How Many Ways to Deal With Stress? Stress coping factors in the SVF 78

Abstract

Abstract Coping strategies belong undoubtedly to the most relevant variables for human performance and health. The Stress Coping Style Questionnaire SVF 78 has previously received critical remarks for the lack of theoretical foundations and unclear interrelationships between included strategies of coping. The present study verifies the factor structure of SVF 78 using exploratory factor analysis in a sample of 187 Czech undergraduates. Four common factors were extracted, interpreted and compared with the 3- and 5-factor solutions of the same data and with other studies analyzing local versions of the SVF Questionnaire in other countries. The results support methodological usefulness of using common factor scores instead of only empirically constructed stress coping questionnaire scales, particularly for research purposes.