Resilience and Flexible Self-Regulation Longitudinal Measurement, Digital Assessment, and Training

Research across multiple domains of investigation, from field studies to experimental laboratory work, has converged on the idea that resilience in the face of highly stressful or potentially traumatic life events is common and driven by a process of flexible self-regulation; that is, by the capacity to repeatedly adapt one’s behavior to changing situational challenges as they unfold over time. Mechanistically, flexible self-regulation is not a singular process but has been shown to involve multiple component abilities. In this paper, I will first review the literature on resilience and flexible self-regulation and how they relate to each other. I will then consider recently developed tools for the digital assessment of flexible self-regulation, specifically Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and a form of artificial intelligence known as Natural Language Processing NLP). Finally, I will briefly consider potential methods to develop and enhance flexible self-regulation and, in doing so, increase the probability of resilient outcomes.