Advice-Giving and the Management of Uncertainty for Cancer Survivors

Abstract

This study examines advice and uncertainty management, in the context of cancer survivorship, with specific emphasis on the relative influence of target receptiveness, advice content, and advice optimism on uncertainty-management processes, coping processes, and advice evaluation. Cancer survivors (N 5 184) completed a questionnaire (online or paper) reporting on informal advice received after diagnosis. Results indicated that target receptiveness and advice optimism were positively related to coping processes and advice evaluation. Target receptiveness was positively related to uncertainty management. Appropriateness of advice was significantly related to problem-solving utility, and absence of limitations was significantly related to emotional awareness. Limitations of the study are offered, and implications for future research are advanced in the area of cancer survivorship.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors thank two anonymous reviewers, who offered extensive and invaluable feedback on all portions of the manuscript.

Notes

¹The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers, who offered extensive and invaluable feedback on all portions of the manuscript.

²Questionnaires are available by request from the first author.

³The description of uncertainty and uncertainty management on the first page of the questionnaire was drawn from Brashers et al. (2000), Brashers et al. (2004), and Mishel (1990). The examples of advice on the second page of the questionnaire were drawn from actual advice reported in the pilot study as well as advice overheard in observations of a cancer survivor support group. Three questions in the receptiveness of advice section were taken directly from MacGeorge et al. (2004). The remaining questions were theoretically derived from Brashers et al. (2000) and Brashers et al. (2004). The questions measuring absence of limitations, comprehensibility, relevance, and feasibility were taken directly from MacGeorge et al. (2004). Questions measuring advice optimism and uncertainty management processes were theoretically derived from Brashers et al. (2000) and Brashers et al. (2004). Questions measuring coping processes were taken from MacGeorge et al. (2004). The semantic differential scale measuring advice evaluation was taken directly from Goldsmith et al. (2000).

⁴Tables with items and factor loadings for the independent and dependent variables are available by request from the first author.

⁵A summary of collinearity diagnostics for regression analyses is available by request from the first author.