Familiarity and anticipation of negative life events as moderator variables in predicting illness.

A 10-month longitudinal study with 79 university students examined the role of positive and negative life experiences on the subsequent development of health problems. The Life Experiences Survey (LES; Sarason, Johnson & Siegel, 1978) was modified to measure the potential role of five moderating variables on illness. Students gave monthly reports of life events experienced, as well as health status, on the Seriousness of Illness Rating Scale (Wyler, Masuda & Holmes, 1968). Results indicated that both positive and negative life events were predictors of subsequent health problems. Negative life events that were familiar to the students and were unanticipated proved to be significant moderator variables; both factors were significant predictors of the number of health problems subsequently experienced.