Contemporary Problems of Social Work Современные проблемы социальной работы academic journal

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VOLUME 2, No. 1, 2016
Famous Russian scientists D.A. Leontiev and E.I. Rasskazova [11] modified the test Salvatore 
Maddi and adapted it for Russia. D.A. Leontiev first introduced into the scientific lexicon 
the term resilience, which is an adapted translation of the term «Hardiness», developed by 
Salvatore Maddi. Also, the theme of resilience engaged scholars such as the M.V. Alfimova [1], 
V.E. Golimbet [1], E.N. Osin [15], and others.
Hardiness
For the first time the term «Hardiness» was used by American psychologist S. Muddy in 1975. 
The scientist spent twenty years for research in Illinois Telephone Company (IBT). At this time 
point in the company reorganization carried out, due to the transition from public funding on 
a competitive basis. The principle of operation of the company has changed dramatically, and 
the company’s employees have experienced a lot of stress due to the uncertainty of the future.
Maddy noticed that through the study of 450 managers of the company for the psychological 
and medical parameters, two thirds of staff due to the severe stress began to feel worse. Labor 
productivity falls, was increased cases of depression, cancer, migraines and some employees 
made suicide attempts.
However, the rest of the staff situation of severe stress had a positive impact. Their 
performance indicators have grown, relationships with loved ones was improved, in the process 
of discussing the future of the company, they have expressed valuable ideas.
S. Muddy became interested in the reasons for such different reactions to stressful situations. 
Group employees, “succeeded” in such a situation, Muddy called “resilient” and the other, on the 
contrary, “vulnerable”. Exploring these two groups of employees, scientists have isolated three 
different settings, the presence or absence of which determines the perception of employees 
of high stress.
Commitment
Involvement – this individual’s confidence in any situation it is better to be involved (to 
discuss the situation with others, to participate directly in what is happening). The high level 
of awareness also contributes to the involvement in the process. Alienation is the opposite of 
engagement.
Control
Control in this case means the individual belief in the need to be proactive in a stressful 
situation. If the situation cannot be changed, the person with high setting control accepts it 
as a reality, change his attitude to the problem and will try to adapt to the new conditions. The 
opposite qualities of the person are helpless.
Risk Acceptance
Risk Acceptance is a complex personality setting, characterized by the adoption of stress 
and change as a natural and integral part of human existence. Also it refers to the risk-taking 
conviction that every situation is a source of valuable experience. The sense of threat is the 
opposite of such qualities as risk taking.
Coping
1.  The perception of life changes as the problems that await solutions;
2.  Implementation of the necessary cognitive and behavioral steps to effectively address 
the problem; in cognitive steps include expanding perspective when addressing the problem 
and understanding the essence of the problem;
3.  The ability to extract valuable experience from solving the problem, for personal growth 
and development;
Stress (both acute and chronic), causing physical and mental stress, which can lead to failure 
of performance, health, relationships with others, as well as the impact on the psyche of the 
individual. Congenital vulnerabilities, such as: characteristics of the nervous system, various 
diseases transmitted by inheritance, etc., contribute to the emergence of stress. Vitality 
beliefs in combination with social support contribute to implementation of the transformation 

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CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL WORK
(durability) of coping, which helps to neutralize the effects of stress. Similarly, in transition 
stress in violation of viable work practices, increasing opposition of the organism to stress.
Formation of hardiness in childhood
S. Muddy and his colleagues founded an association (based on interviews conducted in the 
company of the IBT) between the level of resilience of the respondents and their conditions 
of early childhood development. They were identified features of child development, positive 
and negative influence on the formation of the individual resilience. Positively influenced the 
formation of resilience factors such as:
1.  The experience of stress at early age (serious illness of respondent, as well as their loved 
ones, divorce of parents, frequent change of environment, financial difficulties, etc.);
2.  Feelings purpose in life, developed by important adults and associated with the release 
of respondents’ parents as a special in anything: has a special talent, playing an important role 
in the family;
3.  Parenting confidence, high standards are maintained;
The following factors influenced negatively on the formation of resilience:
1.  Lack of support from family, reassurance;
2.  Lack of self-purpose, meaning in life;
3.  Lack of involvement in life situations, alienation from significant adults;
Identified viable installation, coping and practices, as well as factors that promote resilience 
allowed Muddy and colleagues set up a training vitality (Hardiness Training).
The study of influence on the success of resilience training, health, and relationships with 
people of participants have shown that resilience is not an inborn trait and develops. That is, 
each person can learn resilience, regardless of its individual features even in adulthood.
Hardiness training
In the first study, the subjects were IBT managers; the focus was on directly related to how 
to overcome the resilience and attitude to specific issues. In the original version of resilience 
training it takes 15 hours and included three main techniques:
1.  Reconstruction of the situation (situational reconstruction)
When using this technique, the emphasis is on imagination, and problem resolution. Defined 
situations perceived as stressful; stressful circumstances discussed in the extended term. 
Making reconstruction situations, student learns to form his own latent assumptions that 
determine how circumstances are perceived as stressful, and what steps can ease the situation. 
Reconstructing the situation to teach a person tries to imagine the best and the worst case 
scenario.
2. Focus (focusing)
It is used in case of impossibility of direct transformation of stressful circumstances. 
Technique developed by Y. Djindlin and represents a search for badly perceived emotional 
reactions (especially preventing a decision by reference to the “inner meaning”). The goal is 
an emotional insight, contributing to a reformulation of stress in terms of the opportunities 
offered to man.
3.  Compensatory cultivation (compensatory self-improvement)
If the situation cannot be transformed, it focuses on another issue that had something to do 
with this. Her decision to encourage a person to pay attention to what is amenable to change 
(it is impossible to control all).
An additional technique of training in the initial stages of its use was the method of 
paradoxical intention, which was proposed by V. Frankl.
The training included the following milestones:
1.  Determination of the stress of circumstances, to be resolved (the first session).
2.  Use of one, two or all three techniques designed to stimulate the imagination (the second, 
third and fourth sessions).

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