Hardiness (psychology)

Hardiness (psychological) (in the literature alternatively referred to as psychological hardiness, personality hardiness, or cognitive hardiness) is a personality style first introduced by Suzanne C. Kobasa in 1979 . Kobasa described a pattern of personality characteristics that distinguished managers and executives who remained healthy under extreme life stress, as compared to those who developed health problems. The hardiness concept was further elaborated in a book and a series of research reports by Salvatore Maddi, Kobasa and their graduate students at the University of Chicago .

Defenitions of hardiness

In the early days of hardiness research, it was usually defined as a personality structure comprising the three related general dispositions of commitment, control, and challenge that functions as a resistance resource in the encounter with stressful conditions . The commitment disposition was defined as a tendency to involve oneself in the activities in life and having a genuine interest in and curiosity about the surrounding world (activities, things, other people). The control disposition was defined as a tendency to believe and act as if one can influence the events taking place around oneself through one’s own effort. Finally, the challenge disposition was defined as the belief that change, rather than stability, is the normal mode of life and constitutes motivating opportunities for personal growth rather than threats to security.

Lately, Maddi has characterized hardiness as a combination of three attitudes (commitment, control, and challenge) that together provide the courage and motivation needed to turn stressful circumstances from potential calamities into opportunities for personal growth instead. While acknowledging the importance of the three core dimensions of commitment, control, and challenge, Bartone considers hardiness as something more global than mere attitudes. He conceives of hardiness as a broad personality style or generalized mode of functioning that includes cognitive, emotional, and behavioural qualities. This generalized style of functioning, which incorporates commitment, control, and challenge, is believed to affect how one views and interacts with self and the world around.

Origins from existential philosophy and psychology

Early conceptualizations of hardiness are evident in Maddi's work, most notably in his descriptions of the ideal identity and premorbid personality . In this 1967 article, Maddi argues that chronic states of meaninglessness and alienation from existence are becoming more and more typical features of modern life. Like other existential psychologists before him, Maddi believes that the feelings of apathy and boredom and inability to believe in the interest value of the things one is engaged in that characterises modern living are caused by upheavals in culture and society, increased industrialization and technological power, and to more rigidly differentiated social structures in which people have their identities defined in terms of their social roles.

Maddi goes on to outline two distinct personality types, based on how people identify or see themselves. The premorbid personality sees him- or herself in fairly simple terms, as nothing more than “a player of social roles and an embodiment of biological needs.” . This type of identity thus stresses qualities that are the least unique for him or her as opposed to other species (biological needs) and to other people (social roles). According to Maddi, people with a premorbid identity can go on with their life for a long time and, on the surface of it, feel adequate and reasonably successful in objective terms. However, this personality type is also prone to be precipitated into a chronic existential neurosis under conditions of stress. This existential neurosis is characterized by the belief that one’s life is meaningless, by feelings of apathy and boredom, and by a lack of selectivity in actions – a sense that one’s activities are not chosen. The conditions of stress that are most likely to lead into this kind of neurosis are ones that expose the premorbid personality for what it is – nothing more than a player of social roles and an embodiment of biological needs – and forces recognition of its superficial and nonhumanistic nature.

In stark contrast to the premorbid personality one finds the ideal identity. Though still a player of social roles and an expression of the biological sides of man, this personality type also has a deeper and richer understanding of his or her unique psychological side – mental processes like symbolization, imagination, and judgement. Whereas the premorbid personality accepts social roles as given, feels powerless to influence actions and merely tries to play the roles as well as possible, the ideal identity, through expression of his or her psychological side, does not feel powerless in the face of social pressure. This person is able to perceive alternatives to mere role playing, is able to switch roles more easily, and even redefine existing roles. As a consequence of this deeper psychological understanding of self, the ideal identity is actively engaged in and interested in life, is willing to act to influence events, and is interested in new experiences and in learning new things.

Pathways to resilience

Hardiness is often considered as a pathway or indiviudal factor leading to resilience and resilient outcomes (Bartone & Hystad, 2010, Bonanno, xxxx). The manner in which hardiness confers resiliency is most likely a combination of cognitive and behavioural mechanisms, as well as underlying biophysical processes.

External links

http://www.hardiness-resilience.com/

http://www.hardinessinstitute.com/