Dr Salvatore R. Maddi, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California, USA

Though pursuing a wide range of interests in personality and psychopathology, Salvatore R. Maddi is especially concerned with stress management and creativity. According to him, these are best considered related concerns, integrated by the personality hardiness model. Through deepening the attitudes of commitment, control, and challenge marking hardiness, persons can simultaneously develop, reach their potentialities, and cope with the stresses encountered on the way. Maddi's research concerns these topics, using naturalistic designs and training with a range of adult and adolescent subjects in their occupational, familial, and school settings. Also studied is the role of psychosocial factors in the etiology and progression of various physical illnesses.

Hardiness as a Performance Enhancer Under Stress
Keynote Address
12:30 - 2:00pm, Sunday, July 27th, 2008

Life can certainly be considered a continually stressful phenomenon. And, especially in our times, this natural level of stress is considerably enhanced by such megatrends as technological advance, globalization, and terrorism. All the more reason why hardiness, as the pathway to resilience under stress, is important to instill in people. Current research has shown that hardiness enhances performance in stressful circumstances, such as college, and firefighter and paramedics training. Fortunately, there are now well validated methods of measuring and teaching hardiness.

- Back to Meaning Conference Main Page -