The effectiveness of coping meta-strategies: perceived eficiency, emotional correlates and cognitiveperformance

Abstract The present research used subjective and objective measuresin the investigation of the effectiveness of dispositional copingstrategies. In Study 1, 42 community participants rated the everydayuse and e.ciency of coping options included in the Hebrew version ofthe 60-item COPE scale (Carver, Scheier + Weintraub, 1989). Twocoping meta-strategies termed Problem:accommodation (PA) andSupport:emotion (SA) were judged as higher thanAvoidance:disengagement (AD) on both use and e.ciency ratings. InStudy 2, 90 students filled-in the COPE scale, scales of anxiety,curiosity and anger measured as states or traits, stable depressive mood,and bodily symptoms; they also made choices in multiple alternativedecision problems. The use of the AD meta-strategy was related tonegative emotional traits and states and faulty decision making, whilethe PA meta-strategy was negatively correlated with negative traits andfaulty decision making. These results suggest that dispositional copingmeta-strategies are differentially effective when stable as well ascurrent emotional patterns and cognitive functioning are involved.