PERSONALITY, COGNITION AND LIFE EVENTS AS PREDICTORS OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN ADOLESCENCE

Mia Marić, Marija Sakač

DOI Number
https://doi.org/10.22190/TEME1803727J
First page
727
Last page
740

Abstract


The aim of this research was to examine the contribution of personality, cognitive style and life events to the prediction of the symptoms of emotional distress in adolescents. The sample consisted of 300 adolescents. In the analysis, the indicators of five personality dimensions were included - Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, indicators of attribution dimensions- controllability, internality, stability and the global nature of causes, and importance of the situation, the number, type and occurrence  period of life events, and the severity of symptoms of emotional distress in adolescents.

Life events have proved to be the best predictors of the symptoms of distress in adolescents. The most significant contribution to the occurrence of distress provided the total number of events. The probability of the occurrence of distress increases with the occurrence of chronic stressors and family problems. Significant contributors to the prediction of distress are also the dimensions of personality - Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and attribution dimensions - externality and the importance of negative situations.


Keywords

adolescence, personality traits, attributional style, life events, emotional distress.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22190/TEME1803727J

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