Measuring Outcome Expectancies for Specific Coping Behaviors: the Coping Expectancies Scale (CES)

  • Dara G. Friedman-Wheeler
  • Jo Ellyn Pederson
  • Hilda M. Rizzo-Busack
  • David A. F. Haaga
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Outcome expectancies for specific coping strategies may help explain why people vary in their choices of coping strategies (e.g., whether to smoke a cigarette or talk to a friend). These choices have relevance to both physical and mental health. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of a new measure of mood regulation expectancies for specific explicit coping strategies, the Coping Expectancies Scale (CES). 552 adults completed the CES and other measures online. Factor analysis of the CES using Maximum Likelihood Extraction with promax rotation revealed three factors: Expectancies for Passive/Avoidant Coping, Expectancies for Active Behavioral Coping, and Expectancies for Active Cognitive Coping. Concurrent, discriminant, and predictive validity for these factors were strong, as was retest reliability. The CES enables researchers to measure expectancies for specific coping strategies, which may in turn help to explain people’s choices of strategies. In addition, the ability to measure these expectancies may allow for the development of treatment interventions that directly target them, ultimately enabling clients to adjust their expectancies and their choices of coping behavior, with implications for health and well-being.

Keywords

Coping Expectancies Measurement Assessment Emotion regulation 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, James J. Gross, Susan Folkman, George Loewenstein, and Aaron T. Beck, for their suggestions regarding the development of the CES; Kate Gunthert, Zachary Reese, and the members of Goucher College’s PSY 398 course, Advanced Directed Research: Writing Workshop, for feedback on this paper; Angelica V. Daniele, Elizabeth Floro, and Allyson Schonfeld for assistance in conducting this research; and Rob Wheeler for his assistance with data management. Development and pilot testing of the CES were supported by a grant from the Beatrice Aitchison ’28 Non-Tenured Faculty Professional Advancement Fund, Goucher College. These data have been presented in part at the annual meetings of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA) and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

Compliance with Ethical Standards

Conflict of Interest

Dara G. Friedman-Wheeler, Jo Ellyn Pederson, Hilda M. Rizzo-Busack, and David A. F. Haaga declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Experiment Participants

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with ethical standards and were approved by the relevant Institutional Review Boards. Informed consent was given by all participants.

Supplementary material

10862_2016_9539_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (250 kb)
ESM 1 (PDF 250 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dara G. Friedman-Wheeler
    • 1
  • Jo Ellyn Pederson
    • 1
  • Hilda M. Rizzo-Busack
    • 1
  • David A. F. Haaga
    • 2
  1. 1.Goucher CollegeBaltimoreUSA
  2. 2.American UniversityWashingtonUSA

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