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Personal Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Implications of SWB Homeostasis and Set-Points

Journal of Happiness Studies volume 15, pages 223–235 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Our companion paper (Cummins et al. in J Happiness Stud, 2013) describes the statistical process used to demonstrate set-points and set-point-ranges for subjective wellbeing. The implications of set-points and homeostasis are now considered in the context of resilience. This discussion leads with a brief overview of resilience definitions and is followed by a description of subjective wellbeing (SWB) homeostasis. This addresses, in particular, the issue of SWB malleability under homeostatic control. The link between resources and resilience is then considered, in terms of predictions made by homeostasis theory. Finally, discussion focuses on the implications of such understanding for future directions in SWB research. It is concluded that an understanding of set-points and homeostasis allows new insights into the resilience construct.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

    Robert A. Cummins

  2. Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Mark Wooden

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  1. Robert A. Cummins
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  2. Mark Wooden
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Correspondence to Robert A. Cummins.

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Cummins, R.A., Wooden, M. Personal Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Implications of SWB Homeostasis and Set-Points. J Happiness Stud 15, 223–235 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9481-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9481-4

Keywords

  • Subjective wellbeing
  • Homeostasis
  • HPMood