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How do people cope with global environmental problems? This article reports on the development and initial validation of a set of scales that measure coping with global environmental problems (e.g., climate change). Lazarus' coping approach formed the theoretical basis for the development of the scales. Altogether, eight scales were developed: problem solving, expressive coping, denial of guilt, relativization, wishful thinking, self-protection, pleasure, and resignation. In three studies (N = 265; 275; 225) the scales and the scale structure were replicated (Cronbach's α: .63 to .90). A two-dimensional metastructure of the scales was supported by the data (problem-focused coping vs. deproblematization-focused coping). Furthermore, correlations (coping with stress and proenvironmental behavior) and hypothesized group differences in coping found empirical support. Thus, the scales can be used for research projects as well as for the preparation and evaluation of interventions to alleviate environmental stress and to foster proenvironmental behavior.

Zusammenfassung: Vorgestellt werden Entwicklung und Validierung der Skalen zur Erfassung von Bewältigungsversuchen im Zusammenhang mit dem Umweltstressor “Schadstoffbelastungen” (SEBU-S). Der Stressor “Schadstoffbelastungen” umfasst z.B. Phänomene wie Schadstoffe in Nahrung oder Baumaterialien. Theoretisch baut die Skalenentwicklung auf dem Bewältigungsansatz von Lazarus (1991) auf und folgt seinem relationalen Verständnis von Stress sowie insbesondere dem bereichs- rsp. situationsspezifischen Verständnis von Bewältigung. In Vorstudien werden acht Skalen entwickelt: Problemlösungssuche, expressive Bewältigungsversuche (Ausdruck von Emotionen), Schuldabwehr, Relativieren, Wunschdenken, Selbstschutz, Genuss und Rückzug. Die Hauptstudie (N = 278 Arbeitnehmer/innen) dient zur Replikation der Skalenanalyse. Diese fällt zufrieden stellend aus. Weitere Validitätsbereiche werden untersucht (diskriminante Validität, Gruppenunterschiede im Bewältigungsverhalten, Metastruktur der Skalen). Die Ergebnisse sprechen für eine befriedigende bis gute Qualität der SEBU-S (Cronbachs α: .67 bis .90). So liegt eine Verwendung im Rahmen von Forschungsprojekten bzw. zur Ermittlung von Gruppenunterschieden bei Interventionsvorbereitungen oder -evaluationen nahe.

Parents play a crucial role in the development of childhood overweight and also in controling overweight. This study investigated a broad set of parental factors, including general attitudes towards food (price, identity, cooking, ecology, mood, dieting, convenience, functionality), social cognitions concerning overweight (risk perception, self-efficacy for exercising and healthy eating, response efficacy for exercising and healthy eating) and characteristics of the home environment (restriction of snacks, regular family meals, parents involved in sports) and their association with their children's zBMI, i.e. adolescents between 12-19 years old. In a non-clinical sample of 842 parent-adolescent dyads we found that the zBMI is most strongly and positively associated with parental dieting attitudes and negatively with parents' self-efficacy to motivate their children to exercise. The zBMI is negatively and weakly associated with dislike of cooking, identification with the way of eating and the perceived benefit of healthy eating (response efficacy). Half of the parents assessed their children's overweight and obesity correctly, while the other half underestimated it. No difference was found with respect to all investigated variables (general attitudes, social cognitions concerning overweight and home environment) between parents who correctly perceive and those who misperceive their children's weight status.

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