Unconscious associations between stressor type and ability to cope: an experimental approach using ancient and modern sources of stress.

Abstract

Objectives.Work has emerged that suggests it is salient and feasible to include achronological approach to the taxonomy of stress. The ability to make an explicitdistinction between ancient stressors (AS) and modern stressors (MS) has been reportedin young and older adults; AS have been associated with greater ability to cope and MSwith poorer health outcomes. Whether these explicit distinctions exist at an implicit,unconscious level, has yet to be determined.Design.A quantitative design employed a computer-based Implicit Association Test(IAT) to examine implicit associations between AS/MS and coping appraisal.Methods.One hundred adults (75 females) aged 18–58 years (M=28.27 years,SD=10.02) completed the AS/MS IAT, to compare reaction time (RT) and accuracybetween consistent pairs (AS/ability to cope; MS/inability to cope) and inconsistent pairresponses (AS/inability to cope; MS/ability to cope); followed by an explicit self-reportquestionnaire.Results.Repeated measures ANCOVAs, controlling for sex and age, revealedsignificant main effects of faster RT and higher accuracy in responses for consistentthan inconsistent pairs. Adult participants made implicit associations indicating anunconscious AS and MS distinction. Using theDalgorithm, a univariate ANCOVA andindependentt-tests found that males, compared to females, showed a stronger implicitpreference for consistent than inconsistent pairs.Conclusions.Findings suggest an implicit association between ancient and modernstressors and perceived coping ability. Utilizing a chronological taxonomy for under-standing evolutionary origins that drive individual’s responses to stress has implicationsfor developing effective coping strategies to improve health outcomes.