Assessment and Implications of Coping Styles in Response to a Social Stressor Among Early Adolescents in China

The aims of the present study were to (a) examine the factor structure of the Self-Report Coping Scale in a sample of Chinese early adolescents and (b) explore associations between coping and socioemotional functioning in this sample. Participants were N= 569 elementary school students (307 boys) in Grades 4 to 6. Participants completed a measure of coping in response to an argument with a friend. Students’ functioning across multiple domains was assessed using self, peer, and teacher reports. Results suggested a five-factor model of coping in Chinese early adolescents (problem solving, seeking social support, internalizing, externalizing, distancing). In support of predictions, internalizing and distancing coping were positively related to adjustment indices, whereas seeking social support and problem-solving coping were negatively related to outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of the important role of coping for adolescents’ adjustment across multiple domains and in relation to recent shifts in traditional Chinese cultural values.