"Relations between stress, coping strategies, and prosocial behavior in U.S. Mexican college students"

Professor Gustavo Carlo published an article with colleagues in the Journal of American College Health on U.S. Mexicans coping with stress by engaging in emotional prosocial behavior.
 
The title of the article is “Relations between stress, coping strategies, and prosocial behavior in U.S. Mexican college students.”
 
Co-authors are doctoral candidate Madison Memmott (first author), associate professor Mansoo Yu, instructor Sahitya Maiya, and research assistant J. Logan Dicus - all from the University of Missouri.
 
Carlo’s primary research interest focuses on understanding positive social development and health in culturally diverse children and adolescents. Many of his projects focus on U.S. ethnic/racial groups, including Latino/a youth and families. He has published more than 200 books, chapters, and research papers. He currently serves as a member of the Society for Research in Child Development Governing Council, as associate editor of the International Journal of Behavioral Development, and as co-editor of the upcoming APA Handbook of Adolescent Development. ​Carlo is director of UCI’s Cultural Resilience and Learning Center.

Abstract
 
This research explored the explanatory roles of active and avoidant coping in the link between stress and emotional prosocial behavior in U.S. Mexican college students. Participants included 148 college students (Mage = 23 years, 67% female, 84% born in the U.S.) who self-identified as Mexican or U.S. Mexican or noted that their parents or grandparents were of Mexican or U.S. Mexican origin. Introduction to Psychology students at state universities in California and Texas completed a self-report survey packet and received class credit for their participation. Data were analyzed via path analysis using Mplus 8.1 software. Findings revealed that U.S. Mexican college students' stress was indirectly associated with their emotional prosocial behavior through both active and avoidant coping strategies. Relations between stress and adjustment (i.e., emotional prosocial behavior) were dependent upon individuals' coping tendencies. U.S. Mexicans may cope with their stress by engaging in emotional prosocial behavior.