Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2015-01
Coping with ambient stress: factorial structure and stressor-specificity of a general scale / Afrontamiento del estrés ambiental: estructura factorial y especificidad de estresores en una escala general
The aim of this study was (a) to examine the factorial structure of coping with ambient stress and (b) to examine the stressor-specificity of coping strategies. A German questionnaire was compiled and tested in an online survey (N = 703). Most of the final 23 items referred to environmental burdens and pollution in general. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified three subscales with a common second-order factor: environmental concern/activism, optimism and self-protection (Cronbach’s α: .71 to .88). A paper-and-pencil study (N = 109) confirmed the three-factor structure. In addition, coping items were reformulated to relate to five specific ambient stressors. Results showed positive correlations between responses to stressor-specific items and general items, but their degree and significance varied between stressors and subscales. Thus, the general scale on coping with ambient stress may be applied in multiple-stressor research. For research on stressor-specificity of coping strategies, stressor-specific instruments should be used.
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