What the Lazarus test measures
The Lazarus coping test (Ways of Coping Questionnaire) identifies coping mechanisms — the ways people deal with difficulties in different areas of life. It was developed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman in 1988 and is considered the first standard instrument for measuring coping.
The test contains 50 statements about how you behave in a difficult situation. You rate each one: “never”, “rarely”, “sometimes” or “often”. Points are summed across eight scales, and for each one you see how strongly it is expressed, plus its strengths and risks.
Eight coping strategies
Confrontation
An active, sometimes aggressive fight with the problem.
Standing up to the situation or responding aggressively. The person sees the problem as hostile and immediately starts fighting it hard, defending their ideals and ignoring the practical side of life — and as a result often ends up in awkward or even comic situations.
+ StrengthsThe ability to actively confront difficulties and stress.
− RisksIf the threat is not serious, you can only complicate the situation or harm yourself. Aggression is hard to control, which makes it difficult to plan your actions.
Distancing
Lowering the significance of the problem and emotional involvement.
Distancing helps you cope with negative feelings by reducing how significant the problem is and how emotionally involved you are. Simply put, it is solving the problem “at a distance” — appropriate when your opponent or competitor is furious and it is better not to engage.
+ StrengthsLowers the weight of hard-to-solve situations and prevents intense emotional reactions and the urge to have everything “here and now”.
− RisksDevaluing your own feelings; underestimating the problem and your ability to overcome it.
Self-control
Holding back emotions, a rational approach.
The drive to suppress emotions: not showing them, holding back any negative feelings, not quarrelling with anyone and not setting yourself against others.
+ StrengthsHelps avoid impulsive emotional actions; a rational approach prevails in difficult situations.
− RisksWhen the situation calls for showing anger and emotion to deal with circumstances (or an opponent), this strategy does not deliver.
Seeking social support
Relying on others: advice, sympathy, help.
Solving problems through external (social) resources — informational, emotional and practical support. It is oriented towards other people and the expectation of attention, advice and sympathy. The main need is emotional support: to be heard, to get an emotional response, to share your feelings with someone.
+ StrengthsLets you draw on external resources to resolve a difficult situation.
− RisksRisk of a dependent position or excessive expectations of others. Using it too often may make others see you as a weak person.
Accepting responsibility
The superhero strategy.
The drive to accept and recognise your mistakes, correct them and learn a lesson for the future. Strong-willed people who usually find a way out of any situation tend to choose it.
+ StrengthsUnderstanding your own role in the difficulty.
− RisksUnjustified self-criticism; taking on too much responsibility.
Escape-avoidance
“I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
A clear example is people who put everything off until tomorrow. Typical traits: denying and completely ignoring the problem, avoiding responsibility, passivity, impatience, outbursts of irritation, excessive fantasising, overeating, alcohol and other substances.
+ StrengthsQuickly reduces emotional tension under stress.
− RisksThe problem stays unsolved, difficulties pile up, and the relief is short-lived.
Planful problem-solving
Step-by-step analysis and a plan of action.
When stress awakens the creative, intellectual side of you that starts to deal with any difficulty or danger on your way methodically.
+ StrengthsStrategic, step-by-step planning of a way out of the situation.
− RisksGetting stuck on one action or thought; endless planning that never reaches results — a road to burnout; a lack of spontaneity.
Positive reappraisal
The problem as a stimulus for growth.
Behaviour that helps overcome negative feelings by reframing the problem positively — as a stimulus for personal growth. A philosophical view of the situation and a wider context of working on yourself.
+ StrengthsA fresh, new look at the difficult situation.
− RisksSlowness where immediate action is needed.
How to read the result
There are no “good” or “bad” strategies: each one fits its own situation. What matters is which ones dominate for you and how flexibly you can switch between them. That is exactly what is worth exploring in a coaching session.
This test is for self-reflection and is not a psychological or medical diagnosis. If you find it hard to cope on your own, please reach out to a specialist for support.