Question

Richard feels sure that he failed his calculus exam and that he will have to retake the course. He is very upset. When he gets home, he orders a jumbo-size pizza and drinks two six-packs of beer. Richard's behavior illustrates which of the following coping strategies?

A) Catastrophic thinking
B) Defensive coping
C) Self-indulgence
D) Positive reinterpretation

Answer 1

Richard's behavior of indulging in food and drink after a stressful exam is an example of the self-indulgence coping strategy, a form of emotion-focused coping. Correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Richard's behavior illustrates the coping strategy of self-indulgence. This strategy is a type of emotion-focused coping, where a person engages in behaviors that provide temporary relief from distress but do not address the underlying problem.

In Richard's case, eating a jumbo-size pizza and drinking two six-packs of beer are ways of indulging himself to distract from the distress of potentially failing his calculus exam.