Hubungan Character Strength dengan Coping Stres pada Siswa SMA yang Mempersiapkan Ujian Masuk Perguruan Tinggi

Abstract. College entrance exams are a significant source of academic stress for high school students due to competitive pressure, social demands, and uncertainty about the future. In dealing with this stress, individual character plays a role, suggesting a relationship between character strengths and coping strategies. This study aims to examine the relationship between character strengths and stress coping in 12th-grade high school students preparing for college entrance exams. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was used, and sample selection was carried out using Cluster Random Sampling. The participants consisted of 122 high school students in Bandung, selected randomly in groups. The instruments employed were the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) to measure character strengths and a stress coping scale based on Lazarus and Folkman’s theory. The analysis results showed that character strengths such as Judgment (.486), Hope (.398), Perspective (.396), Bravery (.385), and Perseverance (.379) were positively correlated with adaptive coping strategies. Meanwhile, Social Intelligence (.125), Forgiveness (.104), and Love of Learning (-.115) demonstrated low correlations with maladaptive coping. Other character strengths showed very weak or negligible correlations. These findings suggest that character strengths are positive psychological resources that assist individuals in coping with stress and are generally negatively associated with maladaptive coping. Abstrak. Ujian masuk perguruan tinggi merupakan sumber stres akademik yang signifikan bagi siswa SMA karena tekanan kompetitif, tuntutan sosial, dan ketidakpastian masa depan. Dalam menghadapi stres tersebut, karakter individu turut berperan, menunjukkan adanya hubungan antara character strength dan strategi coping. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara character strength dengan coping stres pada siswa kelas 12 SMA yang sedang mempersiapkan ujian masuk perguruan tinggi. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain korelasional, serta teknik Cluster Random Sampling dalam pengambilan sampel. Subjek terdiri dari 122 siswa SMA di Kota Bandung yang dipilih secara acak berkelompok. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) untuk mengukur character strength, dan skala coping stres berdasarkan teori Lazarus dan Folkman. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa karakter seperti Judgment (.486), Hope (.398), Perspective (.396), Bravery (.385), dan Perseverance (.379) memiliki korelasi positif dengan coping adaptif. Selain itu, karakter seperti Social Intelligence (.125), Forgiveness (.104), dan Love of Learning (-.115) memiliki korelasi rendah terhadap coping maladaptif. Karakter lain menunjukkan korelasi sangat kecil. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa character strength merupakan sifat positif yang mendukung individu menghadapi stres dan cenderung berkorelasi negatif dengan coping maladaptif.