Adopting the Ecological Contextual Model of Acculturation and Adjustment (Birman, 1994; Trickett, 1996) and the Stress and Coping paradigm (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, 1986, 1991), the present thesis explored the psycho-social, work, and marital adjustment of 200 established older middle-aged refugees from the Former Yugoslavia living in the Ottawa area. More specifically, three studies were conducted to examine specific stressors and resources of relevance to the adjustment of Former Yugoslavian men and women, across the following three distinct life domains: psycho-social, work, and marital. Study I explored the potential buffering effects of interpersonal trust on the relational growth of Former Yugoslavian refugees. Results demonstrated that interpersonal trust moderated the negative effects of war-related trauma on the relational growth of Former Yugoslavian women. No such buffering effect was found for the men. Study II investigated Former Yugoslavians' work adjustment by exploring the influence of pre-migratory work-related expectations-outcome congruence, occupational mobility, work stress (general and discrimination), as well as personal (education, English language proficiency) and social resources (support at work) on their work satisfaction and distress. Results indicated that different factors emerged as significant predictors of work satisfaction and work distress for Former Yugoslavian men and women. Study III explored the potential moderating role of marital resilience on the relationship between marital stress (general and acculturative) and marital adjustment. Results showed that marital resilience moderated the negative effects of marital stress on the marital adjustment of Former Yugoslavian women. No protective effect of marital resilience was found for the men. Taken together, the results of the three studies provide support for the relevance and importance of studying the stress, resources, and adjustment of refugees across contexts and gender. Given that important gender differences were found in different adaptational domains, the need to study further the impact of gender in refugees is reinforced. The findings are discussed within the current gender and migration literatures as well as the multidimensional theories of cross-cultural adjustment. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications were presented, along with recommendations for future research.

Adopting the Ecological Contextual Model of Acculturation and Adjustment (Birman, 1994; Trickett, 1996) and the Stress and Coping paradigm (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, 1986, 1991), the present thesis explored the psycho-social, work, and marital adjustment of 200 established older middle-aged refugees from the Former Yugoslavia living in the Ottawa area. More specifically, three studies were conducted to examine specific stressors and resources of relevance to the adjustment of Former Yugoslavian men and women, across the following three distinct life domains: psycho-social, work, and marital. Study I explored the potential buffering effects of interpersonal trust on the relational growth of Former Yugoslavian refugees. Results demonstrated that interpersonal trust moderated the negative effects of war-related trauma on the relational growth of Former Yugoslavian women. No such buffering effect was found for the men. Study II investigated Former Yugoslavians' work adjustment by exploring the influence of pre-migratory work-related expectations-outcome congruence, occupational mobility, work stress (general and discrimination), as well as personal (education, English language proficiency) and social resources (support at work) on their work satisfaction and distress. Results indicated that different factors emerged as significant predictors of work satisfaction and work distress for Former Yugoslavian men and women. Study III explored the potential moderating role of marital resilience on the relationship between marital stress (general and acculturative) and marital adjustment. Results showed that marital resilience moderated the negative effects of marital stress on the marital adjustment of Former Yugoslavian women. No protective effect of marital resilience was found for the men. Taken together, the results of the three studies provide support for the relevance and importance of studying the stress, resources, and adjustment of refugees across contexts and gender. Given that important gender differences were found in different adaptational domains, the need to study further the impact of gender in refugees is reinforced. The findings are discussed within the current gender and migration literatures as well as the multidimensional theories of cross-cultural adjustment. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications were presented, along with recommendations for future research.

This study examines the impact of gender on the coping mechanisms employed to manage work-related stress. The aim of the investigation was to determine whether male and female professionals differ in terms of the coping mechanisms that they employ in managing work-related stress. In order to achieve this aim an assessment battery containing a Biographical Checklist, the Coping Checklist, the Hassles Scale and the Daily Uplifts Scale was distributed to a sample of professional men and women. The fmdings indicate that male and female professionals differ significantly in only two of the six coping mechanisms measured, namely social support and symptom management; that men and women do not differ significantly in terms of coping repertoire; and that women cope more effectively than their male counterparts with work-related· stress. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Adopting the Ecological Contextual Model of Acculturation and Adjustment (Birman, 1994; Trickett, 1996) and the Stress and Coping paradigm (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984, 1986, 1991), the present thesis explored the psycho-social, work, and marital adjustment of 200 established older middle-aged refugees from the Former Yugoslavia living in the Ottawa area. More specifically, three studies were conducted to examine specific stressors and resources of relevance to the adjustment of Former Yugoslavian men and women, across the following three distinct life domains: psycho-social, work, and marital. Study I explored the potential buffering effects of interpersonal trust on the relational growth of Former Yugoslavian refugees. Results demonstrated that interpersonal trust moderated the negative effects of war-related trauma on the relational growth of Former Yugoslavian women. No such buffering effect was found for the men. Study II investigated Former Yugoslavians' work adjustment by exploring the influence of pre-migratory work-related expectations-outcome congruence, occupational mobility, work stress (general and discrimination), as well as personal (education, English language proficiency) and social resources (support at work) on their work satisfaction and distress. Results indicated that different factors emerged as significant predictors of work satisfaction and work distress for Former Yugoslavian men and women. Study III explored the potential moderating role of marital resilience on the relationship between marital stress (general and acculturative) and marital adjustment. Results showed that marital resilience moderated the negative effects of marital stress on the marital adjustment of Former Yugoslavian women. No protective effect of marital resilience was found for the men. Taken together, the results of the three studies provide support for the relevance and importance of studying the stress, resources, and adjustment of refugees across contexts and gender. Given that important gender differences were found in different adaptational domains, the need to study further the impact of gender in refugees is reinforced. The findings are discussed within the current gender and migration literatures as well as the multidimensional theories of cross-cultural adjustment. Theoretical, research, and clinical implications were presented, along with recommendations for future research.

本研究主要在探討大學生的生活壓力、社會支持與生命意義各層面的相互關係，最後瞭解生活壓力、社會支持對生命意義的預測情形。本研究採問卷調查法的方式，以台灣北部地區576名大學生為研究對象，邀請大學生填寫「生命意義量表」、「大學生生活壓力量表」及「社會支持量表」三種量表。資料蒐集完畢後，以描述性統計、獨立樣本t考驗、皮爾森積差相關、逐步迴歸分析、階層迴歸分析進行資料分析。研究主要發現如下： 一、大學生普遍具有追尋生命意義的動機，但約有四分之一的學生對個人的生命意義主觀感受是欠缺的或不確定的。 二、不同性別大學生的生命意義感、意義追尋動機無顯著差異。 三、有宗教信仰的大學生其生命意義感較無宗教信仰者高，且信仰越虔誠則生命意義感越高。 四、大學生的生命意義感與意義追尋動機為正相關。 五、日常困擾、重大負向生活事件兩者的發生件數、影響程度，分別和生命意義感呈負相關。 六、社會支持、日常困擾影響程度與意義追尋動機為正向關係。 七、大學生的社會支持、日常困擾程度、重大負向生活事件發生件數、是否有宗教信仰，對生命意義感具顯著預測力。 八、大學生的社會支持、日常困擾程度、日常困擾發生件數，能夠顯著預測意義追尋動機。 九、有宗教信仰的大學生，信仰虔誠度對生命意義感預測力高於生活壓力。 十、大學生的社會支持並沒有產生調節生活壓力對生命意義之效果。 根據研究結果，建議可藉由協助大學生探索其生命意義、發展個人的靈性或宗教信仰、建立個人的社會網絡、學習因應日常困擾之能力、嘗試從苦難中找尋生命意義，以獲得較高的生命意義感。最後提出對未來相關研究的建議。 / The study examined the relative contributions of life stress and social support to the prediction of life meaning among Taiwan college students. This study employed three questionnaires to collect data, including Meaning in life Questionnaire, Life Stress Scale, and Social Support Scale. The participants of the study were 576 college students of northern Taiwan. The descriptive statistic, t-test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, stepwise multiple regression and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to analyze data. The main findings of this study were: 1. College students generally had the motivation of searching for meaning, but about 1/4 students had deficient or uncertain subjective experience to the presence of life meaning. 2. Male and female students had no significant differentiation in the presence and search for the meaning in life. 3. College students with religious beliefs had higher presence of meaning in life than those who didn’t have religious beliefs. Moreover the higher the dedication in religion a student had the higher meaning in life. 4. There was a positive correlation between the presence of meaning in life and the search for meaning in college students. 5. Daily hassles, number of major life events, and the degree of influence had negative relationship with the presence of life meaning. 6. Positive relationship between social support, degree of influence of daily hassles and the search for meaning in life were found. 7. College students’ social support, degree of influence of daily hassles, number of major life events, and religious beliefs could significantly predict the presence of meaning in life. 8. College students’ social support, degree of influence of daily hassles, and number of daily hassles could significantly predict the search for meaning in life. 9. The dedication level in religion had higher prediction than life stress on the presence of meaning in life among college students who had religious beliefs. 10. The college students' social support had no buffering effect between stress and the meaning of life. According to the findings, researcher suggested that college students could obtain higher levels of life meaning by exploring their meaning of life, developing spirituality or religious beliefs, learning the ability to cope with daily hassles, and finding meaning in sufferings. Finally, suggestions for further research were proposed.

Sport and dance injuries have increased despite improvements in coaching techniques and medical care. Other factors, including psychological ones, were therefore thought to play a role in injury vulnerability. Most of the attempts to explain how psychological variables can affect an athlete's predisposition to injury have been based on anxiety or stress concepts. In this survey type study an interactive approach to stress has been adopted with the goal of finding a relationship between stress and injury in a group of professional ballet dancers. No simple direct relationship was found. Multiple regression analysis was performed and a more complicated relationship between stress indicators and injury was found. When an attempt was made to investigate the significant interaction, no significant correlations were found. However, the correlations were found to be large and negative. This could indicate that if the sample size had been larger significant correlations may have been found. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Sport and dance injuries have increased despite improvements in coaching techniques and medical care. Other factors, including psychological ones, were therefore thought to play a role in injury vulnerability. Most of the attempts to explain how psychological variables can affect an athlete's predisposition to injury have been based on anxiety or stress concepts. In this survey type study an interactive approach to stress has been adopted with the goal of finding a relationship between stress and injury in a group of professional ballet dancers. No simple direct relationship was found. Multiple regression analysis was performed and a more complicated relationship between stress indicators and injury was found. When an attempt was made to investigate the significant interaction, no significant correlations were found. However, the correlations were found to be large and negative. This could indicate that if the sample size had been larger significant correlations may have been found. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)