Exploring the relationship between resilience and possible selves from the literature on the possible selves of young people: A scoping literature review

Abstract

Young people face many challenges as they journey through adolescence and into emerging adulthood, for example, unemployment, mental health issues, substance misuse and family disintegration. Possible selves is a theory of self-concept and behaviour motivation which argues that self-concept includes a future component comprised of hoped for, feared and expected possible selves. Hoped for and feared selves motivate behaviour either towards or away from a self in a specific future domain. Resilience enablers are those things that facilitate the development of resilience. There is considerable literature on possible selves as well as on resilience, but negligible research on how the two theories might work together. A scoping literature review was conducted to answer the question: “Can the relationship between possible selves and resilience be identified from the literature on the possible selves of young people?” Twenty-seven articles were reviewed, and eight resilience enablers were identified: family (role models, peers), health behaviours (general and sexual) education and career, culture, making (learning by doing promotes self-efficacy), balancing possible selves, enabling environments and hoping for the best. Young people’s possible selves are often global and require detailed planning to become achievable. Achieving possible selves requires persistence despite adverse circumstances which is an aspect of resilience. Thus, integrating resilience and possible selves theories might facilitate the realisation of goals in the lives of young people.