The Chinese Coping Strategies Scale : relationships with aggression, anger, and rumination in a diverse sample of Hong Kong Chinese adults

The intensity of angry emotions, frequency of vengeful cognitions, and propensity for aggressive behaviours are likely influenced by the types of coping strategies adopted by the individual. There is a paucity of research in Chinese populations examining the strength of the relationships amongst these variables. Therefore, a cross-sectional survey of Chinese adults was conducted. Participants ( N = 630) completed several questionnaires related to anger, aggression, rumination, and coping strategies. Results suggest that an active coping strategy is moderately effective for the control of anger ( r = −.20), aggression ( r = −.13 to −.23), and vengeful thinking ( r = −.22). In addition, males scored lower than females for measures of active coping (Cohen’s d = −.30) and social support ( d = −.43), but higher for measures of physical aggression ( d = .40), and anger rumination ( d = .31–.57). Active coping appears to be the best strategy to adopt for the control of anger and aggression, but is contrary to some common philosophical traditions used in Chinese populations.