Debra's manager publicly reprimanded her in the department meeting. During the manager's 10 minute rant, Debra sat quietly. After work, she went to her best friend's house and complained about her manager for two hours. At the end of the complaint session, Debra was laughing at her friend's impression of the manager's rant. Debra's response to her manager's hostility is BEST described as:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Debra's response of seeking social support from her friend and finding humor in the situation indicates a tend-and-befriend strategy, which involves seeking social connections and support to cope with stressors. This is different from escape-avoidance, which involves withdrawing from the situation, sarcastic coping, which involves using humor to mock and deride the stressor, and confrontive coping, which involves directly confronting and challenging the stressor.

Debra's Manager Publicly Reprimanded Her in the Department Meeting