Relationships between Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Thinking Styles in Italian Middle Adolescents

Abstract

The relationships between resilience and self-efficacy, resilience and thinking styles, and self-efficacy and thinking styles were examined in 130 Italian middle adolescents. We applied the Generalized Self-efficacy Scale (Sibilia et al., 1995), the Scholastic Self-efficacy Scale (Pastorelli et al., 1998), the Resilience Scale (Wagnild & Young, 1993), and the Thinking Style Inventory (Sternberg & Wagner, 1992). Results showed that the more the adolescents experienced high levels of resilience, the more they felt themselves able to cope with novelty in various domains of life, especially in scholastic context, and the more they tended to use almost all thinking styles. Significant correlations were noted between generalized and scholastic self-efficacy and thinking styles: the more the adolescents perceived themselves able to cope with stressful events, also at school, the more they adopted almost all thinking styles. Future research could deepen the relationships between sense of coherence, subjective well-being, and thinking styles.