Resilience Theory in Psychology (Definition & Characteristics)

Resilience theory is the conceptual framework for understanding how some individuals can bounce back after experiencing an adverse situation in a strength-focused approach^​1​.

What Is Resilience

Natural disasters, crime, war, accidents, and abuse are unfortunate but sometimes unavoidable parts of life. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and pediatricians have long been fascinated by the striking fact that some children come out relatively unscathed in the face of adversity while others crumble.

Contrary to popular belief, resilience is not a personality trait but a dynamic process or system to adapt successfully to threats and adversities in life^​2​.

Who Developed Resilience Theory

Resilience Theory is a collective resilience model contributed by many researchers. Notable contributors are Norman Garmezy, who initiated the Project Competence Longitudinal Study (PCLS)^​3​, and Masten, Tellegen from the University of Minnesota.

The roots of resilience studies can be traced back to half a century ago when psychologists studied the outcomes of children at high risk for psychopathology.

Among these children, a subgroup did not develop any psychopathological disorder and grew up with surprisingly healthy patterns.

In the past, psychology researchers often focused on identifying risk factors and vulnerabilities that could contribute to poor outcomes in children^​4​.

This deficit-focused approach in developmental research was replaced by a strength-focused approach when resilience researchers started looking into the positive variables that contributed to good outcomes in at-risk children.

The Resilience Theory was a paradigm shift that explains what and how these promotive factors work to help children overcome the negative impacts of risk exposure^​5,6​.

Resilience Theory Characteristics

Unlike most other theories, resilience theories are not a set of determined hypotheses or principles.

Rather, it is a framework that keeps evolving as researchers learn more through studies and analyses.

There have been four waves of resilience research that have continuously refined and redefined resilience theory^​7​.

Among the many different models of resilience theory, several common characteristics have emerged and are agreed upon by most resilience theorists.

1. Static Traits vs. Dynamic Process

In the early days of resilience research, psychologists focused on identifying the personality traits responsible for the positive outcomes in that subset of children.

The assumption was that resilience was created by some static internal quality of an individual.

Over time, researchers realized that resilience is more than just personality traits. Instead, resilience is the capacity of a dynamic process to adapt successfully to disturbances that threaten a child’s function and development^​8​.

2. Extraordinary Assets vs Ordinary Resources

Early resilience researchers often described children who showed resilient adaptation as invulnerable or invincible, as if only certain extraordinary people could overcome extremely harsh conditions.

Researchers later found that resilience was quite common^​9​ in human development when the operation of basic adaptation systems was protected and in good working order. If those systems were impaired during child development, then the risk for developmental problems became much higher.

Resilience expert, Ann S. Masten, called this the Ordinary Magic^​10​ because it’s the ordinary resource, not extraordinary quality, that protects us.

Three protective factors protect the adaptation systems: individual, family, and community.

Although individual assets such as temperament, intelligence, and gender contribute to resilience, factors outside of us often play a significant role in determining whether a person can adapt positively.

One can draw these ordinary resources from family and community, such as parental support, adult mentors, a close community, and a safe neighborhood.

3. Fixed vs. Variable

Another new concept about resilience is that it can potentially fluctuate over time and across different domains.

Adaptation is not a fixed system; rather, it is a developmental progression with new strengths and vulnerabilities coming from different life events over time.

Resilience is also not an across-the-board phenomenon.

A child can adapt well in one domain but struggle in another.

4. Resilience Theory vs Resiliency Theory

Because resilience is a dynamic process and most protective factors come from outside of an individual, many researchers now refer to it as resilience or resilient adaptation rather than resiliency or resilient child because the latter implies it is only a quality of the individual.

Also See: A child whose parents are dead

Final Thoughts On Resilience Theory

Resilience is a simple concept — bouncing back after adversity. But defining resilience, as well as analyzing and understanding it, is a complex subject in psychology. Many resilience models have been developed, and ongoing neuroscience studies have contributed to the understanding.

Despite the research complexity, one thing is obvious and simple for parents: to build resilience, we have to do our part to connect with our children and provide good parenting.

References