GROWING OR JUST GETTING ALONG - TECHNICAL AND ADAPTIVE COMPETENCE IN COPING AMONG ADOLESCENTS

This study examined coping among African American adolescents with lea rning disabilities. Ninety-seven African American adolescents and thei r mother or primary caregiver participated in the study. The study cen tered on a new conceptual distinction between technical competence in coping and adaptive competence in coping. Technical competence referre d to short-term, reactive attempts at coping based on individuals' abi lities to find techniques for reducing their feelings of distress. Ada ptive competence referred to longer-term, developmental processes of a daptive change that resulted in more global benefits for the individua l. Past literature was reassessed on the basis of this conceptual dist inction, and a new model of technical and adaptive competence in copin g was proposed based on developmental theory. Perceptions of coping ef ficacy and the incidence of behavioral problems were regressed on meas ures of technical and adaptive competence in coping. Results were expl ored first as a general test of the model on the total sample, and sec ond as a comparative analysis between gender subsamples. Total sample findings were consistent with hypothesized results. Technical competen ce was a better predictor of feelings of efficacy and adaptive compete nce was a better predictor of behavioral problems. Gender subsample di fferences were significant and supported a picture of gender-typed app roaches to coping.