1. TOPIC 6 Development of Resiliency across Lifespan and Challenges KEL 2300 - Development of A Resilient Individual DPM –PJJ, F2F 2 17/10/2015 INSTRUCTOR: SITI NOR BINTI YAACOB, PhD. sitinor@upm.edu.my/012-2841844

2. Resiliency across Lifespan A handful of pioneering psychologists primarily interested in child development who bridged the study of risk and resilience and brought this dual focus into the science of human development. Risk factors are causes of undesirable, non-normative developmental outcomes. Risk factors generate negative change in or persistent (i.e. chronic) poor behavior or functioning. Risk factors are measurable characteristics of individuals, interpersonal relationships, contexts, and institutions.

3. Resiliency across Lifespan Resilience is a risk factor that has been averted or unrealized. The years of research that preceded the study of resilience led to a growing consensus on risk factors for specific psychopathologies (see, e.g., Mrazek & Haggerty, 1994) that include attributes such as poor social skills, exposure to violence or war, low education, and persistent poverty. Individuals who possess, are exposed to, or reside in known risk factors for a sufficient period of time are said to be “at risk” for the undesirable developmental outcome.

4. Resiliency across Lifespan Not all individuals at risk developed psychopathologies or problems. Some individuals exposed to adversities sometimes developed normatively. Resilience, is a pattern of behavior and functioning indicative of positive adaptation in the context of significant risk or adversity (Masten and Coatsworth, 1998).

5. Resiliency across Lifespan What makes some resilient and others vulnerable to adversity? Developmental scientists have conceptualized the causes of resilience as “protective factors” Whether it resides at the individual, familial, or community level of analysis, a protective factor moderates the usual statistical relation between a risk factor and an undesirable outcome. Over the past 30 years of investigation, research has identified several key protective factors.

6. Resiliency across Lifespan At the individual level, resilience has been attributed to high IQ, problem-solving competence, high self-efficacy, and personalities that are autonomous, active, outgoing, and warm. At the familial level, researchers have identified high family cohesion, social support, high-quality parenting, stable family units, and higher socioeconomic standing (e.g., higher household income) as enablers of resilience. Finally, at the level of the community, resilience has been attributed to counseling and support programs and good schools (see Masten & Powell, 2003, for a more complete review of protective factors).

8. Resiliency across Lifespan Children Learn by watching/observation. Adolescents Main focus – identity development Adult Employment, marriage Unemployed, unplanned or early childbirth, divorced or unmarried, decrease subjective well- being 8

9. Resiliency across Lifespan Aged When aging adults struggle with isolation, financial instability, or the difficult work of caring for a spouse with a chronic illness, their levels of stress can be enormous. enhanced resilience-which involves positively adapting to adversity in a way that maintains a person’s biological and psychological equilibrium-can counter vulnerability.