Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the factorial structure of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire for African American women. A sample of 656 African American women living in the southeastern United States, ranging in age from 22 to 64 years (M = 39.6 years), completed the questionnaire. All were employed, with a mean annual income of $24,300. Factor analysis produced three factors, Active Coping, Avoidance, and Minimize the Situation, that accounted 67% of the total variance. These factors were compared with the eight factors of the Ways of Coping questionnaire reported byFolkman and Lazarus (1980), which was derived from a sample of middle-aged White subjects. The factors that emerged suggest the need for possible revision of the instrument or the development of a new one.