Pathways to Resilience IV: Global South Perspectives

Methodological Lessons in Resilience Research

Abstract #247
Title: Synergy model: A catalyst for quantification of resilience
Presenter: Aarthi Rajendran (Centre for Health Psychology, University of Hyderabad, India, India)
Co-Author: Meena Hariharan, Suvashisa Rana
Introduction: The concept of resilience encompasses two essential components-experience of adversities and attainment of achievement in life. Review of literature has revealed the gap in any robust measure with psychometric properties to quantify resilience that varies across population in degree and level.
Methods: The authors theorised and evolved the synergy model of resilience  that facilitated the process of measurement of resilience in terms of resilience index-a derived score. The present study was undertaken to validate the method of quantification of resilience. The quantification included the measurement of adversity, protective factors, promotive factors, achievement and flourishing. The model was tested in two phases with a sample of 100 in each. In Phase I, the required weightages were generated as per the model; in Phase II, the function of the model was evaluated and the resilience index was calculated for each participant.
Findings: The scores varied between 15.08 to 124.56. Based on the final scores, five out of 100 participants in Phase II were identified as resilient.  The study contributes to basic research in conceptualizing of the Synergy Model of Resilience and leading edge research in measuring and deriving resilience.

Abstract #97
Title: Fifth wave of resilience research: it is time to highlight new period?
Presenter: Alexander Makhnach (Institute of Psychology Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia)
Introduction: Operationalizing the phenomenon of resilience was historically held in four stages (Masten, Obradović, 2007). Due to the rapid compilation of data on longitudinal experiments, which were carried out on 4 stages, but systematically comprehended in the 2000th, the time has come to release the fifth wave of resilience studies.
Methods: It was released that the fifth wave of resilience research includes studies conducted mostly with the ecological approach of Bronfenbrenner. Research data will be presented in four-aspects ecological model (Ungar et al, 2005).  The principal methodology of research in resilience secondary research is the systematic data review, meta-narrative reviews of the primary research of other’s data in the form of research publications and reports.
Findings: A 5th wave of resilience research has significant expansion and impacts of social, cultural contexts. Among them: significant political impacts, social transformation of society, instability in several regions, dramatic in the ethno-cultural conditions of peoples' lives (migration), the adverse impact of climatic factors on large areas, and globalization.

Abstract #85
Title: A factor structure analysis of the CYRM-28 in South African young people
Presenter: Angelique van Rensburg (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)
Introduction: The aim of this paper is to report an analysis of the factor structure of the Child Youth Resilience Measure (28-item version) and to comment on implications for resilience-focused interventions and research with South African young people. 
Methods: We evaluated the published factor structures of the CYRM-28 (i.e. Canada and New Zealand) within the South African Pathways to Resilience Research Project data (i.e. latent variable modelling), and tested six varied models in two randomly selected samples (n1 = 559; n2 = 578). Goodness-of-fit statistics indicated that a 3-factor variation of the New Zealand model fitted best (n1 = CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.04, 90% CI [0.03 0.04], p > 0.05, SRMR = 0.05; n2 = CFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.04, 90% CI [0.03 0.04], p > 0.05, SRMR = 0.05). 
Findings: We conclude that practitioners and researchers need to be familiar with the factor structure of the CYRM-28 as expressed in the sociocultural context where they do resilience work if they wish to accurately measure and meaningfully leverage resilience.