When we experience stress we are being forced to do something, perhaps make a decision, take a specific action, display a certain behaviour etc.  How we cope with the stress is dependant upon a number of issues but primarily that coping mechanism will depend upon the current circumstances and the individual's frame of mind at the time as well as their past experiences.

An example of this could be the act of walking across a field of grazing cows.  If you have worked on a farm or have lived in the country then this will be a simple task with zero stress involved.  If however you have always lived in the city and many years ago on a visit to the countryside you were followed or chased by cows in a field then the stress of this task may well be quite high.

In coping with stress, a person is confronted with two challenges:

1. to meet the requirements of the stressor, and
2. to protect oneself from the psychological damage and disorganisation

Task-oriented Coping

When a person feels competent to handle a stressful situation they typically use a task-oriented response.  In other words they take action to meet the requirements of the stressor. This type of response may involve in making changes in one's self, one's surroundings, or both, depending on the situation and circumstances.  The action taken could be open (overt) as in showing more affection to a loved one, or it may be hidden (covert) as in lowering your level of expectation or aspiration.  The action may involve retreating from, attacking or compromising the problem or situation.  If the stressor is a house fire then an appropriate action may be to evacuate (retreat), extinguish the fire (attack), or use a fire extinguisher to clear a path out of the house (compromise).  Task-oriented responses tend to deliver positive actions or outcomes, they achieve a goal.

Defense-oriented Coping

When the stressor is threatening the individual's feelings of adequacy then defense-oriented coping tends to be used.  This behaviour is primarily aimed at preventing themself from hurt or disorganisation.  Within this coping strategy there are two types of responses.  The first response type includes behaviours such as crying, repetitive talking, and mourning, all of which seem to act as a repair mechanism for psychological damage.

The second type of response is the self-defence mechanism.  These responses include denial and repression, in order to relieve the tension and anxiety and prevent emotional hurt.  These ego-defence mechanisms often involve projection of blame onto another person, especially in relationships, work, and internal threats such as guilt.  It is common for these responses to be used with task-oriented responses but they tend to produce negative results, usually blame laid elsewhere.

When we consider coping systems we need to understand that there are also three levels of interaction (All of these are explained in sperate articles) - biological, psychological and sociocultural.