Resilience and Coping through Intergenerational Lens

• In Event: 30260 - Joint Roundtables: Section on Social Psychology and Section on Sociology of Emotions
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 7: Social Psychology of Mental Health

Abstract

In this study we try to understand the process of intergenerational transmission of resilience and coping. Resilience and coping have both been extensively used in understanding the effects of stressful life events on mental health and health in general. Resilience refers to one’s ability to recuperate or bounce back after adverse situations, while coping focuses on targeted actions to handle life situations. Our prior work shows that coping in particular explains why White women have higher self-derogation than Black women. We use the unique, large-scale Kaplan Longitudinal and Multigeneration Study (KLAMS) to understand the intergenerational transmission of resilience and coping. In particular, we will focus how experiences of adversity in one generation influence the resiliency and coping in another and how parental resiliency and coping influences resiliency and coping in off-spring generation.

Authors

• Heili Pals, Texas A&M University

• Warren Waren, Texas A&M University-College Station