The table reflects the results of a study by Forys and Dahlquist (2007) that investigated the effects of coping style and cognitive strategy on dealing with pain. Participants were first classified as having a monitoring or avoiding coping style. They are randomly assigned to one of two cognitive strategy conditions: distraction or sensation monitoring. Participants were then instructed to use cognitive strategy while submerging one hand in the water. The researchers measured pain tolerance as the number of seconds participants were able to keep their hands in the ice water.

Table: Coping with Pain

The cells of this study reflect and interaction. Is this a quantitative or qualitative interaction?

Why?

Distraction Sensation Monitoring Mean

Monitoring 84.5 93.3 88.9

Avoiding 136.8 85.6 111.2

Mean 110.7 89.5

a. This is a qualitative interaction because the effect of cognitive strategy reverses depending on coping style. Those with a monitoring coping style withstood pain longer when using the sensation-monitoring strategy, but those with an avoiding coping style withstood the pain longer when using the distraction strategy.

b. This is a quantitative interaction because the effect of cognitive strategy reverses on the coping style. Those with a monitoring-coping style withstood pain longer when using the sensation-monitoring strategy, but those with a coping style withstood pain longer the distraction strategy.

c. This is a quantitative interaction because the effect of coping style does not reverse depending on the cognitive strategy employed.

d. This is a qualitative interaction because the effect of coping style does not reverse depending on the cognitive strategy employed.