Overcoming Unpleasant Affective Experiences when Learning: A Latent Profile Analysis of Resilience

Abstract

Drawing on conceptualizations of affective experience (Seo, Barrett, & Bartunek, 2004) and experiential learning theory (Kolb, 2014), resilience in learning is considered the capacity to initiate, persist, and direct effort towards learning when experiencing unpleasant affective states such as frustration. In this study, factors shown to support learning were reviewed, a four-factor model of resilience was developed and tested, and a latent profile analysis was completed to test the likelihood of resilience based on profiles associated with differences in scores when learning during frustration and learning during progress. The four resilience factors were positive emotional engagement, creative problem-solving, learning identity, and social support. Results provided support for two latent profiles of resilience: A quarter of individuals could activate the four learning resilience factors under both pleasant and unpleasant affective experiential states, while most saw decrements in these factors when faced with unpleasant affect such as frustration. The results support an underlying structure of resilience factors and the view of resilience as a process of buffering and self-regulation when experiencing unpleasant affective states. Further studies are needed on how to buffer the decremental impact of unpleasant affective experiential states.