Resilience and Successful Aging: Aligning Complementary Constructs Using a Life Course Approach
Abstract
Psychological Inquiry, 26: 200–207, 2015 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1047-840X print / 1532-7965 online DOI: 10.1080/1047840X.2015.1010422 Resilience and Successful Aging: Aligning Complementary Constructs Using a Life Course Approach Rachel Pruchno and Allison R. Heid New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, New Jersey Maureen Wilson Genderson Statistical Consultant, Short Hills, New Jersey The study of resilience first gained attention in the suggest that focusing on the combinations and tim- 1970s, explaining why some children raised in highly ing of adversities experienced across the life aversive circumstances emerged as functional and course will enrich our understanding of both resil- capable individuals (Garmezy, 1972; Rutter, 1979; ience and successful aging. Werner et al., 1971; Werner & Smith, 1977). Then some 30 years later, resilience captured the attention of researchers and theorists studying trauma-exposed What Do Resilience and Successful Aging Have adults (Bonanno et al., 2001; Bonanno et al., 2002; in Common? Ryff & Singer, 2002). These scholars examined the impact of single acute non-normative adversities such A lack of conceptual and operational consistency as a serious automobile accident or individual norma- has challenged both the resilience and successful tive life-course adversities