7.1 Section Title
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Relationship Stress
Coping is a dynamic, ever-changing, long-term process. It refers to the cognitive processes involved in not only understanding and dealing with stressful situations, but also understanding behavioral and emotional reactions that can provide additional complicating factors. In Chapter 7, various coping strategies are identified such as problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Use what you learned about coping to answer questions about the following scenario.
Ana and her husband, Martin, have been married a little less than a year. Ana is Native American and met Martin, who is Latino, in their final year of college. This is their first time living together in their own home, and they have been working to renovate their place and make it fit their personalities. The renovation is taking longer than either of them anticipated and is over budget. Martin and Ana have tried to be upbeat about the setbacks, but recently Ana has been arguing with her husband and is beginning to speak poorly of and complain about him to friends and family. Martin is confused about why their relationship is so tense. Ana has difficulty identifying and understanding her own feelings when asked about her marriage, but she refuses to discuss her concerns with her husband. Martin has started to experience feelings of anxiety and depression related to their marital disagreements. Ana and Martin have come to an impasse and need to make a decision about not only their marriage but also their own individual well-being.
Question
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Ana should consider a problem–focused approach of sitting down with her husband and figuring out a way to work through the problem together. If they can’t do this on their own, perhaps they might seek out marriage counseling. One possibility is to scale back some of the renovations and if possible, maybe they can spend more time engaged in activities together outside the house while the renovation is still going on.
Question
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The buffering hypothesis refers to the mitigating influence of social support, which helps individuals cope more effectively with stress. If Martin and Ana have empathetic social support systems, then they are more likely to take advice that could be helpful in their marital disagreements.
Question
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If Ana is optimistic, she will be able to see this situation as temporary and focus on how the sacrifices and difficulties now will make life better for both of them after the renovation is complete. In contrast, if Ana has a type D (“distressed”) personality, she would often experience negative moods that, in turn, put her at risk for a number of health problems. She is likely to engage in self-blame, avoidance, and/or social isolation, none of which are likely to help solve the problems.
Question
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Spirituality is the belief in an ultimate meaning or purpose in life, and religiosity is the belief in a divine power. Humor is a longstanding part of Native American spiritual tradition. Embracing this spiritual aspect of her culture would enable Ana to find the funny aspects of the various inconveniences that she and Martin are dealing with. If Ana believes in a higher power, she might turn to prayer and try to reassure herself that it will be okay in the end.