Symposium
Symposium
11:30-11:50 hrs
Psychological Resilience in the Ever-Changing World:
Role of Coping Flexibility in Psychological Adjustment
Cecilia CHENG
The University of Hong Kong
Coping flexibility has widely been regarded as an important facet of psychological resilience. This construct refers to cognitive astuteness in distinguishing among stressful situations with different demands and the variable deployment of distinct coping strategies in response to specific situational demands. In the existing literature, some scholars have construed this construct as a personality disposition. Other scholars have construed coping flexibility as situational variations. Although situational variation in strategy deployment may reflect active response to environmental changes, it may also indicate randomness in response. Recently, some scholars have proposed the importance to examine aspects of situational variation that foster adaptation to the changing environment. In this talk, I will critically evaluate three major conceptualizations of coping flexibility: (a) a broad coping repertoire; (b) situational variation in strategy deployment; and (c) a good strategy-situation fit. The temporal stability of coping flexibility is discussed in the context of transition to stressful life transitions in various real-life contexts.
Symposium
11:50-12:10 hrs
What does not kill us makes us stronger: Insights from neuropsychological studies, molecular genetics, and behavioral interventions
Yiqun GAN
Peking University
This presentation examines stress-related growth and its potential benefits on mental health. Stress Inoculation Theory suggests moderate stress exposure can foster growth and positive health outcomes. We explore the mediating mechanism of self-affirmation, cognitive reappraisal, and meaning-making in SRG, referencing Tabibnia's tripartite affective neuroscience model for resilience. Using fMRI, we investigate cognitive neural mechanisms linking meaning-making to the default mode network, revealing significant mediation effects on coping flexibility. However, optimal stress levels may vary due to genetic differences. By studying diverse samples, we identify genetic factors moderating the stress-coping relationship and propose the differential post-stress growth hypothesis. Last, we discuss intervention programs targeting meaning-making, self-affirmation, and positive reevaluation to enhance mental health after stress to enhance mental health after stress, demonstrating the potential of scalable m-health interventions for psychological well-being.
Symposium
12:10-12:30 hrs
Grandparental Involvement and Adult Grandchildren’s
Resilience and Psychological Well-being
Tianyuan LI
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Contrary to the negative age stereotypes, previous research has found older adults demonstrated many positive attributes compared to their younger counterparts, especially in the social domain. We aim to investigate how older adults may exert their strengths and positively influence the younger generations through intergenerational interactions. Grandparent-grandchild (GP-GC) relationship is the most prevalent intergenerational relationship in daily life. Grandparents are heavily involved in childcare worldwide, and the GP-GC relationship continues into the GC’s adulthood. However, research on grandparents’ influence on adult grandchildren is very limited. Two studies were conducted to examine the relationship between grandparental involvement and adult grandchildren’s resilience and psychological well-being. Study 1 surveyed college students’ ongoing relationships with their grandparents, perceived characteristics of the grandparents, and several outcome variables, including attitudes toward aging, resilience, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Study 2 further examined the relationship between childhood and current relationship with grandparents and their influence on the outcome variables. Results from the two studies consistently show that the maternal grandmother is most likely to be nominated as the closest grandparent. Also, grandparental involvement is consistently found to be related to adult GC’s resilience and psychological well-being after controlling for parental relationships. More details about the perceived characteristics of the four grandparents and the relationship between childhood and current GP-GC relationships will also be presented. The results suggest that older adults can play a constructive role in intergenerational relationships and contribute to the resilience of the younger generation and the sustainable development of society.