Coping Styles as Predictors of Maladjustment, Anxiety, and Alcohol use in College Students
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Author
Wagner, Jessica
Publisher
Washburn University
Sponsor
Department of Psychology
Issue Date
2017
Rights
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if unhealthy coping predict higher levels of
maladjustment, anxiety and alcohol consumption in college students. The hypotheses posited
there would be a significant positive relationship between maladjustment, anxiety and unhealthy
coping styles, as well as a significant positive relationship between unhealthy coping styles and
maladjustment, as well as between unhealthy coping styles maladjustment and alcohol
consumption. Results suggest that emotion oriented coping (EOC) significantly predicts higher
levels of anxiety and maladjustment, and task oriented coping (TOC) significantly predicts lower
levels of maladjustment and anxiety. This study also found different coping styles did not
significantly predict alcohol use or abuse in college students. The author suggests these results
may be at least partially explained by the high baseline incidence of alcohol use found in the
drinking culture on college campuses. Avoidance oriented coping (AOC) did not significantly
predict any of the three criterion variables; perhaps be due to a strong overlap between AOC and
EOC revealed by the regression equations conducted. It is hoped that findings such as these will
lead to interest in how coping styles affect success in college and, in turn, enable the use of more
adaptive task oriented coping strategies by young adults facing the stresses and pressures of the
college environment, including learning to manage their level of alcohol use.
Description
A Thesis Supported Treatment Case Study