Would the Conservative Aspect of Asian Culture Help People Bounce Back?: An Investigation into the Correlation Between Defensive Pessimism and Resilience

Research Article
Open access

Would the Conservative Aspect of Asian Culture Help People Bounce Back?: An Investigation into the Correlation Between Defensive Pessimism and Resilience

Ruochen Feng 1*
  • 1 University of British Columbia    
  • *corresponding author Fengruochen57@gmail.com
Published on 14 September 2023 | https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/10/20230070
LNEP Vol.10
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-83558-001-1
ISBN (Online): 978-1-83558-002-8

Abstract

The rising interest in resilience as a desired mental health counselling outcome has prompted increased research into its predictors. In addition to genetic factors and excellent social ties, previous researchers argued that people's coping approach toward environmental dangers might be a significant element. Defensive pessimism, a prominent cognitive strategy among conservative civilizations such as Asian culture and persons with a propensity for mental illness, functions as a strategy that protects individuals from failure and misery by decreasing their expectations and anxiety. The author did qualitative research on Asian volunteers to examine the relationship between defensive pessimism and resilience. The results of this paper contradict the authors' hypothesis that adopting defensive pessimism would increase individuals' resilience. And the findings reveal a significant negative correlation between the two. Additionally, the significant linear regression indicated that defensive pessimism might be a weak negative predictor of resilience. The results may contribute to the early identification of harmful coping strategies in psychological assessment and help with treatment plan development in mental health counselling.

Keywords:

defensive pessimism, resilience, mental health counseling, psychological assessment, treatment plan

Feng,R. (2023). Would the Conservative Aspect of Asian Culture Help People Bounce Back?: An Investigation into the Correlation Between Defensive Pessimism and Resilience. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,10,71-77.
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References

[1]. Mohaupt, S. (2008). Review article: Resilience and social exclusion. Social Policy & Society, 8, 63–71.

[2]. Norem, J., & Cantor, N. (1986b). Defensive pessimism: Harnessing anxiety as motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,51, 1208–1217.

[3]. Collishaw, S., Pickles, A., Messer, J., Rutter, M., Shearer, C., & Maughan, B. (2007). Resilience to adult psychopathology following childhood maltreatment: Evidence from a community sample. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31, 211–229.

[4]. Cantor, N., Norem, J., Niedenthal, P., Langston, C., & Brower, A. (1987). Life tasks, self-concept ideals, and cognitive strategies in a life transition. Journal of personality and Social Psychology,53, 1178–1191.

[5]. Norem, J., & Illingsworth, K. (1993). Strategy-dependent effects of reflecting on self and tasks: Some implications of optimism and defensive pessimism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,65, 822–835.

[6]. Sanna, L. (1996). Defensive pessimism, optimism, and simulating alternatives: Some ups and downs of prefectural and counterfactual thinking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,71, 1020–1036.

[7]. Cantor, N., & Norem, J. (1989). Defensive pessimism and stress are coping. SocialCognition,7, 92–112. Norem, J. K., & Cantor, N. (1990). Capturing the "flavor" of behavior: Cognition, affect, and interpretation. In B. S.

[8]. Moore & A. M. Isen (Eds.), Affect and social behavior (pp. 39–63). Cambridge University Press; Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme.

[9]. Elliot, A. J., & Church, M. A. (2003). A motivational analysis of defensive pessimism and self-handicapping. Journal of Personality, 71(3), 369-396.

[10]. Rutter M. (2013). Annual research review: Resilience - clinical implications. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), 474-487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02615.x.

[11]. Rutter, M. (2007). Resilience, competence, and coping. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31(3), 205-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.02.001.

[12]. A., Widom, C. S., & Czaja, S. J. (2007). Predictors of resilience in abused and neglected children grown-up: The role of individual and neighborhood characteristics. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31, 255–274.

[13]. Norem, J. K. (2001). The positive power of negative thinking: Using defensive pessimism to harness anxiety and perform at your peak. New York: Basic Books.

[14]. Smith, B.W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The Brief Resilience Scale: Assessing the Ability to Bounce Back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15(3), 194-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705500802222972.


Cite this article

Feng,R. (2023). Would the Conservative Aspect of Asian Culture Help People Bounce Back?: An Investigation into the Correlation Between Defensive Pessimism and Resilience. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,10,71-77.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Psychology and Humanity Studies

ISBN:978-1-83558-001-1(Print) / 978-1-83558-002-8(Online)
Editor:Faisalabad Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga, Muhammad Idrees
Conference website: https://www.icsphs.org/
Conference date: 24 April 2023
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.10
ISSN:2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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References

[1]. Mohaupt, S. (2008). Review article: Resilience and social exclusion. Social Policy & Society, 8, 63–71.

[2]. Norem, J., & Cantor, N. (1986b). Defensive pessimism: Harnessing anxiety as motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,51, 1208–1217.

[3]. Collishaw, S., Pickles, A., Messer, J., Rutter, M., Shearer, C., & Maughan, B. (2007). Resilience to adult psychopathology following childhood maltreatment: Evidence from a community sample. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31, 211–229.

[4]. Cantor, N., Norem, J., Niedenthal, P., Langston, C., & Brower, A. (1987). Life tasks, self-concept ideals, and cognitive strategies in a life transition. Journal of personality and Social Psychology,53, 1178–1191.

[5]. Norem, J., & Illingsworth, K. (1993). Strategy-dependent effects of reflecting on self and tasks: Some implications of optimism and defensive pessimism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,65, 822–835.

[6]. Sanna, L. (1996). Defensive pessimism, optimism, and simulating alternatives: Some ups and downs of prefectural and counterfactual thinking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,71, 1020–1036.

[7]. Cantor, N., & Norem, J. (1989). Defensive pessimism and stress are coping. SocialCognition,7, 92–112. Norem, J. K., & Cantor, N. (1990). Capturing the "flavor" of behavior: Cognition, affect, and interpretation. In B. S.

[8]. Moore & A. M. Isen (Eds.), Affect and social behavior (pp. 39–63). Cambridge University Press; Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme.

[9]. Elliot, A. J., & Church, M. A. (2003). A motivational analysis of defensive pessimism and self-handicapping. Journal of Personality, 71(3), 369-396.

[10]. Rutter M. (2013). Annual research review: Resilience - clinical implications. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), 474-487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02615.x.

[11]. Rutter, M. (2007). Resilience, competence, and coping. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31(3), 205-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.02.001.

[12]. A., Widom, C. S., & Czaja, S. J. (2007). Predictors of resilience in abused and neglected children grown-up: The role of individual and neighborhood characteristics. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31, 255–274.

[13]. Norem, J. K. (2001). The positive power of negative thinking: Using defensive pessimism to harness anxiety and perform at your peak. New York: Basic Books.

[14]. Smith, B.W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The Brief Resilience Scale: Assessing the Ability to Bounce Back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15(3), 194-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705500802222972.