COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF STRESS INOCULATION - REVIEW AND PROSPECTUS

Research concerning the process and effect of stress inoculation (SI)is reviewed. The SI package is conceived of having three phases. Each phase in turn consists (or can consist)of more specific components. An educational rationale component is seen to be composed of two parts: the rationale for understanding stress and looking at stress in a series of stages. A rehearsal component consists of the use of physical coping skills, cognitive restructuring, and cognitive strategies programming. An application phase is influenced by whether the practice stressor is real or imagined, the amount of exposure to stress, the use of coping imagery, and the use of the client teaching the SI skills to others. The literature review concludes that current research on SI is marked by great procedural variation. A procedural model of SI that may better accommodate the possible variations is suggested in order to enhance procedural specification while maintaining clinical flexibility. © 1979 Plenum Publishing Corporation.