ASSOCIATIONS AMONG DAILY HASSLES, COPING, AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN NONREFERRED KINDERGARTNERS

Examined relations among daily stressors, coping, and adjustment in a kindergarten sample by administering a daily-hassles measure and vignettes designed to elicit coping responses. Each child's parent and teacher completed a behavioral checklist. Daily hassles were associated with externalizing behavior problems, as well as total behavior problems as reported by parents. Active coping strategies were positively related to behavior problems independent of hassles. Specifically, coping strategies in response to a family stressor were related to parent reports of internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems, whereas strategies generated for a school stressor were related to teacher reports of externalizing behavior problems. Implications for future research are discussed.