Introduction:
The specifi city of reaction to acquired disability is shaped by various variables: socio-demographic, personality- related, and social. The category of gender is also plays an important role. Diff erent planes of socialization fi nd their refl ection in varying reactions to diffi cult situations, including the sustaining of permanent limitations. The methods of coping with diffi culties resulting from disability, which are preferred by males and females, are subjected to the eff ect of many factors, including those related to personality. Among those factors is the sense of self- effi cacy approached as a personal resource, which is present at all stages of coping with problems.

Objective:
Analysis of the relationship between the generalized sense of self-efficacy and the styles and strategies of coping in diffi cult situations preferred by males and females with acquired motor disability.

Material and Methods:
The study covered 143 disabled with acquired, permanent impairments concerning the motor organ – 70 females and 73 males. The following research instruments were applied: Generalized Self-Effi cacy Scale (GSES) by R. Schwarzer and M. Jerusalem adapted by Z. Juczyńskiego, and the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE) by C. S. Carvera, M. F. Scheier and J. K. Weintraub, Polish adaptation by S. Piątek and K. Wrześniewski.

Results:
The variable of gender diversifi es the intensity of the variables examined. Males are characterized by a higher level of self-effi cacy, and to a considerably higher degree prefer the task-oriented style of coping, compared to females, who show a higher tendency towards seeking social support while struggling with problems. Among males and females examined there occurred signifi cant relationships between the adopted variables; a positive correlation was noted, among other things, with respect to the sense of self-effi cacy, as well as task-oriented styles and strategies of coping with diffi culties.

Conclusions:
The category of gender plays an important role in the adoption of specifi ed copping methods, frequency of their use and diversifi cation of the scope of the strategies preferred. The structure of relationships between the sense of self-efficacy, and the styles and strategies of coping, also becomes specifi c according to the gender of the disabled individual who undertakes eff orts to overcome diffi culties resulting from permanent limitations. Irrespective of gender, the variability in the sense of self-effi cacy may, to a larger extent, be explained by the adopted styles and strategies of coping, rather than vice versa.