In listening to Brenda's personal history of childhood sexual abuse, loss of her mother, and a period of living in foster care, her roommate is surprised that Brenda appears so positive, calm, and optimistic. In fact, Brenda has had very good success with school, has close friendships, and enjoys excellent physical health. A positive psychology researcher would describe Brenda as having the character strength called __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Resilience is the ability to bounce back or recover from adversity, and Brenda's ability to maintain positive emotions and well-being despite her history of trauma and loss is a sign of resilience. Denial and sublimation are defense mechanisms rather than character strengths, and justice wouldn't apply to Brenda's situation.

In Listening to Brenda's Personal History of Childhood Sexual Abuse