Psychological Adjustment and Coping Styles of Urban African American High School Students

Steward, Robbie J.; Jo, Han Ik; Murray, Darrick A.; Fitzgerald, William E.; Neil, Douglas M.; Fear, Frank A.; Hill, Martin

doi:10.1002/j.2161-1912.1998.tb00188.x

Cited by 25 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…For securely attached adolescents stress appears to trigger increases in family communication and decreases in negative avoidance coping. These findings are consistent with past studies showing that secure individuals seek and accept interpersonal support (e.g., Armsden & Greenberg, 1987;Shulman, 1993;Simpson et al, 1992) as well as studies that show that effective coping predicts psychological adjustment (Steward et al, 1998). Insecurely attached individuals tend to avoid positive coping strategies, possibly because they lack trust in others, feel unworthy of support, don't recognize the need for support, or are conflicted about seeking it (Simpson et al, 1992;Simpson & Rholes, 1994).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

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Adolescents' attachment and coping with stress

Howard¹,

Medway²

2004

Psychology in the Schools

102

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This study examined how high school students cope with stress as a function of their attachment style. Data were gathered from 75 adolescent-parent pairs in Texas and included measures of attachment, coping style, life stress, and whom the respondent would turn to in times of stress. Adolescents' attachment security was positively related to family communication and negatively related to negative avoidance behaviors such as drinking or using drugs. Attachment insecurity was positively related to negative avoidance. Parent and child attachment ratings were related for secure and preoccupied but not fearful or dismissing styles. Research limitations and implications for school psychologists are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Both attachment and coping involve cognitive interpretations of stressful events and decisions regarding how much trust to place in self and others. Secure children may be viewed as using more effective coping mechanisms and thereby perceiving less stress impact compared to less secure children (Compas, 1988;Steward et al, 1998).…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Adolescents' attachment and coping with stress

Howard¹,

Medway²

2004

Psychology in the Schools

102

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“…The two basic coping strategies subsumed within this variable included cognitive decision making and direct problem solving. Cognitive decision making is similar to that of planning, which has been associated with increased positive affective experiences in samples of college students and adolescents (Steward et al, 1998; Vaughn & Roesch, 2003). The use of direct problem solving has also been associated with more positive affective experiences (Aldridge & Roesch, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with daily stress: The role of conscientiousness

Bartley

Roesch

2011

Personality and Individual Differences

121

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The current study examined how specific coping strategies mediate the relationship between Conscientiousness (C) and positive affect (PA) in a large, multiethnic sample. Using an internetbased daily diary approach, 366 participants (37.6% Caucasian, 30.6% Asian American, 20.7% Hispanic, 9.1% African American) completed measures that assessed daily stressors, coping strategies used to deal with those stressors, and PA over the course of five days. In addition, participants completed a measure of the Five-Factor Model of Personality. Problem-Focused coping partially mediated the relationship between C and PA. Individuals higher in C used more problemfocused coping, which, in turn, was associated with higher PA. The findings of the current study suggest C serves as a protective factor from stress through its influence on coping strategy selection. Other possible mediators in the C-PA relationship are discussed.

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“…For instance, African American male youth have been shown to suppress their anger to cope with social challenges (Johnson & Greene, 1991;Stevenson, 2002). Another strategy is for African American youth to use "role-flexing," or the hypervigilant altering of one's speech, behavior, or appearance (such as speaking softly, using humor, and taking care not to make sudden movements) to appear nonthreatening, diminish the effects of negative stereotypes, and gain social acceptance (Franklin & Boyd-Franklin, 2000;Steward et al, 1998). For example, Steward et al (1998) found that, among African American high-school students, horseplay and class clowning were significantly related to their psychological adjustment in otherwise hostile social situations.…”

Section: Teacher Perceptions and Student Behavioral Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Racial and emotional factors predicting teachers' perceptions of classroom behavioral maladjustment for urban African American male youth

Thomas

Coard

Stevenson

et al. 2008

Psychology in the Schools

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The present study investigated the predictive influence of students' reactive emotional coping and racial socialization experiences on teachers' perceptions of classroom behavior adjustment problems. Participants were 148 African American male youth attending a secondary school in a large northeastern city. Behavioral outcomes included teacher ratings of student behavioral overactivity in different classroom situations. Results using hierarchical regression analyses show that measures of social rejection sensitivity, anger expression, and racial socialization predict teacher-observed behavioral overactivity, with overt anger expression being the most powerful predictor. Findings suggest that racial socialization and particular styles of emotional coping are important determinants for teachers' impressions of classroom behavior for some African American adolescent males. Implications for future research and interventions with African American male youth in urban secondary schools are discussed. C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Behavioral adjustment problems in the classroom, particularly in the form of overactive, aggressive, and disruptive behaviors, present formidable challenges for educators and mental health professionals in secondary schools (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2004). Students who demonstrate a persistent pattern of such behaviors are at high risk for a host of negative outcomes, including engagement in serious and chronic antisocial behaviors (Broidy et al., 2003). Given these consequences, it is important to investigate factors related to the occurrence of classroom behavior maladjustment, especially for subgroups of students most at risk. African American male youth from urban, economically disadvantaged backgrounds appear particularly vulnerable because they disproportionately receive higher reports of classroom adjustment problems and are overrepresented for emotional support services at school (Irving & Hudley, 2005).Among the factors posited to increase risk for behavioral difficulties in the classroom for African American males are fallacies and biases in teachers' perceptions and examinations of their behaviors (Roderick, 2003). The misinterpretation of the emotional expressions and behaviors of African American male students by teachers in secondary-school settings as dysfunctional is no small issue (Neal, McCray, Webb-Johnson, & Bridgest, 2003), but the relationship between teachers' perceptions and the behavioral coping strategies used by African American male youth to adjust to social challenges are not well understood nor have they been the topic of much empirical research. The present study explores three factors posited to influence teacher perceptions of behavioral adjustment for African American adolescent males within the classroom setting: a) rejection sensitivity, b) anger expression, and c) racial socialization.

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Psychological Adjustment and Coping Styles of Urban African American High School Students

Cited by 25 publications

References 14 publications

Adolescents' attachment and coping with stress

Adolescents' attachment and coping with stress

Coping with daily stress: The role of conscientiousness

Racial and emotional factors predicting teachers' perceptions of classroom behavioral maladjustment for urban African American male youth

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