Harnessing the positive and the negative : resilience and its relationship to self-esteem, optimism, empathy and defensive pessimism.

Abstract

The present study examined the influence of self-esteem, optimism, empathy and defensive pessimism on resilience. Data from sixty undergraduates from a college in an Asian school setting supported the hypothesis that self-esteem, optimism and empathy were associated with resilience. Contrary to expectations, both optimism and empathy were not able to predict resilience over and beyond the effects of self-esteem. The results also indicated that high defensive pessimism moderated the relationship between anxiety and resilience and acts as a protective factor against low resilience. Individuals with higher levels of defensive pessimism are protected against the debilitating effects of anxiety on resilience while individuals with lower levels of defensive pessimism suffered lower levels of resilience when anxiety levels are high. These findings contribute to the growing literature base on resilience and provide a guide for the focus of intervention efforts.