Coping as a moderator of relations between reactivity to interpersonal stress, health status, and internalizing problems

Coping moderation of relations between involuntary stress-reactivity, health status, and internalizing problems was tested in sociotropic college students responding to a standardized laboratory interpersonal stressor. Coping moderated relations between heart rate reactivity and health status, with primary control engagement coping, secondary control engagement coping, and disengagement coping all serving as buffers. Primary control also buffered the link between self-reported arousal and health status, and secondary control coping buffered the link between self-reported arousal and health status and internalizing problems. Coping and involuntary responses to the standardized laboratory stressor were correlated with measures of naturalistic coping and involuntary stress-reactivity. Benefits of linking laboratory and naturalistic coping research are highlighted, along with implications of the interaction of involuntary stress-reactivity and coping.