title: An exploration of the influence of dispositional traits and appraisal on coping strategies in African American college students.
abstract: This study explored the correlates of self-reported coping strategies from both an appraisal (e.g., severity, impact, desirability of the event, as well as perceived stress) and a dispositional (e.g., preferred/typical coping style, self-concept clarity, self-esteem, emotion regulation, problem-solving style, anxiety) perspective. Participants were 211 African American undergraduate and graduate students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The results indicated that dispositional traits (especially problem-solving style) are associated uniquely with preferred/typical coping styles. The results also provided modest evidence that dispositional traits and subjects' appraisals (e.g., challenge, harm/threat, impact) are predictive of subjects' coping strategies in specific ongoing stressful situations. The general findings from this study appear to mirror research on Caucasian subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Development, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192-0075, USA. msmith18@email.sjsu.edu
authors.forename: Maureen C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Margaret C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Dust
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D011340:Problem Solving; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires