A developmental model of traits associated with resilience

It is well established that some individuals prove resilient when faced with adverse experiences. Research on resilience, encompassing process, outcome, and trait perspectives, has aimed to identify key factors associated with resilience within dynamic, multi-level systems ranging from the individual to wider communities. Common individual factors, described here as resilience-associated traits, include problem-solving skills, meaning, optimism, and empathy, among others. According to theory and empirical research, adaptive processes during childhood are foundational for the development of these traits. In the current article, we propose a comprehensive model for the development of resilience-associated traits that elucidates this understanding. The model conceptualises this process as a multifaceted developmental outcome, reflecting traits, abilities, and behaviours across cognitive, social, emotional, behavioural, and physical domains. It considers the contribution of both genetic and environmental factors (from an ecological systems theory perspective), as well as their complex interplay, and emphasises individual differences in environmental sensitivity (i.e., differential susceptibility, vantage sensitivity), with some children being more affected by environmental influences across development than others. Finally, the model adopts a life course perspective by considering developmental origins of resilience-associated traits from the prenatal period to early adulthood, including the accumulation of supportive and challenging experiences over time and the notion of developmental cascades. Drawing on extant research, selected literature to support the model is reviewed, possible avenues for future research are highlighted, and implications for theory and practice are proposed.