Purpose: The aim of the study was to provide support for the hypothesis that there was a correlation between the subjective appraisal of one’s disease and the level of stress, as well as the hypothesis that coping styles may have a mediating role on the relationship between the perception of the disease and stress level in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Methods: The study involved 97 respondents diagnosed with lung cancer, including 50 men and 47 women. The following methods were used for the study: the Disease-Related Appraisals Scale, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Socio-demographic data were also collected. Results: The results show that emotion-oriented coping (EOC) acts as a mediator on the relationship between the appraisal of the disease and stress level in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. A total of 4 multiple mediation models were tested. Conclusion: The research findings provide support for the hypothesis that coping style is crucial for the way patients appraise their disease and for their stress level. It is important to diagnose individual specific needs of lung cancer patients. The research results are an important source of information for those responsible for training medical staff on how to support cancer patients in their illness.

BACKGROUND Contemporary adolescents, also known as Generation Z, are an important group of consumers due to the role they play in today's economy. The present study investigates the relationship between materialism and brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) and whether conspicuous consumption is a mediator of this relationship in early, middle, and late adolescence. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE The participants were 581 students from Poland, aged 13 to 17 (M = 15 years, SD = 1.42); 51.6% of them were girls. Data were gathered using a demographic information form, the Youth Materialism Scale, the Conspicuous Consumption Scale, and a BESC Scale, completed during personal interviews. RESULTS The study indicated an association of higher materialism and higher conspicuous consumption with a higher level of BESC, where conspicuous consumption acts as a mediator of the correlation between materialism and BESC. Age also moderates this mediation, i.e., the older the teenagers are, the weaker is the analyzed mediation effect. CONCLUSIONS The research is part of an essential step in understanding the mechanism of BESC by testing a moderated mediation model in teenagers.