ABSTRACT
Defining parameters that constitute a more or less stressful situation is certainly important in stress and coping paradigms; but still more relevant, especially on a practical level, is often the question of how effectively an adolescent deals with a problem or stressor. The stressful encounter alone does not in itself explain why an individual responds in an adaptive or nonadaptive way. Even the threatening nature of the most severe crisis can be differently appraised because of the peculiarities of personal resources. Consequently, the manner of dealing with or the mastering of a stressful encounter will differ (Coelho, Hamburg, & Adams, 1974; Meichenbaum, 1977; Murphy & Moriarty, 1976). In coping theories (see Roskies & Lazarus, 1980), such internal resources may include interpersonal skills, personality, and self-concept variables.
