A Study of the Relationships among Optimistic Speciality, Social Support, Coping Strategies, and Life Adjustment for Junior High School Students

[[abstract]]The purposes of this research were to explore the relationships between junior high school students’ optimistic speciality, social support, coping strategies, and life adjustment; and the differences between junior high school students’ gender and grade differences in these four variables. The subjects of this research were 947 junior high school students in Taipei area. The instruments used in this research included: optimistic speciality scale, social support scale, coping strategies scale, and life adjustment scale. And, the statistical methods used in this research included: one-way MANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The findings were as follow: 1. Junior high school students’ optimistic speciality, social support, coping strategies, and life adjustment were significantly different depending on different genders and grades. 2. The junior high school students’ optimistic speciality was positively related to their social support. And, optimistic speciality can be used to predict social support. 3. The junior high school students’ optimistic speciality was related to their coping strategies. And, optimistic speciality can be used to predict coping strategies. 4. The junior high school students’ social support was related to their coping strategies. And, social support can be used to predict coping strategies. 5. The junior high school students’ optimistic speciality, social support, coping strategies were related to their life adjustment .And, optimistic speciality, social support, and coping strategies were significantly in predicting life adjustment. In addition, face-problem coping way was the most dominant factor in predicting life adjustment. Finally, based on the findings, suggestions for guidance, parenting education and future research were provided.