Coping is thought to be a major component in the relationship between the experience of stress and health. Currently, the most popular method for measuring coping is the quantitative, methods-foci approach which was developed by Lazarus and his colleagues (Aldwin, Folkman, Schaefer, Coyne, & Lazarus, 1980). Through a critical review of studies using this approach, and by drawing on qualitative data from a study of stress, coping and health among headteachers, this paper argues that these widely-used measures need refining. Qualitative data show that the efficacy of coping actions and the adequacy of external resources are two pivotal variables in the coping process, both of which are completely overlooked in quantitative coping checklists. More broadly, it is argued that alternative methodologies must be considered if we are to better understand the role of coping in the stress/health relationship.
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