Investigating the Relationship between Dispositional Accommodative Efficacy and Resilience
Wilkerson, Lauren
:
2024
Abstract
Dispositional accommodative efficacy (DAE) is the general belief in one’s ability to adjust to an unwanted or unchangeable situation. Previous research has shown that this efficacy has a strong, positive relationship to well-being. In this study, our investigation focuses on the potential relationship of DAE to resilience: the general ability to overcome stress or trauma. We believe that DAE is closely related to resilience and its associated predictors and may even be a component of resilience. Our study examined this relationship by performing a reanalysis of data from a survey done by Chen & Smith (in preparation), which included the following constructs: DAE, resilience, and potentially related dispositions and social factors. From these data, we analyzed six predictors of resilience: trait mindfulness, maladaptive beliefs, self-efficacy/mastery, religious beliefs, emotional awareness, and social orientation. Our findings supported our original hypothesis that DAE and resilience have a close, seemingly special relationship, and that DAE at least partially mediated the relationships between the tested predictors and resilience. This evidence suggests that DAE might be helpful in creating interventions that seek to improve resilience in individuals with lower resilience levels and, to a further extent, could benefit individuals who struggle with anxiety if DAE’s potential as a stress buffer is explored.