Final answer:
The claim that being proactive occurs when you know a stressor is coming is false. Proactive coping is taking preventive actions to deal with a stressor, which is different from merely anticipating a stressor without action. Problem-focused coping strategies exemplify proactive measures in stress management.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that being proactive occurs when you know a stressor is coming is false. Proactive coping involves taking steps in advance to prevent or mitigate the impact of a stressor, whereas merely knowing that a stressor is coming does not necessarily mean one is being proactive about it.
For example, if Bradford is proactive in coping with the stressor of potentially failing his statistics class, he may seek assistance before the problem exacerbates by speaking with his professor, scheduling regular study times, and obtaining tutoring.
It is crucial to differentiate between knowing a stressor is approaching and taking proactive steps to deal with it. In the realm of stress management, there are two types of coping: problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.
Problem-focused coping strategies are proactive because they are used to directly tackle the problem causing the stress.