Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Personality, Stress and Coping in Indian Adolescents:A Correlation Model


Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Mithibai College of Arts, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Psychology, Delhi Public School, Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Adolescents confront several stressors in their environment, and the distressing events trigger physical and mental illnesses. Differences in their coping responses are partly controlled by personality; partly influenced by social observation. This study examines a correlational model between personality, stress and coping strategies in 154 school-going, upper-economic strata children in a private school of Ahmedabad. Bi-variate correlations and t-test analysis reveal significant correlations between personality traits and stress. Findings report that extrovert and conscientious personalities experience least stress; however the former prefers problem-focused coping while the latter prefers emotion-focused coping. Personalities high on neuroticism experience high stress, with no gender difference and report no significant preference for a specific coping strategy. While no gender difference is reported in the experience of stress, there is a gender difference between their choice of coping styles. Males have reported a mixed preference of problem and emotion focused coping while females indicate preference for emotion-focused coping largely. Implications for adolescent mental health practitioners and scope for further research is discussed.

Keywords

Stress, Adolescence, Personality, Coping, Stress and Coping, Indian Adolescents.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Abell, J.N. (1991). The index of clinical stress: A brief measure of subjective stress for practice and research. Social Work Research and Abstracts, 27(2), 12-15.

  • Ball, S., Smolin, J., and Shekhar, A. (2002). A psychobiological approach to personality: examination within anxious outpatients. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 36 (2), 97-103.

  • Bolger, N., and Zuckerman, A. (1995). A framework for studying personality in the stress process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69 (5), pp. 890-902.

  • Brezo, J., Paris, J., and Turecki, G. (2006) Personality traits as correlates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide completions: a systematic review. Acta Psychiatria Scandinavica, 113, pp. 180–206.

  • Carver, C.S., and Connor-Smith, J. (2010) Personality and Coping. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, pp. 679–704.

  • Chandler, L. A. (1985). Assessing Stress in Children. New York: Praeger Publishers.

  • Cloninger, C. R., Svrakic, D. M., and Przybeck, T. R. (1993). A psychobiological model of temperament and character. Archives of General Psychiatry, 50, 975-990.

  • Compas, B.E., Orosan, P.G., and Grant, K.E. (1993). Adolescent stress and coping: implications for psychopathology during adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 16 (3), pp. 331-349.

  • Connor-Smith, J.K., and Flachsbart, C. (2007). Relations between personality and coping: a meta-analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93 (6), pp. 1080-1107.

  • Crockett, L.J., Iturbide, M. I., Stone, R.A.T., McGinley, M., Raffaelli, M., and Carlo, G. (2007). Acculturative Stress, Social Support, and Coping: Relations to Psychological Adjustment among Mexican American College Students. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13(4), pp. 347-355. doi: 10.1037/1099-9809.13.4.347.

  • David, J.P., and Suls, J. (1999). Coping efforts in daily life: Role of big five traits and problem appraisals. Journal of Personality, 67: 265–294.

  • De Anda, D., Bradley, M., Collada, C.., and Wadsworth, T. (1997). A Study of Stress, Stressors, and Coping Strategies among Middle School Adolescents. Children and Schools, 19 (2): 87-98. Doi: 10.1093/cs/19.2.87

  • Donnellan, B.M., Oswald, L.F., Baird, B.M., and Lucas, R.E. (2006) The Mini-IPIP scales: tiny-yet-effective measures of the Big Five factors of Personality. Psychological Assessment, 18(2), Jun, 192-203. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.18.2.192.

  • Folkman, S., and Lazarus, R.S. (1988b). Manual for the Ways of Coping Scale. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychology Press.

  • Folkman, S. (1997). Positive psychological states and coping with severe stress. Social Science and Medicine, 45 (8), pp. 1207-1221.

  • Gil, S. (2005). Personality traits and coping styles as mediators in risky sexual behaviours: A comparison of male and female undergraduate students. Social behaviour and Personality, 33(2), pp. 149-158.

  • Hampel, P., and Petermann, F. (2006). Perceived stress, coping, and adjustment in adolescents. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 38 (4), pp. 409-415.

  • Eschenbeck, H., Kohlmann, C., and Lohaus, A. (2007). Gender Differences in Coping Strategies in Children and Adolescents. Journal of Individual Differences, 28, pp. 18-26. doi: 10.1027/1614-0001.28.1.18.

  • Humphrey, J. H. (1988). Children and Stress. New York: AMS Press.

  • Kardum, I., and Krapic, N. (2001) Personality traits, stressful life events, and coping styles in early adolescence. Personality and Individual Differences, 30 (3): 503-515. Doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00041-6

  • Kuczen, B. (1982). Childhood Stress: Don’t let your child be a victim. New York: Delacorte Press.

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York: McGraw Hill.

  • Lee-Baggley, D., Preece, M., and DeLongis, A. (2005) Individual differences in coping across time: Role of the Big 5 Personality Dimensions. Journal of Personality, 73, pp. 1141-1180.

  • McCrae, R.R., and Costa, P.T. (1986) Personality, coping and coping effectiveness in an adult sample. Journal of Personality, 54 (2):385-404.

  • Mirnics, Z., Heincz, O., Bagdy, G., Surányi, Z., Gonda, X., Benko, A., Molnar, E., Jakšić, N., Lazary, J., and Juhasz, G. (2013). The relationship between the big five personality dimensions and acute psychopathology: Mediating and moderating effects of coping strategies. Psychiatria Danubina, 25(4), pp. 379-388.

  • Murberg, T.A., Bru, E., and Stephens, P. (2002) Personality and coping among congestive heart failure patients. Personality and Individual Differences, 32, pp. 775–84.

  • Ormel. J., Bastiaansen, A., Riese, H., Bos, EH., Servaas, M., Ellenbogen, M., Rosmalen, J.G.M., and Aleman, A. (2013). The biological and psychological basis of neuroticism: Current status and future directions. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 37, pp. 59–72.

  • Ozer, D.J., and Benet-Martínez, V. (2006) Personality and the prediction of consequential outcomes. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, pp. 401-21.

  • Reed, S. (1984). Stress: What makes kids vulnerable? Instructor, 93 (9), 28-32.

  • Samuel, D.B., and Widiger, T.A.(2011). Conscientiousness and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Personality Disorders , 2, 161-74.

  • Suls, J., and Martin, R. (2005) The daily life of the garden-variety neurotic: Reactivity, stressor exposure, mood spillover, and maladaptive coping. Journal of Personality, 73:1485–1510.

  • Watson, D., and Hubbard, B. (1996). Adaptational style and dispositional structure: Coping in the context of the fivefactor model. Journal of Personality, 64, pp. 737–774.

  • Wijndaele, K., Matton, L., Duvigneaud, N., Lefevre, J., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Duquet, W., et al. (2007). Association between leisure time physical activity and stress, social support and coping: A cluster-analytical approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 8(4), 425-440.

  • Yuhui, L., and Jianxin, Z. (2004). The relationship between personality traits, subjective stress, and coping styles in adolescence. Acta Psychologica Sinica. 36 (1), pp. 71-77.


Abstract Views: 455

PDF Views: 0




  • Personality, Stress and Coping in Indian Adolescents:A Correlation Model

Abstract Views: 455  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Khushali Adhiya-Shah
Department of Psychology, Mithibai College of Arts, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Suman Trivedi
Department of Psychology, Delhi Public School, Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India

Abstract


Adolescents confront several stressors in their environment, and the distressing events trigger physical and mental illnesses. Differences in their coping responses are partly controlled by personality; partly influenced by social observation. This study examines a correlational model between personality, stress and coping strategies in 154 school-going, upper-economic strata children in a private school of Ahmedabad. Bi-variate correlations and t-test analysis reveal significant correlations between personality traits and stress. Findings report that extrovert and conscientious personalities experience least stress; however the former prefers problem-focused coping while the latter prefers emotion-focused coping. Personalities high on neuroticism experience high stress, with no gender difference and report no significant preference for a specific coping strategy. While no gender difference is reported in the experience of stress, there is a gender difference between their choice of coping styles. Males have reported a mixed preference of problem and emotion focused coping while females indicate preference for emotion-focused coping largely. Implications for adolescent mental health practitioners and scope for further research is discussed.

Keywords


Stress, Adolescence, Personality, Coping, Stress and Coping, Indian Adolescents.

References