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Coping behaviour of secondary school students in Singapore
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Type
Thesis
Author
Khoo, Hong Ngim
Supervisor
Lui, Elena Hah Wah
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of great psychological upheaval and disturbances characterised by complex developmental tasks and demands (Allerbeck and Hoag, 1985). Adaptive coping processes contributed significantly to successful resolution of these tasks leading to smooth transition to adulthood.
The study's primary goal was to find out how adolescents in Singapore coped when encountered with academic and inter-personal relationship problems. This was done through a paper-pencil self-report instrument - Adolescent Coping Behaviour Scale (ACBS) - developed specifically for the purpose of the study. The degree of success of coping was deduced based on the individuals level of reported anxiety as measured by the Anxiety Scale. Self-esteem, measured by the Self-Esteem Checklist (Lui, 1988), academic course, academic level, age, gender and type of housing were identified as factors that influenced adolescents' coping behaviour in the study.
A total of 2293 pupils were randomly selected from seven secondary schools in Singapore. The standardized-item alphas of both sub-scales in ACBS - problem-focused and emotion-focused - for the academic parameter were 0.74 and 0.78 and for the inter-personal relationships parameter were 0.77 and 0.76 respectively. Factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of ACBS, which had two predominant factors explaining 30% of the total variance. The Cronbach alphas for the Anxiety Scale and Self-Esteem Checklist were 0.87 and 0.74 respectively. Construct validities of Anxiety Scale and Self-Esteem Checklist were also supported by factor analysis.
Coping behaviour in adolescents was found to be dispositional rather than situational. The deleterious effect of emotion-focused coping behaviour was confirmed in the study. Results of the regression analysis had proven that employment of emotion-focused coping behaviour particularly in resolving inter-personal conflicts was especially unhelpful to adolescents' state of psycho-emotional health. The hypothesis, which stated that self-esteem had a mediating role in subduing anxiety, was confirmed in the study. With increase in age and academic levels, self-esteem also rose with a corresponding drop in anxiety in adolescents. Findings from the study supported the hypotheses that there were significant differences in self-esteem and anxiety between the genders. Academic course and type of housing were two independent variables that had insignificant impact on anxiety although their influences on self-esteem of adolescents were shown to be statistically significant. The hypothesis stating that problem-focused coping behaviour had an adaptive function in reducing adolescents' anxiety was, on the whole, not substantiated in the study. Although, age and type of housing had positive influence on adolescents' preference for using problem-focused coping behaviour in solving problems of different nature.
The study had reconfirmed the importance of building in adolescents, a positive self-esteem, which was pivotal in equipping them with adaptive coping processes. These were crucial in enabling them to surmount the many obstacles in life.
The study's primary goal was to find out how adolescents in Singapore coped when encountered with academic and inter-personal relationship problems. This was done through a paper-pencil self-report instrument - Adolescent Coping Behaviour Scale (ACBS) - developed specifically for the purpose of the study. The degree of success of coping was deduced based on the individuals level of reported anxiety as measured by the Anxiety Scale. Self-esteem, measured by the Self-Esteem Checklist (Lui, 1988), academic course, academic level, age, gender and type of housing were identified as factors that influenced adolescents' coping behaviour in the study.
A total of 2293 pupils were randomly selected from seven secondary schools in Singapore. The standardized-item alphas of both sub-scales in ACBS - problem-focused and emotion-focused - for the academic parameter were 0.74 and 0.78 and for the inter-personal relationships parameter were 0.77 and 0.76 respectively. Factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of ACBS, which had two predominant factors explaining 30% of the total variance. The Cronbach alphas for the Anxiety Scale and Self-Esteem Checklist were 0.87 and 0.74 respectively. Construct validities of Anxiety Scale and Self-Esteem Checklist were also supported by factor analysis.
Coping behaviour in adolescents was found to be dispositional rather than situational. The deleterious effect of emotion-focused coping behaviour was confirmed in the study. Results of the regression analysis had proven that employment of emotion-focused coping behaviour particularly in resolving inter-personal conflicts was especially unhelpful to adolescents' state of psycho-emotional health. The hypothesis, which stated that self-esteem had a mediating role in subduing anxiety, was confirmed in the study. With increase in age and academic levels, self-esteem also rose with a corresponding drop in anxiety in adolescents. Findings from the study supported the hypotheses that there were significant differences in self-esteem and anxiety between the genders. Academic course and type of housing were two independent variables that had insignificant impact on anxiety although their influences on self-esteem of adolescents were shown to be statistically significant. The hypothesis stating that problem-focused coping behaviour had an adaptive function in reducing adolescents' anxiety was, on the whole, not substantiated in the study. Although, age and type of housing had positive influence on adolescents' preference for using problem-focused coping behaviour in solving problems of different nature.
The study had reconfirmed the importance of building in adolescents, a positive self-esteem, which was pivotal in equipping them with adaptive coping processes. These were crucial in enabling them to surmount the many obstacles in life.
Date Issued
2002
Call Number
BF335 Kho
Date Submitted
2002