ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN COPING WITH INTERPERSONAL STRESSORS A Test of Self-Construals as Cultural Mediators

This study examines ethnic differences in how Asian and White American students cope with interpersonal stressors and tests whether differences in self-construals mediate the relationship between ethnicity and coping. Asian Americans were found to be more oriented toward secondary control and less oriented toward primary control than White Americans. Independent self-construal fully mediated the ethnic difference in primary control. Greater orientation toward an independent self-construal accounted for the greater use of primary control among Whites, in relation to Asians. Interdependent self-construal partially mediated the ethnic difference in secondary control. Greater orientation toward an interdependent self-construal accounted for the greater use of secondary control amongAsians, in relation to Whites. Other factors, such as structural variables, may account for further ethnic variations in secondary control coping.