Locus of Control and Emotional Responses as Determinants of Young People’s Preferred Coping Strategies in Social Conflict Situations

The study aimed to determine what role locus of control and emotional responses play in generating destructive (aggressive, avoidance, submissive) and constructive (task-oriented) coping strategies among adolescents in a situation of social conflict. The study made use of the Locus of Control Questionnaire (KBPK) by Krasowicz and Kurzyp-Wojnarska, the Three-Factor Inventory of Personality States and Traits (TISCO) by Spielberger and Wrześniewski, and the Questionnaire for Examination of Coping Strategies in a Social Conflict Situation (KSMK) by Borecka-Biernat. Empirical research was conducted in junior high schools and included 893 adolescents (468 girls and 425 boys) aged 13–15. The study results demonstrate that stronger external locus of control over positive and negative consequences of events and anger or anxiety reaction to conflict situations co-occurs with a tendency for destructive (aggressive, evasive, submissive) coping with conflict, while adolescent’s stronger internal locus of control over positive and negative consequences of events and curiosity reaction create greater opportunities for constructive (task-oriented) coping with a social conflict situation.