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Experimental Instrument
Self & Coping // COPE Open Access

COPE Inventory

60-item multidimensional coping inventory assessing 15 conceptually distinct coping strategies (4 items each): Positive Reinterpretation & Growth, Mental Disengagement, Venting, Instrumental Social Support, Active Coping, Denial, Religious Coping, Humor, Behavioral Disengagement, Restraint, Emotional Social Support, Substance Use, Acceptance, Suppression of Competing Activities, and Planning. There is no single total score — each subscale is interpreted individually.

Estimated Time
~5 mins
Instrument Scale
Standardized Items
Administration
Self-Administered
Scoring Engine
Automated Real-Time

Scale Overview & Construct

60-item multidimensional coping inventory assessing 15 conceptually distinct coping strategies (4 items each): Positive Reinterpretation & Growth, Mental Disengagement, Venting, Instrumental Social Support, Active Coping, Denial, Religious Coping, Humor, Behavioral Disengagement, Restraint, Emotional Social Support, Substance Use, Acceptance, Suppression of Competing Activities, and Planning. There is no single total score — each subscale is interpreted individually.

Psychometric Instrument Likert Self-Report Dimensional Breakdown Server-Side Validated

Purpose & Measurement Objectives

60-item multidimensional coping inventory assessing 15 conceptually distinct coping strategies (4 items each): Positive Reinterpretation & Growth, Mental Disengagement, Venting, Instrumental Social Support, Active Coping, Denial, Religious Coping, Humor, Behavioral Disengagement, Restraint, Emotional Social Support, Substance Use, Acceptance, Suppression of Competing Activities, and Planning. Based on your answers, you'll get a separate score for each of its 15 coping strategies — there's no single overall score, since each one is meant to be read on its own. Taking it gives you a clearer picture of a coping pattern or tendency you may only have sensed vaguely before.

Instrument Specifications

Target Population
General population / adults
Administration Format
Self-Administered
Intended Domain / Purpose
Research & Empirical Study
Recommended Age Bracket
Adults (18+ yrs)
Duration & Pacing
5 Minutes (Self-Paced)
Access License
Open Creative Commons

Academic Citation & Instrument Provenance

When referencing this instrument in research, academic theses, or clinical institutional audits, please cite the original author publication:

License: free to use for research and adaptation, per the original author (Charles S. Carver: "You are welcome to use all scales of the COPE, or to choose selected scales for use. Feel free as well to adapt the language for whatever time scale you are interested in."). This OpenScales digital implementation is licensed CC BY 4.0. Citation: Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Weintraub, J. K. (1989). Assessing coping strategies: A theoretically based approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(2), 267-283. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267. This is not a diagnostic tool.

Governance, Boundaries & Ethical Use

Construct Boundaries & Interpretive Limitations

Imported from the OpenScales open item-bank project. This specific digital implementation has not been independently clinically validated by PsiQ — scores are for self-reflection, research, and educational purposes only, and are not a diagnosis. Unlike most instruments on this platform, the COPE has no single total score: each of the 15 four-item subscales is meant to be read on its own.

License: free to use for research and adaptation, per the original author (Charles S. Carver: "You are welcome to use all scales of the COPE, or to choose selected scales for use. Feel free as well to adapt the language for whatever time scale you are interested in."). This OpenScales digital implementation is licensed CC BY 4.0. Citation: Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Weintraub, J. K. (1989). Assessing coping strategies: A theoretically based approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(2), 267-283. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267. This is not a diagnostic tool.

Free
Open Psychometric Access
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  • Experimental Instrument psychometric calibration
Identifier COPE
Category Self & Coping
Scale Standard Standardized
License Status CC BY 4.0 Open Scale
PsiQ Psychometric ID #218
COPE Inventory
Free Open Access
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