COPING WITH UNIVERSITY-RELATED PROBLEMS - A CROSS-CULTURAL-COMPARISON

The main aims of the present study were (a) to compare problem- and em otion-focused coping in students from North America (Canada and the Un ited States), Germany, and Malaysia, and (b) to examine the associatio n between coping and physical symptoms. A total of 365 undergraduates, 143 males and 222 females, participated in the study. The subjects' m ean age was 22 years, and most were not married. In dealing with acade mic-related problems, Malaysians used substantially more emotion-focus ed coping than did North Americans and Germans. North American and Ger man students who had high scores on emotion-focused coping experienced fewer symptoms, whereas the reverse relationship was found in the Mal aysian group. The data on cultural preferences in coping and control b ehavior are discussed.