The Role of Optimism in Stress and Coping of Undergraduate Students in Goa

The present study was designed to study the relationship between optimism, stress and coping with stress. The sample for the study comprised of 500 undergraduate students from colleges in Goa. Three measures—‘Life Orientation Test-Revised’ by Scheier & Carver (1994), ‘Perceived Stress Scale’ by Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein (1983), and ‘COPE’ by Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub (1989) were administered to participants. The findings of the research indicate a moderate negative relationship between optimism and stress. Optimism was found to be positively related to positive reinterpretation and growth, use of instrumental social support, active coping, acceptance, suppression of competing activities, and planning, and negatively related to mental disengagement, behavioural disengagement, focus on and venting of emotions, denial, and religious coping.