Constructive Thinking and the Experience of Stress.

The upper and lower 5% of 456 undergraduate students who completed the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI) were subjected to a laboratory stress test. In support of the hypothesis, poor constructive thinkers reacted to the stress with a greater increase in negative thoughts and negative emotions, and exhibited a greater increase in blood pressure and other measures of physiological arousal than did good constructive thinkers. Examination of thought patterns indicated that poor constructive thinkers did not differ from good constructive thinkers in positive thinking, but did differ in some aspects of negative thinking. It was concluded that an increased number of physical symptoms reported by poor constructive thinkers may be mediated by the increased stress produced by their maladaptive thinking style. (Author) *********************************************************************** Reproductions suppliel by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvment EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERIC) /This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it r7 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OE RI position or policy CONSTRUCTIVE THINKING AND THE EXPERIENCE OF STRESS Lori S. Katz and Seymour Epstein University of Massachusetts at Amherst Abstract "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC" The upper and lower 5% of 456 undergraduate students who completed the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI) were subjected to a laboratory stress test. In support of the hypothesis, poor constructive thinkers reacted to the stress with a greater increase in negative thoughts and negative emotions, and exhibited a greater increase in blood pressure and other measures of physiological arousal. Examination of thought patterns indicated that poor constructive thinkers did not differ from good constructive thinkers in positive thinking, but did differ in some aspects of negative thinking. It was concluded that an increased number of physical symptoms reported by poor constructive thinkers may be mediated by the increased stress produced by their maladaptive thinking style.