This dissertation utilizes stress and coping theory from the psychology discipline as a framework from which to examine host community resident responses to tourism development. Stress is one element of individuals' overall quality of life that may be impacted by the development and operation of tourism in host communities. The stress and coping framework allows examination of emotional and behavioral responses that represent an important step forward from using attitudes toward or support for tourism development as measures of resident responses to tourism development. Stress is experienced through daily hassles, which, with long term exposure, can result in negative outcomes like high-blood pressure, decrease in cognitive function, accelerated aging, and loss of sleep. Factors such as personality, social support, stress appraisal, and coping play a role in how stress affects individuals. A paper survey instrument composed of short answer and scale-based questions about the stress and coping process was administered face to face to 363 residents of Falmouth, Jamaica in February and March, 2013. A new cruise port was recently developed in Falmouth that serves some of the largest cruise ships in the world several days per week. Thematic analysis of stressors experienced by survey participants; confirmatory factor analysis of latent constructs of personality, social support, stress appraisal, and coping within the stress and coping process; and structural equation models examining relationships within the stress and coping process were conducted.Seventy-eight percent (78%) of surveyed Falmouth residents experienced stress from the development and operation of the new cruise port. Residents indicated unmet expectations, overtaxed infrastructure/crowding, increased cost of living, pollution, and police harassment were major causes of stress. Stressors were inter-related with each other and exacerbated daily hassles already faced by Falmouth residents. Confirmatory factor analysis supported construct validity for measurements of social support, secondary stress appraisal, and coping with some modification. Construct validity of measurements of personality and primary stress appraisal were not supported. Two structural equation models revealed social support and the appraisal of stress controllability each predicted coping responses. Individuals who perceived they had social support available to discuss important personal issues were likely to utilize seek social support as a coping response. Individuals who appraised stress as controllable by oneself were likely to utilize problem-focused coping, keep a positive focus, and were less likely to employ wishful thinking (emotion-focused coping). Individuals who appraised stress as being controlled by others were likely to seek out social support. Research findings indicate stress and coping is a suitable framework from which to examine how individuals respond to tourism development. Researchers and practitioners can utilize research findings to promote organization of pre and post-development activities to help foster resident perceptions of social support and stress controllability, which predict coping responses have been found to be more effective at mitigating stress and negative physical and mental health outcomes. Future research should utilize a variety of frameworks from diverse disciplines to further understand possible impacts of and responses to tourism development. Further testing of the stress and coping framework is necessary to continue its use in the tourism development context and eventually, tourism specific measurements of stress and coping should be developed.
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