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Sense of Coherence and Mood States: Exploring the Causal Relationships
Author(s) -
Berger Rivka,
Sarid Orly,
Hurvitz Nancy,
Anson Ofra
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00430.x
Subject(s) - psychology , confusion , mood , anxiety , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , social psychology , developmental psychology , cognition , structural equation modeling , clinical psychology , psychoanalysis , psychiatry , statistics , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The current study seeks to explore the effect of an academic course on sense of coherence (SOC) and transitory mood states. Moreover, the causal relationships between SOC and transitory mood states was evaluated. Second‐year pharmacology students completed pencil‐and‐paper questionnaires at the beginning of the semester and 3‐1/2 months later. The study group ( n = 37) participated in an academic course developed to teach cognitive behavior concept and practice, whereas the control group ( n = 43) had additional sessions of laboratory work. SOC increased significantly after the course while tension–anxiety and confusion decreased significantly. Structural equation analyses in the study group suggested that SOC was modified by confusion and perceived stress. No such pattern was observed in the control group.