|
CityU Institutional Repository >
Outstanding Academic Papers by Students >
OAPS - Dept. of Applied Social Studies >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2031/5360
|
| Title: | Daily hassles and health: The protective role of optimism among Chinese adults in Hong Kong |
| Authors: | Tse, Cheuk Yee (謝焯儀) |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Studies |
| Issue Date: | 2008 |
| Course: | SS5790 Psychology Research Paper |
| Programme: | PGD in Psychology |
| Instructor: | Dr. Julian C. L. Lai |
| Abstract: | Objectives. This study examined the relations between daily hassles, dispositional
optimism, mental distress and physical health, as well as the role of dispositional
optimism in moderating the effect of hassles on mental and physical health among
Chinese adults in Hong Kong.
Method. Data on daily hassles, optimism, mental distress and physical health were
collected from a convenient sample of 188 adults by means of a self-administered
questionnaire which included the translated Chinese versions of the Survey of Recent
Life Experiences (SRLE), Revised Life Orientation Test (CRLOT), General Health
Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), and Physical Health Questionnaire (PHQ).
Results. With the use of principle axis factoring followed by direct Oblimin rotation,
three SRLE factors including Social and Financial Hassles, Time Pressure, and Work
Hassles were extracted. Findings revealed that more hassles were related to higher
mental distress and poorer physical health. In contrast, higher levels of optimism were
associated with lower mental distress and better physical health. Moreover, optimism
moderated the adverse effect of work hassles on mental distress at low levels of work
hassles. Optimism also buffered the detrimental effect of work hassles on physical
health when work hassles increased.
Discussion. Findings were discussed in relation to the influence of culture on the
factor structure of the SRLE, the negative effect of hassles, the direct and positive
impact of optimism, as well as the moderating role of optimism in protecting
individuals against the detrimental effect of work hassles on mental distress and
physical health. Implications of optimism for the smooth migration into different
stages of adulthood and promotion of optimistic thinking at the workplace were also discussed. Longitudinal studies in these directions and on the buffering role that
optimism and other stress moderators play in protecting individuals against the adverse
impact of hassles on health are warranted. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2031/5360 |
| Appears in Collections: | OAPS - Dept. of Applied Social Studies
|
Files in This Item:
| File |
Size | Format |
|---|
| fulltext.html | 0Kb | HTML | View/Open |
|
Items in CityU IR are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
|
