Emotions and Positive Personality Change in Syrian-Origin Young Adults Who Have Recently Resettled in the Netherlands

Abstract

Around the world, the number of people who seek or have refugee status continues to increase. Despite the adverse experiences and challenges that many people who seek or have refugee status encounter, adversity is thought to promote growth in resilience, kindness, and humility. Little is known about how such positive personality development occurs, but one potential pathway is through emotions. Exposure to adversity may trigger a range of emotional experiences such as sorrow, guilt, trepidation, nostalgia, compassion, gratitude, and love. These emotional experiences, in turn, may drive personality change. Karakter is a 13-month longitudinal study examining how emotional experiences in everyday life may contribute to the link between adversity and personality change in Syrian-origin young adults who have recently resettled in the Netherlands. In this project, the authors join a growing literature examining positive development and specifically whether positive personality change follows adversity in individuals who seek or have refugee status. The results should provide much needed information that can help people with refugee backgrounds thrive and also help change the way they are perceived by receiving cultures.