Hardiness: Hardiness is a personal characteristic that reflects commitment, a tendency to
appraise demands as challenging rather than threatening, and a sense of control over fate
(Pollock, 1989). Kobasa (1982) noted other psychosocial processes, such as adaptation and
social support, that may either facilitate or hinder resistance to stress, but suggested that the
personality resource of hardiness may very well have a direct effect on the ability to adapt or
to utilize social support.