本研究為臺北市部份成功職業婦女之壓力問題之初探，係美國威斯康辛州立大學心理學系柯爾森博士於一九八五年所發起之跨國家跨文化持續性研究。日本、意大利、以色列等國亦同時進行。受試包括一九八五年之中美取樣及一九八六年之臺北取樣八十人。行業涵蓋大學敎育、司法、工商及大眾傳播界研究工具有柯氏所編之「壓力來源、徵候及因應型態」問卷，荷爾姆斯「社會調適量表」，及曾氏心理焦慮與抑鬱自陳量表。統計結果顯示一九八五、一九八六年取樣在最高最低之壓力問題極接近；行業之間雖有差異現象，但一般而言，受試均處於常態適應情境，僅少數人呈現中度生活危機與心理焦慮。由於取樣含美國受試，比較結果發現泛文化間之異同處，過去有關「女強人」「高層次因應壓力型態之正功能」及「人生周期常態適應」等之研究發現，本研究結果可推論已予以相當之支持，在變遷中之多元化社會，今後持續此項研究，擴大取樣，及加強設計實具迫切之需。

This study is intended to investigate the stresses. strains and coping styles of a small group of successful professional women in Taipei. Taiwan, ROC. It is an exploratory and continuing cross-cultural research initiated by Dr. F. Culbertson of Wisconsin University at White Water. USA in 1985. Currently, data from Japan, Italy and Israel are being collected. The small sample not only consists of 41 subjects from the field of higher education, judiciary, business and mass media the data of which was collected in 1986, but also 50 psychologists from Taipei and the USA in 1985. Research instruments for all subjects were designed by Culbertson including a 39 item questionnaire on "Stresses, Strains and Coping Styles", and the Holmes and Rahe's Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS, 1967). In addition, William Zung's cross-cultural Self-Administered Anxiety and Depression Scales (1972, 1974) were used to further evaluate the mental health status of the two Taipei samples. To ascertain accurate interpretation of the research instruments, they were translated into Chinese for the 1986 sample. Furthermore, the set of Life Change Units (LCU) in the Chinese Form of SRRS developed by Dr. Su Tung-Ping (1982) was adopted to compare the result of the 1986 sample based on Holmes and Rahe's criteria. Results revealed high similarities among the subjects in areas of dominant and least considered stresses, strains and coping styles. While there exists some inter-professional and cross-cultural differences, the mental health status of the subjects as a whole were found within normal adaptation. Only very few had moderate life crisis or anxiety problems. The study may be considered to lend support to past researches on "Super Women", "Positive Effects of High Level Coping Styles" and "Normal Adaptation Through the Life Cycle", The imperative need to continue, extend, and refine the study is implicit.