RELATIONSHIP OF LOCUS OF CONTROL TO PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AMONG INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSES.
Contributors: University of Missouri--Columbia.
Published: 1983
Number of pages: 144
Subjects: Psychology, General.
Description: Forty-eight intensive care unit nurses completed the Nursing Experiences Survey-Revised, Levenson's I, P, and C Scales, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and a demographic information sheet. Multiple regression analysis showed Powerful Others to be the single locus of control dimension of significance in predicting level of stress encountered in commonly occurring ICU situations. Internality related positively to nurses' perceived ability to cope with ICU situations through bringing about situational outcomes of their choice. No locus of control dimension related to the degree of importance nurses ascribed to the outcomes toward which their coping efforts were directed.

Correlations between variables were compared for high and low experience nurses, based on a median split of total months ICU experience. The strength of the relationships of locus of control dimensions to Stress, Coping Ability, and Outcome Importance did not differ on the basis of experience. Thus the expected greater impact of locus of control beliefs on dimensions of situational appraisal under conditions of low experience was not substantiated.

Multiple regression analysis found that a combination of Outcome Importance, Coping Ability, and Powerful Others allowed prediction of 47% of the variance of Stress. While Outcome Importance and Coping Ability emerged as independent situation appraisal dimensions relevant to stress, no interaction was found between these two dimensions. Thus High Outcome Importance/Low Coping Ability nurses experienced no more stress than other nurses not characterized by perceived situational demands outweighing perceived situational resources.

The findings of the study were discussed in terms of Lazarus' theory of psychological stress and coping. Recommendations for future research were made.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-02, Section: B, page: 0658.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - COLUMBIA, 1983.

School code: 0133.