Resilience

Spring 2024

Noa Hassidi

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

08-A: What is Resilience?

08-B: How was Resilience Measured?

08-C: Why is Resilience Important?

08-D: Student Research on Resilience

Authenticity and Resilience: A Study of Video Game Live Streamers

Humor and Resilience: An Observational Study

Observing the Importance of Sleep in Fostering Resilience

References

08-A: What is Resilience?

Resilience can be defined as the ability to successfully cope with challenges and adapt to adverse situations (Kwak et al., 2019). Stressful experiences, such as trauma, significant life changes, wars, illness, or pandemics have been considered risk factors for mental health (Nieto et al., 2022). However, many people exposed to stressful situations recover quickly or suffer no significant psychological damage (Bonanno et al., 2011). Resilience has been highlighted as a key trait in achieving positive outcomes despite the stressful experiences (Färber & Rosendahl, 2020). The Figure on the left illustrates the risk and protective factors of resilience (Herrman et al., 2011).

08-B: How was Resilience Measured?

The 45-item Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA) is a self-report measure that is used to examine intrapersonal and interpersonal protective factors presumed to promote adult resiliency across five dimensions: personal competence, social competence, family coherence, social support, and personal structure (Hjemdal et al., 2001). The RSA was modified for the purposes of this class by focusing only on the 'personal competence' dimension (i.e., measured levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-liking, hope, determination, and a realistic orientation to life (Friborg et al., 2003)) and converting the Likert scale into a continuous scale ranging from 0-100. This resulted in five questions with higher scores indicated higher levels of psychological well-being.

Sample Questions:

I believe in my own abilities
No matter what happens I always find a solution

The RSA is a psychometrically sound measure of resilience with high reliability based on the Cronbach's alpha from .67 to .81 and total score .88 and established construct, predictive, criterion-related, and convergent validity (Friborg et al., 2003).

08-C: Why is Resilience Important?

Resilience is essential as it enables individuals to cope with and overcome adversity, thereby maintaining their psychological well-being (Luthar et al., 2000). Research indicates that resilience helps individuals manage stress more effectively, reducing the risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (Southwick et al., 2014). For instance, a study by Feder et al. (2019) found that resilient individuals exhibit better emotional regulation and lower levels of distress during and after stressful events.

Individuals who are resilient are also able to learn from their experiences and improve their coping strategies over time (Tugade & Fredrickon, 2004). They are considered to have greater psychological flexibility and improved problem-solving skills (Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004). This growth-oriented perspective is critical in a rapidly changing world, where the ability to adapt to new challenges can impact one’s well-being.

08-D: Student Research on Resilience

Check out the research below that the students of the Spring 2024 PSYC 300 class have conducted on this topic!

Authenticity and Resilience: A Study of Video Game Live Streamers

Elli Papasava

Humor and Resilience: An Observational Study

Anna Tovchigrechko

Observing the Importance of Sleep in Fostering Resilience

Alanna Hennessey-Loyo

References

Bonanno, G. A., Westphal, M., & Mancini, A. D. (2011). Resilience to loss and potential trauma. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 7, 511-535.

Färber, F., & Rosendahl, J. (2020). Trait resilience and mental health in older adults: A meta‐analytic review. Personality and Mental Health, 14(4), 361-375.

Feder, A., Fred-Torres, S., Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2019). The biology of human resilience: Opportunities for enhancing resilience across the life span. Biological Psychiatry, 86(6), 443-453.

Friborg, O., Hjemdal, O., Rosenvinge, J. H., & Martinussen, M. (2003). A new rating scale for adult resilience: What are the central protective resources behind healthy adjustment?. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 12(2), 65-76.

Herrman, H., Stewart, D. E., Diaz-Granados, N., Berger, E. L., Jackson, B., & Yuen, T. (2011). What is resilience?. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(5), 258-265.

Hjemdal, O., Friborg, O., Martinussen, M., & Rosenvinge, J. H. (2001). Preliminary results from the development and validation of a Norwegian scale for measuring adult resilience. Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association, 38(4), 310-317.

Kwak, S., Lee, T. Y., Jung, W. H., Hur, J. W., Bae, D., Hwang, W. J., ... & Kwon, J. S. (2019). The immediate and sustained positive effects of meditation on resilience are mediated by changes in the resting brain. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13.

Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development,

71(3), 543-562.

Nieto, M., Visier, M. E., Silvestre, I. N., Navarro, B., Serrano, J. P., & Martínez‐Vizcaíno, V. (2023). Relation between resilience and personality traits: The role of hopelessness and age. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(1), 53-59.

Southwick, S. M., Bonanno, G. A., Masten, A. S., Panter-Brick, C., & Yehuda, R. (2014). Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5(1).

Tugade, M. M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). Resilient individuals use positive emotions to bounce back from negative emotional experiences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(2), 320.

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