My research focuses on a variety of situations which have been referred to as irresolvable stressor situations (Boss, 2006; Horlacher, 2006a). Situations fitting this description show the following three characteristics:
They are beyond a person's control.
They involve long term confusion and ambiguity.
There are no clear solutions or closure.
These situations are particularly of interest to me because of the stress dynamics that they lead to. People tend to like black and white, all or nothing, absolutist solutions because they are easy, straight forward, and clear. Because irresolvable stressor situations provide no solution and don't go away and can't be controlled, neither the black nor the white solution is adequate and switching between them is extremely stressful and ultimately unsatisfying leading to the evolution or emergence of more interesting dynamics (both/and).
Some people may not like the assumption that there exists situations for which there is no solution. To clarify this point further, there are three situations that may appear to be solutions:
Some individuals may give up or move on in spite of a lack of solution. This is not a resolution of the stressor situation, but an avoidance strategy. It may be effective in some situations and may be the only possibility open to some, but it is not considered a resolution of the stressor.
Situations that seem similar may exist which do not provide the same stress for individuals involved. Why does the loss of a loved one's mental abilities due to Altzheimer's or children with disabilities create stress for Anglo-Americans but not for Native-Americans? Because Anglo-American culture is oriented towards overcoming obstacles, individualism, and achievement, they feel frustration when facing impediments to these things. Many Native-American cultures have different value orientations in which this situation does not provide the same conflict. To call Native American's resilient is a misnomer in this case because they didn't have the same stressor situation to begin with.
Some individuals will be able to transcend the situation. Transcendence does not resolve the issues, but allows one to no longer be affected by the stress.
Following are examples of the type of stressor situations which I have been studying:
Ambiguous Loss (Boss, 1999, 2006)
Caregiver Burden
Religion – Sexual Orientation
Intimate Relationship Distance
Religious Switching
Retirement Stress
Parenting Styles
Racism, Feminism, Discrimination
Poverty & Social Mobility (Merton, 1968)
Chronic Illness
Domestic abuse (chronic)
Last Modified: 13 Apr 2008