Objective: The psychometric instruments used in coping research have long been criticised because of their various flaws. The Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) is a promising measure with its sound psychometric properties. The current investigation aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the CISS in a large group of college students. Methods: The sample consisted of 729 undergraduates - 492 females (67.49%) and 237 males (32.51%), - average age: 20.11 (SD +/- 2.55) years -. The CISS, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the COPE Inventory were administered. Item statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency coefficients, 15-day test-retest reliability, and Pearson's correlation coefficients between psychological variables were computed. Major depression was excluded. Results: The confirmatory factor analyses revealed that both three- and four-factor structures of the CISS were valid for the data collected from the Turkish college students. The subscales demonstrated good internal consistency and temporal stability. The correlations of the CISS subscales with positive and negative affect, satisfaction with life, and the COPE subscales ranged from mediocre to high. Significant associations of CISS subscales with other psychological variables which were consistent with the previous theoretical considerations pertaining to coping research extended empirical support for the construct validity of the measure. Discussion: Using three-factor structure seems to be more applicable for research purposes. The Turkish version of the CISS has adequate validity and reliability. The results indicated that the CISS has sound psychometric properties.(Archives of Neuropsychiatry 2012; 49: 196-202)
