PROACTIVE PERSONALITY AS A PREDICTOR OF LIFE SATISFACTION

The study was focused on research of coping strategies as predictors of life satisfaction. We based our research on the concept of proactive coping by E. Greenglass. The concept involves 7 coping strategies: proactive coping, reflective coping, strategic planning, preventive coping, emotional support seeking, instrumental support seeking and avoidance coping. The main purpose was to find out which of these coping strategies predict life satisfaction. We have studied this issue separately in a sample of men and a sample of women. The research sample consisted of 104 respondents older than 18 years (47 men and 57 women). Respondent ' s average age was 34.9 (SD= 15.2). We used the Slovak version of Proactive coping inventory (PCI) to measure coping strategies. Satisfaction with life was measured by Life satisfaction questionnaire. We found out that several coping strategies were significant predictors of life satisfaction. Some predictors were different in the sample of men and the sample of women. In the sample of men, life satisfaction was predicted by 3 coping strategies: reflective coping, emotional support seeking and avoidance coping. In the sample of women, life satisfaction was predicted by proactive coping, reflective coping, instrumental and emotional support seeking. It shows that the relationship between proactive coping and life satisfaction differs in men and in women.