Clinical Psychology

Lawrence H. Cohen

		Professor Ph.D., Florida State University Research Interests Recent Publications Representative Publications Vita -MS Word file lcohen@udel.edu Office: 131 Wolf Hall (302) 831-8724 (302) 831-3645 -fax Lab: (302) 831-8188 Preferred contact method - email

Research Interests

Life stress and coping; Use of daily process designs

Research Summary:

I have studied the stress and coping process for the past 20 years. Previous research has included the development and evaluation of a life events measure for adolescents (e.g., Swearingen & Cohen, 1985), examination of the role of religion and religious coping in life stress adjustment (e.g., Hettler & Cohen, 1998; Park, Cohen, & Herb, 1990), and assessment and prediction of stress-related growth (i.e., positive consequences of negative events) (e.g., Park, Cohen, & Murch, 1996; Armeli, Gunthert, & Cohen, 2001).

My recent research emphasizes the use of daily process designs and multilevel modeling to study daily stress and coping variables. For example, my students and I have evaluated the role of neuroticism (Gunthert, Cohen, & Armeli, 1999) and borderline personality features (Tolpin, Gunthert, Cohen, & O'Neill, 2004) in college students' daily stress and coping. In addition, we have used a daily process design with depressed adults in cognitive therapy, to test the predictive role of initial affective reactivity in treatment outcome (Gunthert, Cohen, Butler, & Beck, 2005).

I was recently the principal investigator of an NIMH-funded project titled, "Daily Process Design Applied to Cognitive Therapy." Participants were depressed adults in cognitive therapy at the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research (Bala Cynwyd, PA). The project was designed to evaluate the predictive role of pretreatment "affective and self-esteem reactivity" in therapy outcome, and cognitive therapy's effects on "affective and self-esteem reactivity." Participants completed nightly automated telephone interviews at the beginning of therapy and again near the end of therapy. The nightly interviews included questions about daily stressors and how those stressors were evaluated, coped with, and reacted to affectively and cognitively.

Most recently, I am using a daily diary methodology to study breast cancer patients and their spouses. This study is a collaborative project with J-P Laurenceau. We are interested in daily stress and coping and intimacy and support processes.

Recent Publications

Sahl, J., Cohen, L., & Dasch, K. (in press). Hostility, interpersonal competence, and daily dependent stress: A daily model of stress generation. Cognitive Therapy and Research.

Dasch, K., Cohen, L, & Sahl, J. (in press). Moderating effects of sociotropy and autonomy on affective and self-esteem reactivity to daily stressors. Cognitive Therapy and Research.

Gunthert, K., Cohen, L., Butler, A., & Beck, J. (2007). Depression and next-day spillover of negative mood and depressive cognitions following interpersonal stress. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31, 521-532.

Cohen, L., Gunthert, K., Butler, A., O’Neill, S., & Tolpin, L. (2005). Daily affective reactivity as a prospective predictor of depressive symptoms. Journal of Personality, 73, 1687-1713.

Gunthert, K., Cohen, L., Butler, A., & Beck, J. (2005). Predictive role of daily coping and affective reactivity in cognitive therapy outcome: Application of a daily process design to psychotherapy research. Behavior Therapy, 36, 79-90.

Representative Publications

Gunthert, K., Cohen, L., & Armeli, S. (1999). The role of neuroticism in daily stress and coping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1087-1100.

Park, C., Cohen, L., & Murch, R. (1996). Assessment and prediction of stress-related growth. Journal of Personality, 64, 71-105

Park, C., Cohen, L., & Herb, L. (1990). Intrinsic religiousness and religious coping as life stress moderators for Catholics versus Protestants. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 562-574.

Cohen, L., Burt, C., & Bjorck, J. (1987). Life stress and adjustment: Effects of life events experienced by young adolescents and their parents. Developmental Psychology, 23, 583-592.

Cohen, L. Sargent, M., & Sechrest, L. (1986). Use of psychotherapy research by professional psychologists. American Psychologist, 41, 198-206.

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