Social problem-solving, coping strategies and communication among 5^th and 7^th graders

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of sample (N = 378).

Characteristic/age group	10–11-year-olds (n = 182)		12–13-year-olds (n = 196)
Sex n (%)
Boy	89 (48.8)		95 (48.4)
Girl	93 (51.2)		101 (51.6)
	Mother	Father	Mother	Father
Parents’ educational level n (%)
None	12 (6.5)	12 (6.9)	15 (7.6)	14 (7.1)
Elementary school	11 (6.2)	21 (11.6)	14 (7.1)	22 (11.2)
Vocational secondary school	28 (15.3)	35 (19.5)	32 (16.3)	33 (16.8)
High school	46 (25.7)	33 (17.5)	51 (26.1)	47 (23.9)
College or university	85 (46.3)	81 (44.5)	84 (42.8)	80 (40.8)
Number of siblings n (%)
None	12 (6.5)		16 (8.2)
1	80 (43.8)		85 (43.3)
2	68 (37.2)		65 (33.1)
3 or more	22 (12.5)		30 (15.4)

Table 2. Results of reliability analysis (Cronbach’s α).

Students’ age: questionnaire (number of items)	Cronbach’s α (whole questionnaire)
10‒11: AQ (20)	.83
12‒13: AQ (20)	.87
10‒11: SPSI – R (25)	.89
12‒13: SPSI – R (25)	.88
10‒11: WCQ (22)	.80
12‒13: WCQ (22)	.81

Table 3. Characteristics of social problem-solving, coping strategies and communication.

Factor	10–11-year-olds (n = 182) M (SD)	12–13-year-olds (n = 196)M (SD)	t (p)
Social problem-solving
Positive orientation	3.24 (.67)	2.87 (.76)	5.03 (.001)
Negative orientation	2.03 (.77)	2.89 (.67)	−11.56 (.001)
Rationality	3.31 (.96)	3.26 (.88)	.73 (.461)
Impulsivity	2.04 (.54)	2.52 (.45)	−9.34 (.001)
Avoidance	2.08 (.82)	2.33 (.34)	−3.89 (.002)
Coping strategies
Positive reappraisal	2.29 (.60)	2.50 (.59)	−2.08 (.030)
Avoidance	2.48 (.81)	2.69 (.75)	−1.86 (.048)
Social support seeking	2.50 (.66)	2.57 (.63)	−1.05 (.291)
Distancing-acceptance	2.34 (.45)	2.44 (.61)	−1.82 (.062)
Planned problem-solving and self-control	2.54 (.69)	2.78 (.96)	−2.55 (.022)
Withdrawal – loss of control and asking for help	1.79 (.61)	1.85 (.51)	−1.21 (.022)
Confrontation	1.64 (.54)	2.02 (.76)	−2.13 (.041)
Communication
Expressing own needs, thoughts and feelings	3.22 (.56)	3.44 (.63)	−3.57 (.001)
Listening to others	3.33 (.85)	3.49 (.59)	−2.11 (.043)

Table 4. Relation (r, p) between SPSI – R, AQ and WCQ based on sex (10–11-year-olds, n = 182); below: boys, above: girls.

Factor	EXP	LO	PO	NO	RAT	IMP	AVO	PR	PL	DIS	AV	CON	WI	SS
EXP	–	.301	.223	.035	.567	.043	−.294	.025	.331	−.131	.081	−.073	−.221	.110
		(.063)	(.340)	(.135)	(.001)	(.861)	(0.17)	(.950)	(.061)	(.599)	(.735)	(.781)	(.363)	(.660)
LO	.083	–	.530	.345	.437	.155	−.142	.397	.472	.166	−.166	.126	.211	.491
	(.863)		(.002)	(.149)	(.002)	(.525)	(.563)	(.053)	(.053)	(.497)	(.496)	(.606)	(.387)	(.038)
PO	.491	.311	–	−.047	.281	−.057	.007	.229	.487	.226	−.134	.064	.009	.101
	(.260)	(.011)		(.847)	(.243)	(.816)	(.976)	(.345)	(.001)	(.352)	(.583)	(.794)	(.971)	(.690)
NO	−.431	.514	−.205	–	.217	.003	.174	.325	.265	−.238	.249	.137	.094	.251
	(.331)	(.238)	(.660)		(.387)	(.991)	(.491)	(.188)	(.288)	(.341)	(.020)	(.587)	(.710)	(.331)
RAT	.362	.435	.699	−.201	–	−.039	−.366	.211	.417	−.131	−.216	.029	.044	.427
	(.007)	(.003)	(.081)	(.665)		(.874)	(.123)	(.385)	(.005)	(.592)	(.375)	(.906)	(.858)	(.077)
IMP	.492	.341	.351	.423	.603	–	.390	−.018	−.117	.128	−.272	−.340	.103	−.331
	(.324)	(.398)	(.495)	(.403)	(.205)		(.053)	(.941)	(.633)	(.600)	(.260)	(.002)	(.676)	(.180)
AVO	−.700	−.430	−.711	.225	−.406	−.264	–	.397	−.301	.213	−.108	−.255	.278	−.048
	(.079)	(.028)	(.073)	(.627)	(.367)	(.614)		(.093)	(.210)	(.381)	(.661)	(.032)	(.125)	(.849)
PR	.622	.576	.123	.129	.728	.796	−.690	–	.432	.300	−.003	.446	.459	.442
	(.135)	(.176)	(.623)	(.783)	(.063)	(.058)	(.087)		(.065)	(.212)	(.992)	(.056)	(.047)	(.040)
PL	.383	.339	.552	−.237	.558	.658	−.622	.797	–	−.129	.205	.432	.361	.551
	(.541)	(.457)	(.002)	(.608)	(.002)	(.155)	(.135)	(.002)		(.598)	(.401)	(.065)	(.129)	(.018)
DIS	.393	.610	.675	−.055	.639	.733	.190	.319	.238	–	−.531	−.206	−.164	.112
	(.382)	(.146)	(.092)	(.906)	(.122)	(.097)	(.683)	(.485)	(.608)		(.018)	(.397)	(.502)	(.659)
AV	−.503	.297	.144	.222	−.253	−.119	.442	−.095	−.125	−.462	–	.298	.332	.002
	(.252)	(.518)	(.757)	(.031)	(.584)	(.822)	(.001)	(.840)	(.789)	(.297)		(.216)	(.165)	(.994)
CON	.672	.496	.335	.165	.812	.718	−.595	.700	.388	.716	−.536	–	.691	.397
	(.143)	(.316)	(.516)	(.754)	(.059)	(.108)	(.213)	(.121)	(.447)	(.109)	(.273)		(.011)	(.102)
WI	−.765	.196	−.218	.155	−.418	−.211	.733	−.399	−.281	−.118	.512	−.812	–	.315
	(.079)	(.710)	(.678)	(.769)	(.410)	(.734)	(.097)	(.433)	(.590)	(.824)	(.299)	(.095)		(.203)
SS	.354	.214	.300	.338	.405	.274	−.443	.398	.046	−.030	.186	.645	−.706	–
	(.502)	(.684)	(.563)	(.512)	(.426)	(.655)	(.379)	(.434)	(.931)	(.955)	(.725)	(.240)	(.117)

EXP = Expressing own needs, thoughts and feelings, LO = Listening to others; PO = Positive orientation, NO = Negative orientation, RAT = Rationality, IMP = Impulsivity, AVO = Avoidance; PR = Positive reappraisal, PL = Planned problem-solving and self-control, DIS = Distancing-acceptance, AV = Avoidance, CON = Confrontation, WI = Withdrawal – loss of control and asking for help, SS = Social support seeking. Bonferroni correction: p < .004.

Figure 1. Results of SEM (N = 378).

LO = Listening to others; EXP = Expressing own needs, thoughts and feelings; AV = Avoidance (coping strategy); CON = Confrontation (coping strategy); PL = Planned problem-solving and self-control (coping strategy);NO = Negative orientation; PO = Positive orientation; RAT = Rationality; IMP = Impulsivity; AVO = Avoidance.

Table 5. Relation (r, p) between SPSI – R, AQ and WCQ based on sex (12–13-year-olds, n = 196); below: boys, above: girls.

Factor	EXP	LO	PO	NO	RAT	IMP	AVO	PR	PL	DIS	AV	CON	WI	SS
EXP	–	.448	.320	.065	.578	.097	−.092	.310	.408	.244	.064	−.112	.181	.267
		(.001)	(.062)	(.655)	(.001)	(.505)	(.522)	(.075)	(.004)	(.088)	(.668)	(.439)	(.219)	(.067)
LO	.056	–	.543	−.081	.523	.180	−.240	.326	.290	.226	−.043	−.545	.127	.290
	(.676)		(.001)	(.580)	(.001)	(.215)	(.002)	(.075)	(.061)	(.115)	(.771)	(.002)	(.388)	(.061)
PO	.125	.345	–	−.122	.707	.221	−.336	.245	.570	.124	.182	−.017	−.088	.215
	(.356)	(.001)		(.392)	(.000)	(.120)	(.014)	(.092)	(.002)	(.390)	(.215)	(.908)	(.553)	(.143)
NO	.006	.153	−.215	–	−.075	.074	.334	.142	.166	.069	.352	.213	.178	.296
	(.168)	(.256)	(.101)		(.603)	(.611)	(.016)	(.347)	(.270)	(.640)	(.032)	(.146)	(.199)	(.053)
RAT	.375	.567	.230	−.299	–	.045	.226	.318	.478	.299	.085	−.163	.104	.282
	(.001)	(.001)	(.059)	(.055)		(.751)	(.115)	(.060)	(.001)	(.052)	(.570)	(.268)	(.488)	(.052)
IMP	.186	−.065	−.140	.420	−.163	–	.059	.399	.253	.080	.010	−.147	.011	.380
	(.160)	(.633)	(.009)	(.001)	(.206)		(.682)	(.055)	(.086)	(.590)	(.947)	(.318)	(.941)	(.057)
AVO	.161	−.438	−.240	.586	−.160	.593	–	−.211	−.254	.148	.334	.262	.225	.085
	(.231)	(.033)	(.070)	(.001)	(.217)	(.001)		(.150)	(.081)	(.306)	(.002)	(.066)	(.124)	(.567)
PR	.121	.126	.201	.225	.408	.071	.147	–	.610	.426	.232	−.310	.239	.525
	(.316)	(.301)	(.053)	(.099)	(.056)	(.608)	(.290)		(.000)	(.003)	(.112)	(.034)	(.106)	(.000)
PL	.278	.136	.665	.037	.612	−.043	.080	.280	–	.453	.065	−.269	.208	.420
	(.037)	(.318)	(.001)	(.785)	(.001)	(.748)	(.558)	(.037)		(.001)	(.663)	(.068)	(.160)	(.004)
DIS	.125	.217	.215	.110	.163	.191	.261	.138	.142	–	.027	−.070	.411	.460
	(.355)	(.109)	(.118)	.415)	(.221)	(.154)	(.052)	(.312)	(.291)		(.857)	(.634)	(.004)	(.001)
AV	.120	.242	−.001	.330	.079	.163	.610	.185	.251	.085	–	.074	.196	.310
	(.371)	(.070)	(.996)	(.012)	(.552)	(.075)	(.002)	(.172)	(.057)	(.523)		(.623)	(.186)	(.034)
CON	.144	.131	−.038	−.310	.033	−.313	.233	.232	−.021	.296	.261	–	.097	−.008
	(.281)	(.330)	(.781)	(.001)	(.804)	(.003)	(.082)	(.086)	(.875)	(.024)	(.056)		(.517)	(.959)
WI	.187	.223	.256	.117	.161	.184	.124	.324	.346	.305	.419	.224	–	.470
	(.167)	(.109)	(.118)	(.415)	(.221)	(.174)	(.167)	(.016)	(.009)	(.021)	(.001)	(.094)		(.001)
SS	.191	.092	.067	.303	.056	.252	.153	.387	.247	.302	.434	.473	.443	–
	(.061)	(.542)	(.630)	(.101)	(.683)	(.049)	(.170)	(.004)	(.072)	(.025)	(.001)	(.001)	(.001)

see Table 4.