ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a reference for scholars and clinicians who wish to understand the use and appropriateness of dyadic coping for Chinese couples and do further research and practice in this area. It discusses Chinese cultural characteristics of couple relationships and the stressors and resources available to these couples. The chapter presents a research on Chinese couples' dyadic coping with stress, including applications of the systemic transactional model (STM) to Chinese couples. To understand couples' relationships in China, it is necessary to understand the values of Confucianism and collectivism. China has been identified as a highly collectivistic culture. The association between use of dyadic coping strategies and relationship satisfaction was examined using the relationship assessment scale (RAS). Higher levels of dyadic coping were associated with higher relationship satisfaction, particularly dyadic coping by wives. Couples coping enhancement training encourages couples to establish boundaries around their relationship.
