Why do people adapt so differently? The 2FACE-model of psychological resilience

Abstract

Research into psychological resilience initially regarded resilience as a static concept. Recently, researchers have shifted their focus to study psychological resilience as a dynamic process, which develops over time in a specific context. Dynamic process models of psychological resilience explain why some people adapt after being exposed to a stressor, whereas others do not. However, up until now, these models did not explain why people adapt differently to stressors. To address this issue, this paper introduces a new model of psychological resilience: the 2FACE-model. This model not only explains four different ways in which people may adapt to stressors (i.e., sustainability, recovery, transformation and thriving), but also illustrates that the process of psychological resilience has two faces: psychological immunity and psychological elasticity. By combining these two faces into one model, the 2FACE-model offers a new perspective on the dynamic process of psychological resilience, which could inspire both research and practice.