The Yin-Yang of stress: The link between dialectical thinking and coping processes

Abstract

Dialectical thinking refers to the (primarily East Asian) tendency to tolerate contradiction, expect change, and perceive interconnections. Drawing upon a process-oriented approach to coping, in this chapter, two pathways through which dialectical thinking may influence East Asians’ ways of coping are proposed. First, dialectical (and holistic) thinking may enable East Asians to attribute events to both situational and dispositional factors. This breadth in attribution may lead to the perception of less personal control, as well as a weaker association between perceived personal control and coping outcomes among East Asians than among Westerners. In addition, dialectical thinking may facilitate complex cognitive processes such as differentiation and integration, and a reduced need for closure. In turn, this facilitates flexibility in appraising the controllability of stressful events and deployment of situation-appropriate coping responses (i.e., coping flexibility). Areas for future research are also discussed in the chapter.