Research Surrounding the Concept of Resilience

by Queenfaerie in Psychology, December 3, 2008

Resilience is a complex mosaic that contains positive values, outlooks, and social support networks which piece together for the creation of an individually specific barrier against negative outcomes for those at risk. Once thought to be a rare adaptive phenomenon, resiliency is starting to be understood as a more common form of protection from the negativity brought on by traumatic experiences.

In summary, resilience is a developmental disposition that is growing in popularity among researchers. Unfortunately the concept of resilience remains somewhat vague and inconsistent in its usage and meaning. The subtle changes in its definition and application for research make resilience an ambiguous characteristic of human development. For each researcher who tweaks the theoretical construct of resilience to meet their research purposes the confusion about the nature of resilience increases exponentially. Fortunately, the term “resilience” has desirable traits of its own. Its holistic nature and broad applicability protect the concept of resilience from becoming completely muddled. It a society that tends to recognize the more negative nature of things, resilience and other desirable traits that promote positive outcomes may one day restore the lacking body of research that values the benefits of viewing the positive side of psychology and development.