Dimensions of Stressful Events

Positive life events can have a detrimental effect on the health of people who hold negative views of themselves.

Believing that one can control a stressor is associated with higher catecholamine levels than believing one has no control over the stressor.

Uncontrollable or unpredictable events are less stressful than controllable or predictable ones.

Ambiguous events are typically perceived as less stressful than are clear-cut events.

People who have fewer tasks in their lives report higher levels of stress than those who have more tasks.

People may be more vulnerable to stress in peripheral life domains than in central life domains.

Positive events are generally more stressful than negative events.

Negative stressful events can have implications for one's self-concept and self-esteem.

Getting a traffic ticket is an example of a positive event that can be stressful.

Negative events show a weaker relationship to psychological distress and physical symptoms compared to positive events.

All events are inherently stressful, regardless of how they are appraised by an individual.

Coping with an unexpected job promotion is given as an example of a negative event.