Coping Behavior
The phrases "I have to learn to cope with my problems" and "He can't cope with the situation" are descriptive of the specifics of adjustment. One psychologist has stated that when we run into a situation in which there is no automatic response, ready-made answer, or wellestablished habit to fall back on, we must "cope" as best we can. For example, the cultural shock of moving into a new and strange social environment, such as college, requires us to get experience in dealing with the newness. The problems with which we have to cope range widely from refraining from offending someone to decling with actual danger.
Meeting a Crisis
Some people who get upset over little things often come through in crisis situations. Studies of reactiorls to fires, earthquakes, and tornadoes show that the majority of people conform very closely to a "disaster syndrome"; people behave much the same in one disaster situation as in another. They follow a sequence of behavior, as follows:
- Behavioral bankruptcy. The individual has no reactions "on tap" to deal with the situation. He is stunned into silence and immobility.
- After extricating himself, his family, and his neighbor, the individual goes into a state of shock; he becomes extremely passive.
- Extreme curiosity. People go "sightseeing" to watch the rescue work.
- Increased perception as to the cues to danger. It is in this stage that we find the beginniugs of coping behavior.
- Increased interpersonal communication and "togetherness." People appear to get comfort from others. Antagonisms and prejudices seem to vanish in this phase of the behavior sequence.
- Compulsive rituals and superstitious practices commonly begin to emerge. For example, following the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many Japanese rubbed onions on their heads to prevent bombs from seeking them out.
- Planning finally gets underway. People begin to organize aid, restore communications, and ward off further disaster.
Perceptlon of the Situation
Many of us tend to handle daily situations which are psychulogically threatening by overreacting. The salesman may worry about the inept remark he has made; the instructor may tend to read too much into the critical remark of 'the student. Even the tone of a verbal statement can be reassuring or threatening. It is how the individual perceives the situation that is important. Let us illustrate with a study.
Three-word sentences were flashed before subjects. They were asked to interpret the sentences under two different conditions. The experimental group was "threatened" by being asked to describe a complex picture which was presented so rapidly that the subjects could not see it well. Their sense of failure was intensified by criticism from the experimenter. The control group was shown the same picture with adequate exposure lime and without any disparaging remarks being made. Later, both groups were again tested for their ability to perceive three-word sentences shown rapidly. In the postfrustration test the experimental group perceived less well than the control group. The threatened subjects tended to misperceive innocent stimulus words as aggressive words. This classic study, performed a quarter of a century ago, has been substantiated a number of times, leaving us with the generalization that effective coping behavior has its beginning in the process of perception. How often we may misread some letter, some remark, even some bodily movement as hostility! When we are very strongly anticipating success in some endeavor, even the least threatening feedback may bt: distorted. When this happens, we may react in a variety of defensive ways.
