The measurement of coping responses: validity of the Billings and Moos Coping Checklist

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the modified Coping Checklist. METHODS: Self-report questionnaires asking about coping responses and mental health were administered to 515 undergraduate university students and to 119 patients awaiting elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Confirmatory (CFA) and exploratory factor analyses (PCA) were used to summarize and describe coping responses. RESULTS: CFA indicated that the subscale structure originally proposed for the Coping Checklist did not adequately fit the data. Subsequent PCA resulted in four factors: (1) Positive reappraisal; (2) Seeking support; (3) Avoidance; and (4) Information seeking. Internal consistencies ranged between .41 and .62 and 12-week test-retest reliability ranged between .59 and .71. Evidence for the concurrent validity of the solution generated by PCA was demonstrated by low to moderate correlations between the four factors identified and demographic and psychosocial measures. CONCLUSION: Even with modifications to the Coping Checklist, it is recommended that researchers investigate alternative methods of assessing coping responses in health psychology settings.