Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate intrinsi
c and contextual sources of coping variability among 90 patients with
chronic pain. Pain coping strategies were assessed by the subscales of
the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Intrinsic variables included dem
ographic characteristics and dispositional optimism. Contextual variab
les included pain-related variables and pain control appraisals. In un
ivariate analyses, ethnicity was a statistically significant intrinsic
source of variability for the praying and hoping coping subscale; how
ever, comparisons between pairs of ethnic groups were not statisticall
y significant. A multivariate perspective of the data found three inde
pendent and salient patterns of correlation between the intrinsic and
contextual variables and coping subscales. These patterns of correlati
on accounted for 96% of the total variance and were conceptualized as
optimistic active coping, educated rational coping, and optimistic res
tricted coping. The findings raise the prospect that there are intrins
ic and contextual explanations of coping variability for patients with
chronic pain.