Pathways to resilience in First Nations youth from a remote community : a case for the ameliorative effects of intelligence and social perspective coordination

Variables that promote resilience, adaptive functioning despite adversity, were examined in 37 First Nations adolescents from a remote region in Northern-Quebec. Intelligence, and social perspective coordination, the ability to negotiate the self's and other's points of view in social situations, were offered as moderators of the effect of stress on competence. Competence was defined as developmentally-appropriate functioning in academic, behavioural, and social domains, and stress was operationalized as a combination of negative life events and demographic stressors. Better intellectual functioning and perspective coordination abilities were commensurate with elevated levels of academic performance and positive classroom behaviours. Additionally, intelligence served a protective function in the relationship between stress and fighting behaviour. In the context of high stress, students with high levels of intelligence were involved in significantly fewer physical fights than their less intelligent peers. These results highlight the potential for adaptation in First Nations youths, and suggest a direction for future research that accentuates adaptation instead of pathology