ABSTRACT
Ordinary everyday living requires people to confront decision-making and problem-solving situations that make demands on their psychological resources. The discussion in chapter 5 noted that managing stress adaptively consists of having sufficient adaptive capacities to meet the demands that one is experiencing, whereas inability to cope with life’s demands in a satisfactory fashion constitutes inadequate stress management and typically leads tomaladaptive consequences. As further noted in chapter 5, adequate resources for minimizing subjectively felt distress and maintaining a consistent coping style promote successful adaptation and a sense of well-being. Conversely, a combination of insufficient resources, excessive experienced stress, and inconsistent coping efforts can be expected to contribute to a wide range of adjustment difficulties.
