Ethnic differences en 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 among Asians, in relation to Whites. Other factors, such as structural variables, may account for further ethnic variations in secondary control coping.