Effectiveness of Coping in Adolescence: The Case of Korean Examination Stress

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that coping is related to a reduction in psychological distress and physical symptoms, as experienced by adolescents while enduring highly demanding examination stress. Using the university entrance examination stress faced by Korean adolescents, the study examined whether specific coping strategies for exam stress are related to psychological and physical adjustment and whether these strategies moderate the relationship between additional life event stress and adjustment. A sample of 358 Korean students in the 12th grade reported their level of additional life event stress, the coping strategies they were using to cope with exam and non-exam stress, and their levels of depression and physical symptoms. Problem-solving and information-seeking coping were found to be related to reduction in depression; however, emotional-discharge coping was related to increase in physical symptoms. Coping with exam stress was found to be related to adjustment and independent of the level of additional life event stress.

The Effects of Viewing Natural Scenery Indoors on Middle School Students’ Changes in Mood States and Concentration

“…A certain level of exam stress induces academic motivation and helps improve grades, but once it exceeds that level, it deprives students of confidence about stress, and deteriorates the will to study as well as behavioral efficiency. Students may even feel their heart beat faster, be sick to their stomach, feel impatient and hasty, become oversensitive to trivial things, and even experience depression neurosis in severe cases (Lee and Larson, 1996).…”

Effectiveness of Coping in Adolescence: The Case of Korean Examination Stress

“…While the family religion of more than half of the students was Buddhism (61%), half of the students (52%) expressed no religious preference. The distributions of age, the parents' marital status, the parents' occupation, and the family religion did not differ across gender and school (Lee, 1991).…”

“…Examination stress is a major and daily ongoing stress for adolescents in Korea and other East Asian countries, where students must take a very competitive exam ination to be admitted into a university (Fararo, 1987;Lee, 1991;Ogura, 1987;Rohlen, 1983;Schoolland, 1990;Sudo, 1989). Thus, exam ination stress is a major predictor of these adolescents' emotional, physical, and other behavioural problem s (Cho, 1993;Rohlen, 1983;Schoolland, 1990;Sung, Lubin, & Yi, 1992;Won, 1989).…”

“…Various types of stress were not assumed to be mutually exclusive in their relations to psychologic al and physical distress (Compas et al, 1993). Furthermore, because the university entrance exam ination was so ingrained in every aspect of Korean adolescents' lives, their exam ination stress appeared to be closely linked to other additional stress, such as peer-related stress due to excessive competitiveness or family-related stress due to parents' high expectations (Cho, 1989(Cho, , 1993Lee, 1991). These ndings imply that Korean adolescents' coping with exam ination stress may moderate the relation between their additional life event stress and psychologic al and physical distress.…”

Korean Adolescents' ?Examination Hell? and Their Use of Free Time

“…The remaining three-fourths spend their time at school in the same way as students with better grades, but they are likely to struggle in their studies. Thus, many students experience stress and alienation at school (Cho, 1996;Lee and Larson, 1996).…”