Social problem-solving, coping strategies and communication among 5 <sup>th</sup> and 7 <sup>th</sup> graders
Anett Balogh-Pécsi, Edit Tóth, László Kasik
Abstract
The aim of the study is to explore the characteristics of social problemsolving, coping strategies and assertive communication among 5 th -and 7 thgrade students (N = 378).Communication is assessed with the Assertiveness Questionnaire (AQ, Gaumer Erickson et al., 2016), social problem-solving with the Social Problem-Solving Inventory -Revised (SPSI -R, D 'Zurilla et al., 2002) and coping strategies with the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ, Lazarus & Folkman, 1988).The results show that mostly significant differences can be found between pre-adolescents and early adolescents in the three social fields.Low belief in problem-solving is more common among older students, and -besides the age differencethere are a number of areas where boys and girls differ, even among younger students.The SEM clearly identifies strong links between communication, coping strategies and problem solving.The results provide a more nuanced picture of boys' social problem-solving, coping strategies and communication and the relation between them than before.