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International Journal of STEM Education

Table 4 Factor loadings for the coping styles model

From: Coping behavior versus coping style: characterizing a measure of coping in undergraduate STEM contexts

Item

Factor Loadings a

R2: PEER/ non-PEER

Est. Residual Variance:PEER/ non-PEER

Challenge Engaging

Challenge Avoiding

Support Seeking

Cognitive Restructuring

Humor

Self-blame

I take action to try to find out why it occurred

0.723

− 0.016

0.008

− 0.081

− 0.006

− 0.046

0.46/0.51

0.54/0.49

I concentrate my efforts on doing something about the situation I’m in

0.705

− 0.065

0.017

− 0.128

0.021

− 0.089

0.47/0.49

0.53/0.52

I take action to try to make the situation better

0.666

− 0.130

0.059

− 0.059

0.005

− 0.072

0.49/0.53

0.51/0.47

I think about the reason(s) why it occurred

0.630

0.030

0.015

0.064

− 0.033

0.0120

0.51/0.42

0.49/0.58

I try to come up with a strategy about what to do

0.581

− 0.051

0.033

0.057

− 0.012

0.136

0.39/0.47

0.61/0.53

I work hard to find out what went wrong

0.609

0.094

0.014

0.101

0.025

0.059

0.43/0.55

0.57/0.46

I think hard about what steps to take

0.634

− 0.013

0.079

0.076

− 0.015

0.071

0.57/0.49

0.43/0.51

I am aware of my feelings about the situation

0.426

0.064

0.057

0.068

− 0.055

0.116

0.25/0.21

0.75/0.79

I pretend that it hasn’t really happened

− 0.126

0.536

− 0.012

0.166

0.050

0.004

0.25/0.36

0.75/0.64

I give up trying to deal with it

− 0.128

0.713

0.128

− 0.041

− 0.032

0.006

0.60/0.58

0.40/0.42

I reduce the amount of effort I put into solving the problem

− 0.085

0.640

0.013

− 0.042

0.036

− 0.092

0.55/0.47

0.45/0.53

I give up trying to reach my goal

− 0.052

0.711

− 0.037

− 0.055

− 0.049

− 0.083

0.52/0.56

0.48/0.44

I avoid places and things that remind me about the situation

0.111

0.585

− 0.045

0.026

− 0.082

0.078

0.30/0.33

0.70/0.67

I give up the attempt to cope with the problem

− 0.061

0.580

− 0.003

− 0.018

− 0.031

0.059

0.51/0.46

0.49/0.54

I act as though it hasn’t happened

− 0.054

0.579

− 0.047

0.152

0.056

0.037

0.35/0.40

0.65/0.60

I get emotional support from others

− 0.034

0.092

0.750

− 0.053

0.009

0.000

0.60/0.46

0.40/0.54

I get help and advice from other people

0.013

− 0.056

0.747

0.020

− 0.025

− 0.025

0.63/0.63

0.36/0.37

I get comfort and understanding from someone

0.003

0.022

0.724

0.082

0.000

0.012

0.46/0.57

0.54/0.43

I try to get advice or help from other people about what to do

0.050

− 0.028

0.745

0.013

0.010

− 0.012

0.54/0.64

0.47/0.37

I try to see it in a different light, to make it seem more positive

0.082

0.002

0.214

0.659

− 0.033

− 0.058

0.63/0.61

0.37/0.39

I look for something good in what is happening

0.020

− 0.096

0.260

0.625

0.011

− 0.001

0.36/0.61

0.64/0.39

I make jokes about itb

− 0.079

− 0.056

0.056

0.154

0.788

0.050

–

–

I make fun of the situationb

0.023

0.041

− 0.074

− 0.015

0.912

− 0.048

–

–

I criticize myself

− 0.041

− 0.013

0.021

− 0.046

− 0.032

0.761

0.40/0.53

0.60/0.48

I blame myself for things that happened

0.048

0.033

− 0.092

− 0.099

0.068

0.705

0.70/0.61

0.30/0.39

Dropped itemsc

I turn to work or other activities to take my mind off things

0.057

0.208

0.069

0.150

0.016

0.140

  

I say to myself “this isn’t real”.d

0.032

0.559

0.027

− 0.007

0.009

0.000

  

I refuse to believe it hasd happened

0.027

0.661

− 0.008

0.015

− 0.027

− 0.032

  

I say things to let my unpleasant feelings escape

0.104

0.379

0.187

− 0.129

0.175

0.035

  

I try not to let my feelings control me

0.330

0.041

− 0.106

0.391

0.023

− 0.077

  

I try to maintain a calm disposition

0.344

0.018

− 0.083

0.366

0.054

− 0.027

  

I do something to think about it less; e. g., watch movies, tv, read, etc

− 0.112

0.332

0.150

0.176

0.074

0.157

  

I accept the reality of the fact that it happened

0.304

0.013

− 0.043

0.122

0.084

0.027

  

I express my negative feelings

0.112

0.234

0.320

− 0.170

0.178

0.135

  

I learn to live with it

0.091

0.132

0.004

0.325

0.151

− 0.023

  

I try to express my feelings about the situation in an appropriate way

0.272

− 0.036

0.293

0.247

− 0.050

0.012

  
  1. aFactor loadings over .50 appear in bold. Factor loadings below 0.20 appear in lighter italic font
  2. bThese items were dropped from the measures after subsequent confirmatory factor analyses
  3. cItems were dropped from the scale for one of two reasons: (1) no factor loadings were above 0.40 or (2) the difference among factors loadings above 0.40 was less than 0.2, indicating too high a degree of cross-loading
  4. dThese items had high cross-loading (> 0.50) with a seventh factor during exploratory factor analysis. However, as these were the only two items that loaded on the other factor above 0.40, the seventh factor was dropped from the model
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