Perceived effectiveness of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping : the role of appraisal of event controllability and personality traits

Two broad types of coping labeled problem-focused and emotion focused have been used to classify the many ways of coping with stressful events. The goodness of fit between individuals' appraisals of control over a stressful event and their use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies has been shown to be related to psychological adjustment.However, there is an absence of studies that examine individuals' perceived effectiveness of problem-focused coping and perceived effectiveness of emotion-focused coping in relation to appraisals of control. In addition, two of the five traits of the five-factor model of personality that have consistently been identified as being important in the coping process are neuroticism and extraversion. There has been less coping research conducted with the other three traits of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and op)enness, and with how many of the five traits influence perceived coping effectiveness.In this study, undergraduate students read a vignette that described either a mostly controllable or mostly uncontrollable academically related stressful event and then indicated their appraisal of control over the event and their perceived coping effectiveness when imagining using both problem focused and emotion-focused coping strategies to cope with the given stressful event. Participants also completed an assessment of the five-factors of personality and of socially desirable responding. Problem-focused coping was rated as more effective in coping with the controllable stressful event than with the uncontrollable event. Emotion-focused coping was rated as more effective for coping with the uncontrollable event than with the controllableevent. Across both events problem-focused coping was rated as more effective than emotion-focused coping. Supplementary analyses with gender revealed that women rated emotion-focused coping higher in effectiveness than men.Regression models including controllability, the five personality traits, and social desirability as predictors only accounted for 16% of the variance in perceived effectiveness of problem-focused coping and only 14% of the variance in perceived effectiveness of emotion-focused coping. The meaning of these findings are discussed along with limitations of the study and implications for practice and research.