Final answer:
Sarah used a problem-focused coping strategy by proactively speaking to her boss to reduce her work hours, thereby directly addressing the cause of her stress. The correct option is a. Problem-focused coping
Step-by-step explanation:
When Sarah decided to speak to her boss about reducing her work hours to better manage her college homework, she employed a problem-focused coping strategy.
Problem-focused coping involves actively trying to modify the cause of stress rather than just mitigating the symptoms. In Sarah's case, the stress was caused by her struggle to balance schoolwork and her job, and by addressing the issue directly with her boss, she has taken a step to manage the stressor at its root.
This aligns with Lazarus and Folkman's characterization of problem-focused coping as the approach that includes identifying the issue and taking proactive steps to resolve it, which is precisely what Sarah has done by communicating with her employer to find a more manageable work schedule. The correct option is a. Problem-focused coping.