Toward a Theoretical Model of Communal Coping in Postdivorce Families and Other Naturally Occurring Groups

The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model of communal coping in postdivorce families and other naturally occurring groups. This framework builds upon previous models of communal coping (C. A. Berg, S. P. Meegan, & F. P. Deviney, 1998; R. F. Lyons, K. Mickelson, J. L. Sullivan, & J. C. Coyne, 1998) in its identification of appraisal and action dimensions. However, the current model extends this work in five important ways by: (a) providing a more complex picture of the interdependent nature of coping; (b) extending current thinking about the transactional and fluid nature of the coping process; (c) addressing the different levels of responsibility for stressors within groups; (d) articulating how coping is affected by group dynamics, like group norms, power, and differences in perspectives; and (e) demonstrating the influence of context and the type of stressor on the coping process. The dimensions of the model are discussed in terms of the literature on communal coping and group processes.