Citation

Dunahoo CL, Hobfoll SE, Monnier J, Hulsizer MR, Johnson R. Anxiety Stress Coping 1998; 11(2): 137-165.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10615809808248309

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A multiaxial model of coping and instrument were developed to explore communal aspects of coping and move beyond the current individualistic perspective. The model suggests that coping strategies differ on level of activity, prosocial and antisocial demeanor, and directness. Individualistic models of coping tend to ignore the social aspects of coping and neither see prosocial coping as healthy nor antisocial coping as unhealthy, despite a wealth of psychological theory that conceptualizes healthy functioning as both active and prosocial. Individualistic models also imply that direct action is preferred, whereas communal models emphasize that social coping may often be indirect. In a series of studies we found support for the muitiaxial model among both student and inner-city samples. Women were found to be as active as men, but more prosocial in their coping. Men were more antisocial in their coping. Indirect coping, however, was either less well conceptualized or measured as the results regarding this dimension were more mixed.