Attachment theory and stress-coping theory provided a basis for exploring how social cognitive components of internal working models may influence choice of coping strategies in stressful interpersonal situations. A multi-ethnic, non-clinical sample of 185 young adolescents was surveyed about their attachment styles; rejection sensitivity, attributions of hostile intent, social self-efficacy, and coping strategies. Reliability of all measures was addressed, and revised adolescent four-category attachment measures were evaluated for validity. A hypothesized model was proposed and tested through structural modeling. Social self-efficacy was found to be a potent mediator delineating how more securely attached adolescents become prosocial copers. Anxiously expecting and depressively reacting to rejection partially explained why adolescents with more fearful and preoccupied attachment styles tend to cope asocially and completely mediated pathways to anti-social coping. Adolescents with a more dismissing attachment style tended to deny concern about rejection but react angrily, leading to antisocial coping. An extensive discussion of the findings and suggestions for further research exploring finer distinctions of rejection sensitivity subscales as mediating mechanisms are given. (Contains 143 references.) (Author/JDM)