Patterns of Coping in Racially Stressful Situations

Abstract

A total of 376 White and 156 Black volunteers responded to the Ways of Coping Questionnaire under standard instructions and under instructions to recall a racially stressful event. Significant situational and racial differences were found. Compared with Whites, Blacks engaged in significantly more problem-focused coping and its four components: accepting responsibility, confrontive coping, planfil problem solving, and seeking social support. Blacks also reported more emotion-focused coping and its four components: distancing, escape avoidance, positive reappraisal, and self-control. For both Whites and Blacks, racially stressful situations elicited more confrontive coping but less problem-focused and emotion-focused coping overall. Several interaction effects were also observed. The implications of the results for models of stress are discussed.