Hardiness in adolescence: An inquiry into stress resistance.
Item
-
Title
-
Hardiness in adolescence: An inquiry into stress resistance.
-
Identifier
-
AAI9207061
-
identifier
-
9207061
-
Creator
-
Collins, Carla Burd.
-
Contributor
-
Adviser: Suzanne Ouellette Kobasa
-
Date
-
1991
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Psychology, Personality | Psychology, Social | Psychology, Psychometrics
-
Abstract
-
Adolescence, typically, is the period of life in which an individual is expected to achieve a measure of independence and autonomy from primary caretakers and to establish an identity which harmoniously integrates aspects of the self with the environment. In the process of meeting these demands, the young individual is subjected to numerous experiences which may be construed either as opportunities for growth or as debilitating events. Investigations into the factors influencing successful adaptation from childhood into adulthood, particularly under adverse conditions, have pointed out the importance of personality.;One of the most important stress resistance resources emerging from research in adults has the hardy personality (Kobasa, 1979). Kobasa proposes that hardiness consists of three components, challenge, commitment and control, which interact to promote healthy coping skills. Identification of such a personality characteristic in young adults would provide some understanding of who emerges from a period of instability and change with skills that help them adapt in a variety of social situations. Thus, a study was designed to assess the effects of stress and hardiness in an adolescent population. The primary goals were to develop a scale measuring the hardy personality in adolescents and to determine whether hardiness acts as a stress resistance resource in a young population.;Following a factor analytic approach to scale construction, adolescent hardiness was found to be composed of three subscales, task engagement, goal directedness and positive self. Furthermore, empirical support for the conceptualization of hardiness as a stress resistance resource was found. Hardiness acted as a buffer, moderating the effects of stress for drug use and was directly influential in the prediction of aberrant behavior and affective reactions.;Nevertheless, it was determined that the role of social desirability and the sociodemographic factors of age and sex were important considerations when interpreting research findings for an adolescent population.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
