Undergraduates' Coping with Stress, and the Relationships among Stress, Social Support, and Psychological Well-beings

An Examination of Sex Differences

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper was to investigate how undergraduates coped with the stressful events and to confirm sex differences in their copings. Also, examined was whether social support was useful for reducing stress. The participants were 285 undergraduates (114 males and 171 females) in third grade. Eight stressors were used: his/her future, university studies, friends and colleagues, sense of self, leisure, lovers, teachers and classes, and parents and family. Copings consisted of 5 types: active solution, active escape, patience, seeking support, and passive escape. Females were more stressful than males. Females got more social support than males. Passive escape was most selected by both males and females. High stressful person adopted more patience than low stressful person. Low stressful person adopted more passive escape than high stressful person. Low-supported person were lonelier than medium-supported person, and medium-supported person were lonelier than high-supported person. But social support made no effects on illness symptoms. That is, social support has only a limited effect on the stress.