The situational response inventory: A measure of adaptive coping

Adaptiveness constitutes coping consistently with Stressors so as to reduce distress or, at worst, not aggravate it. Development and validation is described of a measure of adaptiveness, the Situational Response Inventory (SRI). It consists of 19 items offering alternative responses to stressful situations. Respondents receive one point for each response previously deemed superior to its alternatives by 16 experts on coping. The SRI shows adequate internal consistency and excellent stability. It correlates positively with problem-solving confidence and negatively with perceived stress. Correlation against social desirability is positive but weak. Confirmatory factor analysis supports two strong positively interrelated factors for adaptiveness in situations requiring active vs passive coping. Possible applications and further development are discussed.