Harish has poor interpersonal skills and hence, he is unable to communicate with his colleagues at his workplace. When he is not able to finish deadlines, rather than seeking help, he vents out his anger and frustration over them. Which coping strategy is being used by Harish?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Emotion-oriented
Option (1) Emotion-oriented — Correct. In Endler and Parker’s emotion-oriented strategy a person makes efforts to keep hope and control emotions, and it can also involve venting feelings of anger and frustration. Harish does not deal with the missed deadlines; he vents his anger and frustration on his colleagues.
Option (2) Problem-focused — Incorrect. In Lazarus and Folkman’s terms, problem-focused strategies attack the problem itself, with behaviours meant to gain information and alter the event, as in ‘I made a plan of action and followed it’. Seeking help with the work would have been such a strategy, and Harish avoids it.
Option (3) Task-oriented — Incorrect. The task-oriented strategy involves obtaining information about the stressful situation and the alternatives, deciding priorities and acting to deal directly with it, such as scheduling one’s time better. Harish takes no such step towards meeting his deadlines.
Option (4) Avoidance-oriented — Incorrect. The avoidance-oriented strategy involves denying or minimising the seriousness of the situation and consciously suppressing stressful thoughts. Harish does not deny the problem or push it out of his mind; he lets out his feelings about it.
NCERT (2025-26): “Coping with Stress … The three coping strategies given by Endler and Parker are: Task-oriented Strategy : This involves obtaining information about the stressful situation and about alternative courses of action and their probable outcome; it also involves deciding priorities and acting so as to deal directly with the stressful situation. For example, schedule my time better, or think about how I have solved similar problems. Emotion-oriented Strategy : This can involve efforts to maintain hope and to control one’s emotions; it can also involve venting feelings of anger and frustration, or deciding that nothing can be done to change things. For example, tell myself that it is not really happening to me, or worry about what I am going to do.…” “Coping with Stress … Avoidance-oriented Strategy : This involves denying or minimising the seriousness of the situation;…” “Coping with Stress … Problem-focused strategies attack the problem itself, with behaviours designed to gain information, to alter the event, and to alter belief and commitments. They increase the person’s awareness, level of knowledge, and range of behavioural and cognitive coping options. They can act to reduce the threat value of the event.…” |