Perceived Powerlessness as a Mediator between Life Stressors and Deviant Behaviors

ABSTRACT

The Threat Appraisal and Coping Theory suggest that when facing life stressors, individuals may perceive that they are powerless to change them, which may prompt “maladaptive coping” deviant behaviors. The present study examined the relationship between 5 types of deviant behavior and perceived powerlessness, and whether powerlessness served as a mediator between life stressors and deviance. Money stress and powerlessness increased risk for watching porn, cross-dressing, hoarding, and medication misuse. Work stress and powerlessness significantly increased risk for watching porn, cross-dressing, and medication misuse. Family stress and powerlessness increased risk for watching porn, cross-dressing, disordered eating, hoarding, and medication misuse.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pamela Black

HELEN M. HENDY, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in Psychology at Penn State University, Schuylkill Campus. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Mental Health, and Children’s Miracle Network, with research excellence awards received from the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Her e-mail address is [email protected], and her website for research consultation is hendystatistics.com.

Helen M. Hendy

PAMELA BLACK received her PhD in Sociology from the University of California at Riverside in 1999. Since then she has been an Assistant, then Association Professor of Criminal Justice at The Pennsylvania State University, first at the Schuylkill Campus. She has been at the Hazleton campus since 2014. Her current research interests include deviant behavior, including social deviance and the behavioral addictions. She has published in Deviant Behavior, Addictive Behavior, The Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, The Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Critical Criminology, and Criminal Justice Policy Review.