Hope and Coping in Collectivist Societies: Contributions to Life Satisfaction in Chinese University Students

Cross-cultural psychology research suggests possible cultural differences in predictors of life satisfaction and well-being. Research has identified coping styles and positivity or hope cognitions as factors associated with differences in well-being across cultures. Some scholars proposed collectivist coping styles and relational-based hope cognitions that may be more important in Eastern societies and other collectivist cultures. This study explores the relationship between collectivist coping styles, locus-of -hope dimensions, and life satisfaction among Chinese university students in Hong Kong and Macau. We asked 520 ethnic Chinese university students to complete a questionnaire on collectivist coping styles, locus-of-hope, and life satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis indicated that both internal and external loci-ofhope strongly predict life satisfaction. The coping styles of acceptance/reframing/striving (ARS) and family support (FS) both positively predict life satisfaction, whereas avoidance/detachment (AD) negatively predict life satisfaction. Implications for the theoretical model linking coping and hope and limitations of these findings are discussed.