A model of coping with conflicts between occupational and family roles: Structural analysis

Abstract

A model of the stress and coping process in specific stressful situations is examined in this study. The effects of some aspects of self-concept, coping styles and perceived social support as antecedent variables, as well as primary and secondary appraisal as mediating variables in coping with conflicts between professional and family roles are predicted in this model. A hypothetical model was tested by linear structural equation modelling (LISREL VI) and relations between variables were derived from transactional, structural and additive approaches to the stress and coping process. The model presented in this study was tested in an attempt to answer two relevant questions. The first is whether coping styles are directly derived from personality traits or represent relatively independent personality characteristics. The second question is whether chosen antecedent variables influence coping strategies in some specific situations and whether it is exerted through a mediating role of cognitive appraisal or independently. The research results suggest that the majority of self-concept variables are related to coping styles, although they are conceptually different. Coping styles, along with other personality dimensions, environmental and situational variables influence coping strategies utilized in some specific stressful transactions. The results also show that antecedent variables influence coping in specific situations both directly and indirectly. Although cognitive appraisal shows significant effects on coping strategies in specific situations, it is not under the influence of all antecedent variables nor do the antecedent variables influence coping only through mediation of cognitive appraisal. The results obtained partly confirm the assumptions for all three approaches to the stress and coping process.