Very little research has been undertaken to assess what factors are related to the utilization of coping strategies to deal with the losses associated with aging. Volunteers (N=40) 65 years of age or older were interviewed to determine if people at different levels of ego development differ in the number and type of coping strategies employed in response to the occurrence of life events, and whether there were differences in the helpfulness levels of these strategies. The results indicated that: (1) post-conformists reported a significantly greater number of helpful coping strategies for dealing with the stresses of later life; (2) although a number of the coping strategies were employed by a majority of the respondents in both groups, the coping strategies that were employed predominantly by the conformist group involved denying the severity of the event or trying to repress or avoid dealing with the situation; and (3) post-conformists utilized more cognitive strategies that served to enhance their understanding of the situation, formulated alternative courses of action, and anticipated the consequences of their behavior. The findings suggest that the primary factor in effective coping is how the person views the situation and that identification of levels of ego development could aid in interventions with older adults. (JAC)