Cross-cultural equivalence of coping and involuntary responses to stress in Spain and the United States

The cross-cultural equivalence of coping and involuntary responses to social stress was tested using confirmatory factor analysis of the Responses to Stress Questionnaire in samples of 421 Spanish and 322 American college students. The fit of a coping model, consisting of primary control engagement, secondary control engagement, and disengagement factors, was confirmed in each sample, along with the fit of an involuntary response model, consisting of engagement and disengagement factors. However, factor loadings for primary control engagement coping differed across samples, as did mean levels of stress, coping, and involuntary responses to stress. Implications for understanding the nature of coping and involuntary responses to stress across cultures are highlighted.