Psychology’s Resilience Theory (Definition & Characteristics)

From a strength-focused perspective, resilience theory is the conceptual foundation for explaining how certain people may bounce back in life after facing adversity.

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What Exactly Is Resilience?

Natural catastrophes, crime, conflict, accidents, and abuse are all sad but inescapable aspects of life. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and pediatricians have long been interested in the startling reality that, when faced with hardship, some children emerge relatively unharmed while others disintegrate.

Contrary to common assumption, resilience is not a personality characteristic, but rather a dynamic process or dynamic system for effectively adapting to life’s challenges and adversity.

See also: Characteristics of a Healthy Family

Who Created Resilience Theory?

Resilience Theory is a collective resilience concept developed by a number of scholars. Norman Garmezy, who established the Project Competence Longitudinal Study (PCLS) 3, and Masten, Tellegen from the University of Minnesota are notable contributions.

The origins of resilience research could be traced back to a half-century ago, when psychologists investigated the outcomes of children at high risk for psychopathology.

A subset of these children’s did not acquire any psychopathological disorders and grew up with unexpectedly healthy patterns.
Previously, psychology researchers were frequently focused on identifying risk factors and vulnerabilities that may contribute to good outcomes in at-risk children.

The Resilience Theory was a paradigm shift that explains what these protective elements are and how they function to help children’s overcome the negative consequences of risk exposure.

See also: Building Resilience in Children

Characteristics of Resilience Theory

Resilience theory, unlike most other theories, is not a collection of predetermined assumptions or principles.

It is, rather, a framework that evolves over time as scholars discover more via investigations and analysis.

In reality, four waves of resilience research have continually refined and expanded resilience theory.

Several common features have evolved across the many diverse models of resilience theory, and most resilience theorists agree on them.

See also: Psychology’s Resilience Theory (Definition & Characteristics)

Static Traits Vs. Dynamic Process

Initially, psychologists concentrated on finding the personality qualities responsible for the favourable results in that sample of children.

The notion was that resilience was a static inherent attribute of a person.

Researchers gradually discovered that resilience is more than just a set of psychological qualities. Resilience, on the other hand, is the ability of a dynamic process to successfully adjust to disruptions that jeopardise a children’s function and growth.

See also: Legit Classical Conditioning Examples In Real Life Parenting

Extraordinary Asset Vs. Ordinary Resources

Early resilience researchers sometimes referred to children who demonstrated resilient adaptation as invulnerable or invincible, as though only a few exceptional people were capable of overcoming extraordinarily severe situations.

Later, researchers discovered that resilience was really fairly frequent 9 in human development provided essential adaption mechanisms were safeguarded and in excellent functioning condition. If such systems were disrupted throughout a children’s growth, the likelihood of developmental disorders skyrocketed.

Ann S. Masten, a resilience specialist, dubbed this the Ordinary Magic because it is the ordinary resource, not the remarkable trait, that protects us.

Individual, family, and community protective factors have been discovered to safeguard adaption systems.

Although individual attributes such as temperament, IQ, and gender certainly contribute to resilience, external circumstances frequently play a substantial influence in deciding whether a person can adjust positively or negatively.

These are common resources available from family and community, such as parental support, adult mentors, a close community, and a safe area.

See also: Strategies Behind The 4 types of Parenting Styles

Variable Vs Fixed

Another novel idea regarding resilience is that it might possibly change over time and across domains.

Adaptation is not a permanent system; rather, it is a dynamic trend with new strengths and weaknesses emerging over time as a result of various life situations.

Resilience is also not a universal phenomenon.

A child may adapt successfully in one area while struggling in another.

See also: Crucial Principles of Authoritative Parenting?

Resillience Theory

Because resilience is a dynamic process and the majority of protective factors originate from outside of an individual, many researchers now refer to it as resilience or resilient adaptation rather than resiliency or resilient kid, because the latter suggests it is exclusively a personal trait.

Resilience is a simple concept: overcoming hardship. However, identifying resilience, as well as evaluating and comprehending it, is a difficult issue in psychology. Many resilience models have been created, and current brain research has added to our understanding.

Regardless of the complexities of the study, one thing is clear and easy for parents: in order to create resilience, we must do our share to connect with our children and offer excellent parenting.

See also: What is Extinction When It Comes To Raising Kids

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“GENTLE PARENTING IS A LIFESTYLE THAT EMBRACES BOTH YOUR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR, NOT ONLY TOWARDS YOUR CHILDREN, BUT TO YOURSELF TOO“

— SARA HOCKWELL-SMITH

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References

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