Does trait coping exist? A momentary assessment approach to the evaluationof traits

This study investigated the extent to which momentary reports of coping are a traitlike phenomenon and the validity of a questionnaire assessment of c oping style. Participants (N = 96) completed the questionnaire, then monito red stressful events and coping activities for 2 days using a hand-held com puter that administered a brief assessment every 40 min. Momentary reports exhibited a sizable traitlike component: individual differences accounted f or 42% of the variance for 2 coping items and 15-30% of the variance for 15 items. The questionnaire assessment of coping style was a poor predictor o f average momentary coping; the coping style measure and the aggregated mom entary measure of trait coping shared 23% of their variance for religion an d 0-12% for the 16 other coping measures. Self-report assessments of trait coping are poor measures of the trait component of momentary coping and ver y poor predictors of coping in specific situations.