optimismus oder Selbstwirksamkeit diese Beziehung moderieren. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war (a) den Einfluss von Prüfungsbelastung auf die Anfälligkeit für IOA zu untersuchen und (b) das Ausmaß zu untersuchen, in dem diese Persönlichkeitsmerkmale als Schutzfaktoren gegen stressbedingte IOA-Anfälligkeit wirken. In einem Messwiederholungsdesign wurde der IOA-Infektionsstatus in einer Stichprobe bei 80 Universitäts-Studenten mit Fragebögen sowohl während einer Examens-Periode als auch außerhalb einer solchen Periode erhoben. Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass Optimismus vor den gesundheitsschädigenden Auswirkungen erhöhter psychischer Belastung schützt. Pessimistische Probanden mit niedriger Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung zeigten ein erhöhtes Risiko für die Entwicklung von IOA während erhöhter Belastung.

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