Lecture 22- Psychology of appearance 2

Question 1

What is the concept of resilience about?

Answer 1

-“ability to develop the self confidence to withstand the social and psychological pressures…to take the hard
knocks”
-Positive coping associated with ‘resilient’ personality, good social support, good social skills
Is it taught? acquired? inherited?

Question 2

What is cognitive resilience?

Answer 2

-Capacity to use self talk to challenge self

Question 3

What is behavioural resilience?

Answer 3

-Ability to manage reaction of others, interact well

Question 4

What is emotional resilience?

Answer 4

Ability to feel good about oneself, deal with difficulties

Question 5

What are buffers?

Answer 5

-Factors improving or exacerbating distress
• Physical and treatment factors
• Demographic and sociocultural factors
• Psychological factors

Question 6

What are the physical and treatment factors?

Answer 6

• No correlation between severity and adjustment
• ? differences between acquired and congenital
difference
• More severe less well adjusted?
• Background appearance

Question 7

What are the sociocultural factors affecting resilience?

Answer 7

• Influence of race, culture, social class
• Media
• Health care systems
• Social support and family
• Family role
• Child rearing
• At birth there are important factors

Question 8

What are the cognitive processes that come into play with resilience of an individual?

Answer 8

• Negative aspects
• Positive aspects
• Self esteem
• Levels of investment in appearance
• Comparisons with others
• Optimism
• Coping style
-adaptive and maladaptive
• Social interaction skills

Question 9

What is the role of psychosocial support in resilience?

Answer 9

-Multidisciplinary model preferred
Areas of support
-counselling, providing accurate information to facilitate
decision making, giving accurate information in multiple forms eg web sites, referral to support groups, access to self help materials, referral to community disability resources, school psychologists, neuropsychologists for school testing etc…

Question 10

What should we consider to do?

Answer 10

• Raise awareness
• Promote an agenda for positive awareness in media
• Improve the provision of care
• Identify and address ethical dilemmas for families
• Address or minimise challenges experienced by children and adults with visible differences

Question 11

Summary:

Answer 11

• Individuals can adjust positively
• Coping mechanisms
• Buffers can be effective strategies
• Severity of difference does not correlate with adjustment
patterns
• Appearance related adjustment is individual and multi
factorial
• Society, personal skills and family support are significant
• Psychosocial support
• Future challenges