| Disability has been identified in the literature as a risk state which can lead to potentially less than optimal or poor life outcomes. To date, the risk and resilience literature has identified numerous protective factors related to various resilient outcomes across several life domains. The current study set out to quantitatively measure the predictive ability of a model of personal resilience, comprised of four personal protective factors (optimistic outlook, self-efficacy, internal locus of control, and tenacity) to predict resilient successful life outcomes (RSLO's) as participation across five life domains (work, school, community, family, and leisure) amongst persons with disabilities. These four personal protective factors were examined individually as well as components of a model of personal resilience. Furthermore the ability of optimistic outlook, self-efficacy, and internal locus of control to predict tenacity, individually as well as together in a model of tenacity, were measured. The statistical significance of variation in RSLO's across static type disability and progressive type disability was measured. Finally, the statistical significance of variation in RSLO's across ethnicity was measured.;133 adult subjects, ages 20--63, with a variety of static type and progressive type disabilities from several organizations serving persons with disabilities participated in the study. Results showed optimistic outlook and internal locus of control when considered independently of as well as in the presence of the other predictors, were statistically significant in predicting RSLO's. Self-efficacy, when considered independently of the other predictors, was statistically significant in predicting RSLO's. Self-efficacy when considered independently as well as in the presence of the other variables was statistically significant in predicting tenacity. Optimistic outlook, when considered independently of the other predictors was statistically significant in predicting tenacity. Variation in RSLO's was not statistically significant across either disability type or ethnicity. |
