The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of children's coping behavior and factors that influence its development. The research focused on a group of 12 middle schoolers who had volunteered to take part in a year-long remotivation program for infirm elders. The specific research objectives were to investigate (a) the problems children experienced in the situation; (b) how they coped with their problems; (c) how they perceived their coping experiences; and (d) contextual factors that appeared most closely related to children's coping.

The study was conducted using an ethnographic research design. Data collection techniques included audiovisual documentation, field work, interviewing, and videotape reviews with children. Observations focused on children's behaviors and were conducted throughout the school year for a total of 56 hours of program activity. Interviews occurred with the children, their parents, the program supervisors, and two middle school teachers. Data analysis as ongoing, proceeding through several phases.

The analysis revealed that children entered the program believing they were doing good for elders. They used their beliefs about friendship to define their role and employed a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies to manage the difficulties posed to them by elders who could not participate in friendship in a reciprocal fashion. Cognitive strategies centered around making attributions of responsibility that allowed children to assuage their self-doubts. Behavioral efforts were directed toward engendering liking in the elders and keeping themselves going under difficult circumstances. These behaviors included groping for ways to please, fun-making, pooling resources, hiding, and minding the routine. Children turned to one another for moral encouragement and companionship, to adults for executive and material assistance. Factors influencing children's coping included their feelings about the quality of their work, their problem-solving abilities, peer relations, supervisory practices, and parental attitudes.

The study illuminates the complexity of childhood coping, in particular, the impact of personal and social expectations on behavior. The results suggest that children strive to maintain responsibility in a challenging situation but may need assistance to clarify problems and identify circumstances affecting their work.