6. Measuring resilience
Having drawn a distinction between research focussed on outcome and research focussed on the
process of adaptation, methods of how to measure resilience becomes more obvious. Considering
resilience as a dynamic process, one approach to measurement is to develop psychometrically
sound instruments capable of assessing the range of psychosocial resources, skills, capabilities and
talents available to an individual to negotiate adversity. Resources may be assessed within the
individuals, their family and peer networks, and their broader social environment. The Healthy
Kids Resilience Questionnaire (Constantine et al., 1999) provides an example of a process-centred
measurement device. Using this questionnaire, an indication of the diversity of resources available
to young people can be gained. The implicit assumption of this approach is that the greater the
range of resources an individual has, the more likely the individual will be capable of mounting an
adaptive response to any life crisis. This hypothesis is yet to be tested, but the approach would
allow the investigation of differential importance of resources types (e.g. positive parental
relationship may be weighted above family income level). Another approach to measurement is to
develop instruments capable of assessing overt competencies (e.g. social, relational, vocational).
Within appropriate study designs, measures of competence can indicate whether successful
adaptation has occurred or not.