In comparison with Whites, African Americans use more coping strategies for dealing with racial stress and engage in more planful problem solving, according to a study published in the Journal of Black Psychology. In an effort to evaluate patterns of coping in racially stressful situations, researchers at Cleveland State University studied the responses of Whites and African Americans.
Researchers note that the definition of racial stress is influenced by individual factors.
Being the only one in a classroom of another race, for example, could be racially stressful to some and not others. The African American subjects reported more incidents of racial stress than Whites due to more frequent experiences with discrimination. Further, when experiencing racial stress, both Blacks and Whites noted a reduction in the ability to solve problems and seek social support. This difficulty was found to be particularly pronounced for Whites, the authors state. This might be, they explain, because Whites have fewer problem-solving skills in this area.