Modeling social comparison in the stress process: an examination of nurses
The present study focused on the potential impact of social comparison on workers? interpretations of demanding workplace events and their confidence in coping with stress. A sample of 139 healthcare workers provided personal data (via a self-report survey) in relation to five types of stressors common to the field of nursing, along with relevant information about how they perceive their coworkers? responses to said stressors. Support was found for the hypothesized model through path analysis. Workers reported higher levels of stress when they were 1) frequently exposed to demanding events, and 2) when they perceived high stress in their coworkers; workers felt more prepared to cope when they reported high familiarity with their coworkers? coping tactics; but workers also felt less confident in their coping when they personally felt greater stress.