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. 2022 Feb 21:1-10.
doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-02870-0. Online ahead of print.

Relationships among adult playfulness, stress, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic

Christopher Clifford  1 , Ellis Paulk  1 , Qiyang Lin  2 , Jeanne Cadwallader  3 , Kathy Lubbers  3 , Leslie D Frazier  1
Affiliations

Relationships among adult playfulness, stress, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic

Christopher Clifford et al. Curr Psychol. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic created high levels of stress that negatively affect mental health and well-being. The stress and coping process is influenced by individual difference factors, such as personality, that impact perceptual processes and emotional reactions. Adult playfulness is a personality characteristic that may lead to better mental and physical health outcomes. We test a theoretical model to determine whether the two factors of perceived stress, perceived self-efficacy (PSE) and perceived helplessness (PH), mediate the relationship among playfulness and coping in adults (N = 694). Scores on the Perceived Stress Scale were high indicating high levels of pandemic-related stress. The SEM model demonstrated direct effects of playfulness on PSE, PH, adaptive, maladaptive, and supportive coping. Both dimensions of perceived stress were partial mediators in the relationship among playfulness and coping outcomes. Findings illustrate the pathways by which adult playfulness can amplify or attenuate the impact of stress perceptions on coping strategies. The importance of building psychological resources such as playfulness to boost adaptive outcomes in stressful situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic is discussed.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-02870-0.

Keywords: Adulthood; Coping; Play; Playfulness; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestWe have no known conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mediation model displaying direct and indirect pathways of playfulness, perceived self-efficacy, perceived helplessness, and coping dimensions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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