SOCIAL SUPPORT, APPRAISALS OF EVENT CONTROLLABILITY, AND COPING - AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL

An integrative model of mediating and moderating mechanisms in the coping process was examined in a 2-year prospective framework with 175 college students using both single-group and multigroup LISREL analyses. Consistent with the hypothesized model, initial parental support was associated with subsequent changes in psychological adjustment both directly and indirectly through adaptive coping strategies. Moreover, as predicted, appraisals of event controllability moderated both the degree to which parental support influenced coping and the effectiveness of coping responses. With controllable events, family support predicted adaptive coping, and coping predicted changes in adjustment. With uncontrollable events, family support related directly to changes in adjustment.