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Outcome expectations and self-regulation in cancer patients: Reliability, initial factor structure, and relationships with benefit finding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2006

KRISTI D. GRAVES
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29435, USA
CINDY L. CARTER
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29435, USA

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate outcome expectation and self-regulation measures within a sample of cancer patients and to explore relationships of these variables with benefit finding. The outcome expectation and self-regulation measures were evaluated for reliability and initial factor structure.

Method: A convenience sample of 141 cancer patients completed study measures while waiting for appointments at a cancer center.

Results: The measures demonstrated good reliability (alphas = .88 and .92, for outcome expectation and self-regulation respectively). Initial factor structure suggested six outcome expectation factors (managing symptoms, expressing emotions, talking about cancer, learning about cancer, managing self-image, and managing needs) and one self-regulation factor. Gender and treatment status were related to outcome expectations but not self-regulation. Outcome expectations and self-regulation were significant predictors of benefit-finding, F(8, 80) = 3.1, p = .005.

Significance of the research: Measures of outcome expectations and self-regulation are reliable, are related to gender and clinical variables, and may be useful as predictors of cancer patients' ability to find benefits in their cancer experience.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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