SELF-HELP AS A LEARNED RESPONSE TO CHRONIC ILLNESS EXPERIENCE: A TEST OF FOUR ALTERNATIVE THEORIES (ADAPTATION, HELPLESSNESS, RESOURCEFULNESS).
Contributors: University of Arizona.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 327
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purposes of this study were: (a) to identify which of four competing theories best accounted for self help as a learned outcome of chronic illness experience, and (b) to generate a Self Help Model that could be used to explicate self help as a learned response to chronic illness. The concepts of severity of chronic illness, intimate dependency reinforcers, self induced dependency reinforcers, cue outcome independence reinforcers, enabling skill, self help and life quality were specified in a causal format that allowed a competitive test of four different theories. The theories tested were instrumental passivity theory, self induced dependency theory, an adaptation of learned helplessness theory and learned resourcefulness theory.

The study utilized a causal modeling design to assess a five stage model. A judgment sample of 786 individuals having a diagnosis of arthritis or an arthritis related condition were mailed questionnaires. Two hundred seventy-eight subjects responded, a 36 percent return rate. Seven scales using a visual analogue response format indexed the theoretical concepts. Reliability and validity estimates were conducted to assess psychometric properties of the instruments. Model parameters were estimated using multiple regression statistical techniques. Residual analysis was conducted to estimate violations of the causal model and statistical assumptions.

Factors from one theory, the learned resourcefulness theory, emerged as more credible than factors from any single other theory. However, the data did evidence factors from other theories that were significant. Self induced sick role reinforcers and cue outcome independence reinforcers were found to slightly reduce perception of enabling skill (B = -.31 and B = -.12, respectively; R('2) = .11). Intimate dependency reinforcers and cue outcome independence reinforcers were found to slightly reduce perception of self help (B = -.34 and B = -.24, respectively; R('2) = .19). These factors helped to identify environmental and intra-person contingencies that led to reduction in self help. The learned resourcefulness factor, enabling skill, demonstrated the mediating skills that worked to enhance self help (B = .44; R('2) = .29). The Self Help Model generated to explicate self help as a learned response to chronic illness explained 50 percent of the variance in perceived self help. Self help had a direct positive impact on life quality (B = .61; R('2) = .46). (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-09, Section: B, page: 3704.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, 1986.

School code: 0009.