The main aims of the present study were (a) to compare problem- and emotion-focused coping in students from North America (Canada and the United States), Germany, and Malaysia, and (b) to examine the association between coping and physical symptoms. A total of 365 undergraduates, 143 males and 222 females, participated in the study. The subjects' mean age was 22 years, and most were not married. In dealing with academic-related problems, Malaysians used substantially more emotion-focused coping than did North Americans and Germans. North American and German students who had high scores on emotion-focused coping experienced fewer symptoms, whereas the reverse relationship was found in the Malaysian group. The data on cultural preferences in coping and control behavior are discussed.
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