Abstract
The present study investigated the adoption of coping patterns in personal relationships and work encounters in relation to attachment styles and self-efficacy. Five research expectations were hypothesized based on the combination of theoretical stress coping models and attachment theory. The first three research expectations concerned the three styles of attachment in relation to the use of coping patterns. The fourth research expectation concerned self-efficacy in relation to the use of coping patterns. The fifth concerned the combination of self-efficacy and attachment styles in relation to the use of coping strategies. Attachment styles were assessed by the Adult Attachm ent Scale (Collin & Read, 1990). Self-efficacy was measured using the Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer & Maddux, 1982). Coping patterns were measured by the Coping Strategy Indicator (Amirkhan, 1990). Preliminary analysis of scores measurement integrity was conducted for all scores of instruments before primary analyses. The results indicated acceptable reliability and validity for scores on the study's primary instruments. Three canonical correlation analyses were employed in substantive analyses. The results supported the research expectations. Specifically, the results indicated that more secure individuals adopted more mature coping styles across personal relationships and work encounters. Also, more avoidant persons tended to adopt more mature coping styles in work encounters, whereas in personal relationships, more avoidant persons utilized more immature coping styles. More anxious-ambivalent persons were found to adopt more immature coping styles across situations. In addition, individuals with higher self-efficacy tended to use more mature coping styles across situations. Finally, there were no differences in the adoption of mature coping across situations between individuals with secure attachment and self-efficacy and individuals with avoidant styles and self-efficacy. However, the expected results between persons with anxious attachment and self-efficacy were most tentative, since these two constructs were negatively related to each other in the canonical analysis.
Chongruksa, Doungmani (1994). The adoption of mature and immature coping strategies in personal relationships and work encounters in relation to attachment and self-efficacy. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -1554200.