title: Resilience as Regulation of Developmental and Family Processes.
abstract: Resilience can be defined as establishing equilibrium subsequent to disturbances to a system caused by significant adversity. When families experience adversity or transitions, multiple regulatory processes may be involved in establishing equilibrium, including adaptability, regulation of negative affect, and effective problem-solving skills. The authors' resilience-as-regulation perspective integrates insights about the regulation of individual development with processes that regulate family systems. This middle-range theory of family resilience focuses on regulatory processes across levels that are involved in adaptation: whole-family systems such as routines and sense of coherence; coregulation of dyads involving emotion regulation, structuring, and reciprocal influences between social partners; and individual self-regulation. Insights about resilience-as-regulation are then applied to family-strengthening interventions that are designed to promote adaptation to adversity. Unresolved issues are discussed in relation to resilience-as-regulation in families, in particular how risk exposure is assessed, interrelations among family regulatory mechanisms, and how families scaffold the development of children's resilience.
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacPhee
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lunkenheimer
authors.affiliation: Colorado State University.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Riggs
keywords: family systems; human development; regulation; resilience; theory