Responses to highly stressful experiences range from maladjustment to thriving. Researchers have long been fascinated by the ability of some people to overcome adversity. Psychological resilience is currently considered a process, and not an end-state or binary outcome. It is also thought to be facilitated by social, affective, cognitive, and neural mechanisms. Understanding those mechanisms and their development helps identify the most effective ways to promote resilience both in the general population and in vulnerable people. However, the scientific knowledge on the mechanisms behind psychological resilience is still scarce and requires a greater integration effort.
Rather than considering the mechanisms that lead to returning to the previous levels of functioning, we are interested in unraveling what leads people to achieve real thriving after a traumatic experience. Does it depend on the implementation of different mechanisms or differences in environmental conditions? Active deliberate rumination, for instance, has been associated to post-traumatic growth (PTG). However, it also seems to be more likely in the face of highly stressful events that are appraised as central. Even diverse types of traumatic events seem to be associated with different patterns of PTG domains.
To what extent can individual characteristics predict true thriving? Trauma exposure seems to be associated with elevated PTSD symptoms in people with a reduced ability to update outcome expectations from negative to positive. However, narcissism has also been found to predict unreal thriving.
Previous research supports the existence of cognitive biases in positive and resilience-related information processing in people who thrive. Although attentional bias towards resilience words has been associated with affective personality traits, could these biases be enhanced by learning and culture?
To go further in this field of research requires integrating findings from different levels of analysis (social, cognitive, affective, behavioral, and neural substrates), as well as considering relevant outcomes and individual differences.
This Research Topic provides an interdisciplinary space for disseminating cutting-edge, scientific research on resilience and thriving.
. Submit investigations on cognitive and affective processes underlying resilience and thriving.
. Research on behavioral and cognitive strategies for coping with adversity and promoting resilience and thriving.
. Potential modulator role of personality in resilience and thriving.
. Social, educational, and cultural factors that facilitate resilience and thriving.
. A neural substrate of resilience and thriving by using different neuroscientific technics.
. Aspects linked to human development that can affect the resilience process.
. Interventions and potential applications of resilience and thriving research to promote mental health and well-being.
. A theoretical or empirical discussion would allow integrating different levels of analysis.
Responses to highly stressful experiences range from maladjustment to thriving. Researchers have long been fascinated by the ability of some people to overcome adversity. Psychological resilience is currently considered a process, and not an end-state or binary outcome. It is also thought to be facilitated by social, affective, cognitive, and neural mechanisms. Understanding those mechanisms and their development helps identify the most effective ways to promote resilience both in the general population and in vulnerable people. However, the scientific knowledge on the mechanisms behind psychological resilience is still scarce and requires a greater integration effort.
Rather than considering the mechanisms that lead to returning to the previous levels of functioning, we are interested in unraveling what leads people to achieve real thriving after a traumatic experience. Does it depend on the implementation of different mechanisms or differences in environmental conditions? Active deliberate rumination, for instance, has been associated to post-traumatic growth (PTG). However, it also seems to be more likely in the face of highly stressful events that are appraised as central. Even diverse types of traumatic events seem to be associated with different patterns of PTG domains.
To what extent can individual characteristics predict true thriving? Trauma exposure seems to be associated with elevated PTSD symptoms in people with a reduced ability to update outcome expectations from negative to positive. However, narcissism has also been found to predict unreal thriving.
Previous research supports the existence of cognitive biases in positive and resilience-related information processing in people who thrive. Although attentional bias towards resilience words has been associated with affective personality traits, could these biases be enhanced by learning and culture?
To go further in this field of research requires integrating findings from different levels of analysis (social, cognitive, affective, behavioral, and neural substrates), as well as considering relevant outcomes and individual differences.
This Research Topic provides an interdisciplinary space for disseminating cutting-edge, scientific research on resilience and thriving.
. Submit investigations on cognitive and affective processes underlying resilience and thriving.
. Research on behavioral and cognitive strategies for coping with adversity and promoting resilience and thriving.
. Potential modulator role of personality in resilience and thriving.
. Social, educational, and cultural factors that facilitate resilience and thriving.
. A neural substrate of resilience and thriving by using different neuroscientific technics.
. Aspects linked to human development that can affect the resilience process.
. Interventions and potential applications of resilience and thriving research to promote mental health and well-being.
. A theoretical or empirical discussion would allow integrating different levels of analysis.
