Indian Journal of Health and Well-being © 2017 Indian Association of Health, Research and Welfare

2017, 8(12), 1551-1560 ISSN-p-2229-5356, e-2321-3698

http://www.iahrw.com/index.php/home/journal_detail/19#list UGC Journal No 42787 and NAAS Ratings 4.13

Promoting resilience among institutionalized adolescents

through fostering probabilistic orientation,
forgiveness, and gratitude
Kochakadan Joy Lijo Narayanan Annalakshmi
Department of Psychology Department of Psychology
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

The present study involved developing a positive psychological intervention program for fostering selected positive
psychological strengths and examining its efficacy in improving resilience among institutionalized adolescents at
risk for developmental adaptation using a pre-post-follow-up control group design. The sample included 45
institutional adolescents (Males=22, Females=23) in the experimental group and 45 (Males=22, Females=23) in the
control group. The intervention focused on improving probabilistic orientation, gratitude, and forgiveness using
different methods of delivery including conceptual teaching, storytelling, exercises and loving-kindness
meditation. The intervention was delivered in nine sessions spread over eight weeks. Self-reported measures of
probabilistic orientation, forgiveness, forgiveness likelihood, gratitude, and resilience were used to evaluate the
efficacy of the intervention. Academic achievement, an objective measure obtained from the school records was
also included to assess the efficacy of the intervention. ANCOVA, ANOVA, and Student's t-test were used to
analyze the data. The findings suggest that the evidence-based positive intervention had improved the probabilistic
orientation, forgiveness, and gratitude of the institutionalized adolescents. Further, the intervention is found to have
resulted in the enhancement of resilience, academic achievement, as well as the overall well-being of the
participants. The findings confirm that enriching the inner protectors of the adolescents at-risk may be effective in
enhancing their developmental adaptation and well-being thanks to the interaction between the protectors and the
risk factors in the environment.

Keywords: resilience, forgiveness, gratitude, probabilistic orientation

Research on the development of children has shown that being with
parents helps in adaptation and development providing a protective
cocoon and being deprived of the parents stands as a risk for
adaptation and development. The adverse effect of disruption of the
relationship between the child and the mother through separation,
deprivation, and bereavement is well understood (Ainsworth &
Bowlby, 1991; Bretherton, 1992). Large-scale studies conducted
among institutionalized children and adopted children have
highlighted the impact of parental separation, and early and long-term
institutionalization among institutionalized and adopted children
(Browne, 2009; Rutter, 1979; Palacios & Brodzinsky, 2010).
In developing countries like India where rampant economic
transition led to increased unemployment, migration for work,
family breakdown and single parenthood, placing a child in
institutional care can often been viewed as a social intervention for
those deprived of parental care and family support (Browne, 2009;
Carter, 2005; Tinova et al., 2007). These institutions are a residential
living arrangement for children without parents or surrogate parents,
in which care is provided by a much smaller number of paid adult
carers. Nevertheless, such residential care centers are at best viewed
as an organized, routine and impersonal structure for children. There
is a professional relationship rather than a parental relationship
between the adults and children in these institutions. The placement
of children in these institutions for a long period, especially during
Correspondence should be sent to Kochakadan Joy Lijo
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Ernakulam, Kerala
E-mail: lijosjoy86@gmail.com
early critical developmental periods, often leads to developmental
delays due to environmental deprivation, poor staff-child ratios, and
lack of early childhood stimulation (Heart's Cry Children's Ministry,
2009). The adoption studies of Rutter (1979) have further adduced
evidence to show that institutionalization places the children at risk
for development. Institutionalization is a risk for the cognitive,
conative, and affective development of the children (Browne, 2009).
Surprisingly, there are a few exceptions to the rule of uniform
deleterious effect on the development of institutionalized children.
The seminal work on resilience "discovered" that a considerable
proportion of children at risk for current and future adaptation
showed few or no signs of pathology and often exhibited high levels
of competence (Garmezy, 1974; Rutter, 1979; Werner & Smith,
1982). This finding implies that resilience is also present in
institutionalized children (Altshuler & Poertner, 2002; Lothe &
Heggen, 2003; Palacios & Brodzinsky, 2010). Further
investigations on institutionalized children have led to the
identification of the mechanisms that underlie both adaptive and
maladaptive developmental trajectories under conditions of
adversity. Several protective factors have been identified that help
institutionalized children to make a positive developmental
adaptation. These include secure attachment and caregiving quality
(Bowlby, 1951; Kuryntik, 2003; Pugliese et al., 2010; Smyke et al.,
2007); frequent contact with biological family (Poehlmann, 2003;
McWey, Acock, & Porter, 2010); residential and family atmosphere
(Chamberlain & Reid, 1998; Wolff & Fesseha, 1999; Ahmad et al.,
2004; McCall et al., 2010); and positive schooling (Gabriel et al.,
2009). In addition, a host of individual-level protective factors like
hope, faith in God's proximity and help, having memories of one's
1552 LIJO AND ANNALAKSHMI/ PROMOTING RESILIENCE AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED
past roots (Lothe & Heggen, 2003) disclosure/ openness and
competence (Daniel et al., 2007) are also found to be protective for
these children from institutions.
The efforts to foster better outcomes among institutionalized
children have focused on three strategies including reducing the risk,
boosting the resources, and facilitating protective relationships with
competent adults. Among these strategies, the prevention of risk is
too late for the adopted children in institutions because piling up of
risk factors has already occurred by the time a child is adopted
(Masten & Arturo, 1999). Hence, the alternative strategies are
facilitating protective relationships with competent adults and
boosting inner strengths and resources of institutionalized children.
In those two critical factors, providing secure attachment figures or
protective relationship is not practically possible in the context of
orphanages and also from a research point of view. The reason is that
such secure protective environment has to emerge from within the
system by default. But the majority of the orphanages are unable to
provide long-term, stable and affectionate relationship to children
(Tizard & Rees, 1975). Unconditional love was found to be the
crucial element missing in the orphanages (Heart's Cry Children's
Ministry, 2009). The orphanage lacks the key figures, i.e., the
biological parents, and institutional deprivation put orphans under
heavy risk for physical, psychological, social and educational growth
and development (Masten & Arturo, 1999). In this context, resilience
can be conceived of as an end product of buffering processes that do
not eliminate risks and stress, but that allow the individual to deal
with them effectively (Rutter, 1987). Interventions on positive
emotions can broaden people's ability to widen the behavioral
options and increase resiliency while undoing the effects of
negativity (Fredrickson, 2001).
Intervention focusing on a unique combination of character
strengths can enhance resilience among institutionalized children.
Positive strengths included Probabilistic Orientation, forgiveness,
and gratitude may be relevant to enhancing resilience. Probabilistic
orientation is a personal strength that stands for open and strong self-
orientation in the middle larger universe. The virtues forgiveness
and gratitude are interpersonal strengths of an individual. The former
one is about extending one's pure goodwill for others, and the latter
one is about recognizing, valuing and appreciating the goodwill of
others.
Probabilistic orientation stands for a higher level of consciousness
that ensures a balanced perception and information processing
(Narayanan, 1977). It is characterized by seven factors namely
unbounded expectancy, sensing unlimited possibilities, insight into
bias, healthy skepticism, unconditional acceptance, appreciation of
chance and awareness of predictability. Forgiveness was
operationalized as the absence of negative feeling towards the
wrongdoer and presence of positive feeling towards the wrongdoer
(Rye et al., 2001). Gratitude refers to the generalized disposition to
recognize and respond with grateful emotion to the roles of other
people's benevolence in the positive experiences and outcomes that
one receives (GQ; McCullough et al., 2002). These strengths were
selected owing to three valid reasons, namely, their potential strength
and association with other positive character strengths and positive
outcomes, their exclusive effectiveness on institutionalized
adolescents and their cultural appeal.
The probabilistic orientation connotes a neutral locus of control
rather than an internal or an external locus of control. It purports to set
the cognitive information processing in an individual anchored to
certain postulate concerned with his/her perspectives on events
happening in the course of life. Once set in, probabilistic orientation
characterized by would start guiding the attention, perception,
attitudes, thinking, beliefs and awareness of the individual at every
moment. Since (1997) a series of research on probabilistic
orientation has conducted by researchers (Narayanan, 1977, 1999,
2001; Narayanan & Annalakshmi, 2001). Among adolescents,
probabilistic orientation is found to relate to their mental health
(Priya, 1997) and helps them to combat stress (Ramapriya, 2004;
Rani, 2004). Probabilistic orientation training has resulted in
improving emotional balance, self-reliance, perceived relationship
with God, and awareness among youth (Anuradha, 2004;
Balakrishnan, 2003). Intervention programs based on probabilistic
orientation construct proved to be effective in enhancing positive
psychological strengths among college student (Shettigar, 2005;
Usha, 2005; Annalakshmi, 2003-2004; Siddharthan, 2010) and
well-being among novices (Thomas, 2005).
Forgiveness is one among several warmth-based virtues that
contribute to good physical and psychological health by promoting a
positive mood and interpersonal relationships. Forgiveness is a
virtue and strength that promote resilience among adolescents
(Anderson, 2006; Berry et al., 2005). Forgiveness is a psychological
process that has a physiological, psychological and social impact
(Worthington et al., 2001; Berry & Worthington, 2001; Toussaint et
al., 2001). While forgiving the individual is replacing the negative
unforgiving emotions with positive emotions, positive affect, and
self-esteem it offers compassionate and positive responses to the
offenders (Berry et al., 2005; Enright et al., 1996; Karremans et al.,
2003). This change would promote mental health indirectly through
social support, interpersonal functioning, and health behavior
(Temoshok & Chandra, 2000). Forgiveness of oneself and others is
positively related to life satisfaction and negatively related to
psychological distress (Toussaint et al., 2001). With these physical,
psychological and social benefits, forgiveness makes a smooth
pathway for resilient institutionalized adolescents (Anderson, 2006;
Narayanan &Lijo, 2012).
Gratitude is a positive emotion that seeks, accepts and appreciates
the nature. It is strongly related to one's well-being and had survival
value in the processes of human's evolutionary adaptation. Gratitude
helps individuals to have meaningful goals, priorities and a sense of
purposeful engagement with the world. Gratitude is a moral and
positive emotion that enables people to notice, understand, and
capitalize on beneficial exchanges with others (Buck, 2004; Trivers,
1971). Intervention for sensitizing gratitude among adolescents has
been reported to improve social and emotional functioning and
promote academic achievement. Hence gratitude may be considered
to be a viable path for promoting positive youth development
through intervention (Froh, Miller, & Snyder, 2007). Studies have
established the benefits of gratitude among youth. For youth,
gratitude seems to foster directly social support and to protect people
from stress and depression. The other benefits of gratitude among
adolescents are positive affect, optimism, emotional and social
support from family and peer, satisfaction with self, family, friends,
school and community, fewer physical symptoms (Froh, Yurkewicz,
& Kashdan, 2009) higher life satisfaction, social integration,
absorption in activities, and academic achievement and less envy,
depression, and materialism (Froh et al., 2010). Promoting gratitude
in young people would enhance their well-being psychologically,
socially, and academically (Wood et al., 2008). The reason would be,
 Indian Journal of Health and Well-being 2017, 8(12), 1551-1560
'gratitude helps youth to form, maintain, and strengthen supportive
relationships, and also make them feel connected to a caring
community which values their contributions. So, gratitude becomes
assets and is critical to the resilience and healthy development of
children and adolescents (Lerner, Dowling, & Anderson, 2003).
Forgiveness and gratitude are highly recommended virtues by
several religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity,
and Islam (Watkins et al., 2003). Since they facilitate individuals'
positive life adaptation, both are critical to human beings to regulate
the transactions between their self and others meaningfully
(Peterson, 2009). People who express or experience gratitude tend to
be forgiving, happy, optimistic, helpful and physically healthy
(Emmons & Crumpler, 2000; Kashdan, Uswatte, & Julian, 2006;
McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002; Watkins et al., 2003). Hence
these are critical strengths to be considered when designing
interventions for high-risk groups (Toussaint & Friedman, 2009).
The present investigation explores ways of promoting
developmental adaptation of institutionalized adolescents.
Specifically, the attempt is to promote a set of positive outcomes
namely resilience, academic achievement and well-being reflecting
developmental adaptation by providing an intervention involving
probabilistic orientation counseling, gratitude exercises and loving-
kindness meditation for encouraging forgiveness.
Method
Participants
The participants, aged 12 to 18 years, were drawn from two
orphanages situated in two medium-sized districts in a Southern
State in India. These orphanages were randomly assigned to one of
the two experimental conditions. There were 45 (Males=22)
participants in the experimental group and 45 (Males=22)
participants in the control group. All the participants were under
institutional care for a minimum of three years.
Intervention
The pre-post-follow-up control group design was adopted to test the
hypotheses of the investigation. A positive psychological
intervention program involving presentations on probabilistic
orientation exercises for cultivating gratitude, and loving-kindness
meditation practice was delivered to participants in the experimental
group over a nine-week period. The researchers administered as well
as followed-up whether the participants completed home
assignments in addition to practicing the technique taught
throughout the intervention program period.
The program on Probabilistic Orientation involved explaining and
discussing the construct through story-telling method. Suitable
stories explaining each domain of Probabilistic Orientation
(unbounded expectancy, sensing unlimited possibilities, insight into
bias, healthy skepticism, unconditional acceptance, appreciation of
chance and awareness of predictability) were narrated and discussed.
The participants were taught the Naiken, which is Japanese method
of gratitude exercise and asked to maintain a Gratitude journal. In
gratitude journaling, participants were given a notebook to journal
their daily gratitude experiences which were brought to the weekly
sessions for reflections. To enhance forgiveness, the participants
were taught loving-kindness meditation and were encouraged to
practice it every day. During the intervention, session caretakers
were also present, and investigator ensured that the caretakers were
1553
monitoring the practice of exercises related to forgiveness and
gratitude.
Instruments
Probabilistic Orientation Questionnaire (POQ; Narayanan, 1977).
The Probabilistic Orientation Questionnaire consists of 30 items
covering all the seven factors. The response options provided for the
subjects are 'yes' (score 1) and 'no' (score 0). The scores earned by
the subject on the entire questionnaire were summed up to obtain the
score of the subject on the questionnaire. A higher score on the
questionnaire indicates a higher level of probabilistic orientation.
The questionnaire has adequate reliability and validity
(Annalakshmi, 2010)
Forgiveness Scale (Rye et al., 2001). The forgiveness scale consists
of 15 Likert-type items in this scale. The response options ranged
from strongly agree (score 5) to strongly disagree (score 1). The
'Absence of Negative' subscale purports to measure the absence of
negative thoughts, feelings, and behavior toward the wrongdoer.
The 'Presence of Positive' subscale purports to measure the presence
of positive thoughts, feelings, and behavior toward the wrongdoer.
The high score of a subject on this scale indicates a high level of
forgiveness toward an offender. Cronbach's alpha for the entire
scale was .87, and for the absence of negative and presence of
positive subscales of the forgiveness scale were .86 and .85
respectively.
The Forgiveness Likelihood Scale (Rye et al., 2001). The
forgiveness likelihood scale is a 10-item Likert-type scale designed
to measure the tendency to forgive across situations. The response
options ranged from extremely likely to not at all likely. The score on
the scale is obtained by summing the individual scores earned on all
the items of the scale. The author stated reliability Cronbach's alpha
for the Forgiveness Likelihood Scale was .85.
Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ; McCullough et al., 2002). The
questionnaire consists of six Likert-type statements including
positive and negative items. The response options ranged from
'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'. The score on the scale is
obtained by summing the individual scores earned on all the items of
the scale. The scale has good internal reliability, with alphas between
.82 and .87.
Bharathiar University Resilience Scale (BURS; Annalakshmi,
2009). Bharathiar University Resilience Scale consists of 30 Likert-
type 5-point items. For all the statements five response categories
ranging from most appropriate (score 5) to not at all
appropriate(score=1).The scale yields a single score reflecting the
degree of resilience the respondent has. The Bharathiar University
Resilience Scale is reported to have high reliability. The Cronbach
Alpha of the scale is .86. The scale was validated against Resilience
Scale for Adults (Friborg et al., 2003) and Bell's Adjustment
Inventory (Bell, 1934).
Academic Achievement Record. The Academic Achievement is the
average marks earned by the participants in all subjects in three
examinations conducted in an academic year in the school. The
marks of the first term examinations are taken as the baseline
measure, the marks of second term examinations are taken as a post-
intervention measure, and the marks of third term examinations are
taken as follow-up intervention measure.
The Well-being Index. Well-being was operationally defined as the
positive end of the adjustment continuum assessed by the total of the
1554 LIJO AND ANNALAKSHMI/ PROMOTING RESILIENCE AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED

scores of the subjects on the Probabilistic Orientation Questionnaire,
Forgiveness Scales, Gratitude Questionnaire, Bharathiar University
Resilience Scale, and the Academic Achievement.
Statistical analysis
The sample for this study consisted of three distinct groups, viz.,
institutionalized adolescents with both parents, institutionalized
adolescents with only one parent, and institutionalized adolescents
with no parents. The three groups were compared with one another
on all the variables to examine whether all the three groups were
homogeneous with regard to the study variables before to their
participation in the psychological intervention. The comparison
using Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there is no significant
difference between these groups on the pretest scores on any of the
subject variables except gratitude. Hence, for all variables except
gratitude, the statistical analysis was carried out treating the three
groups as a single group. However, for testing the hypothesis
relating to the efficacy of the intervention in enhancing posttest
measure of gratitude, a t-test was carried out comparing three
groups.
The results of the statistical analyses carried out to test the
efficacy of the intervention comparing pre-post and follow-up
scores of the participants on various study variables are presented
below.

Table 1: Summary of ANCOVA comparing the experimental group and control

group on their Probabilistic Orientation (PO) scores at post-test and follow-up
Group n Adj. Mean SD F η2
Post test Experimental Group 45 26.77 3.79 4.24* 0.05
Control Group 45 25.27 2.67
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 25.42 3.16 7.02* 0.08
Control Group 45 22.91 5.17
*p<0.05

As may be seen from the table above, the ANCOVA with the group
(experimental group, control group) as between-subject factor and
pretest score on probabilistic orientation as a covariate revealed a
significant main effect of group at posttest. That is, there is a
significant difference between the posttest probabilistic orientation
scores of the experimental group and control group. Another
ANCOVA with the group as a between-subject factor and pretest
score on probabilistic orientation as a covariate revealed a
significant main effect of group. That is, there is a significant
difference between the probabilistic orientation scores of the
experimental group and the control group during follow-up.

Table 2: Summary of ANOVA comparing increment scores on 'absence of

negative' aspect of forgiveness obtained by the experimental group and control
group at post-test and follow-up
Group n Mean SD F η2
Post test Experimental Group 45 4.11 9.50 6.42* 0.07
Control Group 45 -0.16 6.10
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 1.89 7.62 3.11ns 0.03
Control Group 45 -0.84 7.08
*p<0.05, ns= Not significant

An ANOVA comparing the increment in 'absence of negative' of on their increment scores at post-test. However, there was no
forgiveness scores of experimental group and control group at post- significant difference in their increments scores on 'absence of
test showed that there is a significant difference between the groups negative' at follow-up.

Table 3: Summary of ANCOVA comparing the experimental group and control

group on their presence of positive of forgiveness scores at post-test and follow-up
Group n Adj. Mean SD F η2
Post-test Experimental Group 45 20.62 3.68 28.53** 0. 25
Control Group 45 16.25 4.16
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 18.43 3.72 5.56* 0.06
Control Group 45 16.42 3.51
*p<0.05, ** p<0.01
 Indian Journal of Health and Well-being 2017, 8(12), 1551-1560 1555

An ANCOVA with the group as a between-subject factor and pretest
scores on the presence of positive of forgiveness as a covariate
revealed a significant main effect of group in post-test. That is, there
is a significant difference in the scores on the presence of positive of
forgiveness obtained by the experimental group and control group at
post-test. Another ANCOVA with the group as a between-subject
factor and pretest scores on the presence of positive of forgiveness as
a covariate revealed a significant main effect of group in follow-up.
This shows that there is a significant (marginal) difference in scores
on the presence of positive of forgiveness obtained by the
experimental group and control group during follow-up.

Table 4: Summary of ANOVA comparing the increment on forgiveness

likelihood scores obtained by the experimental group and control group at
post-test and follow-up
Group n Mean SD F η2
Post-test Experimental Group 45 7.31 10.10 12.51** 0.12
Control Group 45 1.18 5.77
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 1.29 11.16 00.98ns 0.11
Control Group 45 -0.82 8.91
** p<0.01, ns= Not significant

An ANOVA comparing increment scores of experimental group and
control group on forgiveness likelihood during post-test showed that
there is a significant difference between the groups on their
increment scores at post-test. However, there was no significant
difference between the groups in their increment scores on
forgiveness likelihood at follow-up.
A series of t' test comparing the increment scores on gratitude
obtained by experimental group and control group stratified into
categories based on the availability of parent was carried out at both
posttest and follow-up. The three groups of adolescents based on the
availability of parent(s) were treated as separate groups for the
analysis because they differed with regard to their baseline scores on
gratitude. The results related to the effect of the intervention in the
three groups are presented below.

Table 5: t' test comparing the increment gratitude scores obtained at posttest and follow-up by the
experimental group and control group with both parent alive, one parent alive and no parent alive
Availability of parents Time Group n Mean SD t
Both parents alive Post test Experimental Group 13 6.23 5.34 -2.34*
Control Group 23 0.43 7.96
Follow-up Experimental Group 13 3.38 5.24 -0.20ns
Control Group 23 3.00 5.66
One parent alive Post-test Experimental Group 25 2.68 5.86 -2.49*
Control Group 13 -3.08 8.26
Follow-up Experimental Group 25 3.48 5.16 -1.62ns
Control Group 13 0.38 6.40
No parent alive Post-test Experimental Group 7 5.71 7.52 -0.92ns
Control Group 9 1.44 10.24
Follow-up Experimental Group 7 6.57 7.48 -0.61ns
Control Group 9 4.67 4.92
* p<0.05, ns= Not significant

As may be seen in the table above, there was a significant difference
between the increment scores obtained by the experimental group
and control group on gratitude at post-test among those with both
parents alive. However, there is no significant difference between the
increment scores obtained by the experimental group and control group
on gratitude during follow-up among those with both parents alive.
There was a significant difference between the increment scores
obtained by the experimental group and control group on gratitude
during post-test among those with one parent alive. However, there
was no significant difference between the increment scores obtained
by the experimental group and control group on gratitude during
follow-up among those with one parent alive.
There was no significant difference between the increment scores
obtained by the experimental group and control group on gratitude
during post-test among those with no parent alive. Similarly, there
was no significant difference between the increment scores obtained
by the experimental group and control group on gratitude during
follow-up among those with no parent alive.
1556 LIJO AND ANNALAKSHMI/ PROMOTING RESILIENCE AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED

Table 6: Summary of ANOVA comparing the incremental scores on resilience

obtained by the experimental group and control group at post-test and follow-up
Group n Mean SD F η2
Post-test Experimental Group 45 10.20 17.74 12.92** 0.13
Control Group 45 -0.64 9.75
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 10.84 13.07 09.10** 0.09
Control Group 45 3.02 11.48
** p<0.01

The ANOVA comparing the increment scores on resilience obtained increment scores on resilience obtained by the experimental group
by the experimental group and control group at post-test showed that and control group at follow-up showed that there is a significant
there is a significant difference between the groups on their post-test difference between the groups on their increment scores on
increment scores on resilience. The ANOVA comparing the resilience.

Table 7: Summary of ANOVA comparing the measure of increment on the

academic achievement of the experimental group and control group at post-test
and follow-up
Group n Mean SD F η2
Post-test Experimental Group 45 0.22 11.98 00.88ns 0.01
Control Group 45 2.27 8.53
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 8.70 12.99 11.57** 0.12
Control Group 45 -0.12 11.56
** p<0.01

There was no significant difference in the increment in the post-test experimental group and control group, with the experimental group
measure of academic achievement between experimental group and having a higher incremental score on academic achievement
control group. However, there is a significant difference in the compared to the control group.
follow-up increment measure of academic achievement between

Table 8: Summary of ANOVA comparing the increment well-being scores of

experimental group and control group on post-test and follow-up
Group n Mean SD F η2
Post-test Experimental Group 45 2.50 4.33 28.96** 0.32
Control Group 45 -1.81 3.19
Follow-up Experimental Group 45 2.02 3.13 29.89** 0.31
Control Group 45 -2.02 3.84
** p<0.01

There is a significant difference between the increment in well-being
scores obtained by the experimental group and control group at post-
test, with the experimental group having higher scores compared to
the control group. Further, there was a significant difference between
the increment well-being scores of experimental group and control
group during follow-up as well, with the experimental group having
higher scores compared to the control group.
Discussion
The present study aimed at promoting resilience through a
psychological intervention program that catered to the inner
protective factors regarding personal psychological orientation and
strengths including probabilistic orientation, forgiveness, and
gratitude among the institutionalized adolescents. The study also
ascertained whether the intervention program contributed to
improving the resilience, academic performance, and well-being of
the participants in the intervention. The main reasons for the
institutionalization reported by the experimental group and control
group participants were family problems like parental conflict,
divorce, parent's death, parental illness, lack of both parents,
homelessness and economic problems in the family.
The intervention had a positive impact on the probabilistic
orientation among the participants. The intervention had improved the
level of probabilistic orientation of the participants, and the effect
 Indian Journal of Health and Well-being 2017, 8(12), 1551-1560
lasted for six months after the intervention. The findings suggest that
the participants have learned to adopt changes in their attitudes and
beliefs in consonance with the principles of probabilistic orientation
and had profited in improving their inner protective mechanism to
deal effectively with events and happening, and adapt to them
appropriately thanks to their attending the intervention. The
exposure of the participants in the intervention to the probabilistic
orientation perspectives seems to have helped the participants to
imbibe hope and confidence and look forward to the future without
rigid expectations. The enhancement of probabilistic orientation in
the participants in the intervention is likely to have contributed to
improving their creativity to sense all the possibilities available for
one for the future action in any situation. The intervention could have
encouraged the participants to have adequate insight into their
personal bias and prejudices, and also to entertain a healthy
skepticism in receiving and processing information. The participants
in the intervention could have also learned from the presentations on
probabilistic orientation to accept the inevitable events and
happenings without any reservation whatsoever. The intervention
also seems to have influenced the participants to appreciate the
element of chance entering into any transaction and also enlightened
them about the chances of solutions emerging by themselves
sometimes when one is helpless to solve a problem. Finally, it is
possible that the intervention has helped the participants to have a
thorough understanding of the probabilistic nature of the events and
happenings. The participants seemed to have learned that one can
predict the occurrence of events in the future at the macro level in
broader terms in spite of the fact that micro level individual
predictions may not be possible.
The findings receive support from an earlier study that reported
that radio broadcast on probabilistic orientation improved the level
of probabilistic orientation among 12th-grade students (Siddharthan,
2010). Several other studies also confirm that educating the students
on probabilistic orientation led to raising the level of probabilistic
orientation in them (Anuradha, 2004; Balakrishnan, 2003;
Sivaraman, 2004; Amsakumaran, 2004; Chacko, 2005; Shettigar,
2005; Usha, 2005).
The findings consistently show that the loving-kindness
meditation for forgiveness had positively impacted the participants
concerning all the three aspects of forgiveness herein studied. The
absence of negative responses to wrongdoer decreased, while the
presence of positive responses to wrongdoer increased, and also the
tendency to forgive wrongdoers increased for the participants in the
intervention. However, only the presence of positive responses to the
wrongdoer had persisted for six months following the
interventions.
The traits such as acceptance and compassion developed through
the practice of loving-kindness meditation are found related to an
understanding of the shared humanity of people. The traits and
positive feelings developed through loving-kindness meditation
include awareness, disidentification from emotions and thoughts,
acceptance, compassion and loving-kindness, awe, contentment, joy,
gratitude, hope, interest, love, and pride along with compassion
(Pruitt & McCollum, 2010; Fredrickson et al., 2008).
Interestingly, entertaining positive thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors appear to be easier for participants than giving up negative
responses and forgiving the wrongs of the offenders. This change
accounts for the immediate improvement found in the participants
concerning the absence of negative responses, the presence of
1557
positive responses, and the likelihood of forgiving the wrongdoers,
immediately after the conclusion of the intervention. But, after the
intervention, the participants had no obligation to follow the
meditation practice and hence could have abandoned the practicing
of loving-kindness meditation. Since the negative responses,
connected with and the resistances to readily forgive the wrongdoers
are the competencies difficult to sustain without reinforcement, the
negative responses and the disinclination to readily forgive the
wrongdoer had recidivated during the follow-up period while the
presence of the positive response to the wrongdoer persevered. The
failure of the findings regarding the negative responses relating to
forgiveness and the likelihood of forgiveness obtained immediately
after the intervention to persist longer may account for the
recidivistic tendency of these aspects of forgiveness and also, the
retroactive inhibition manifesting in the findings in the follow-up
period. Findings similar to the present findings are reported in a
study on forgiveness relating to wrongdoing relating to romantic
relationships among couples (Rye & Pargament, 2002). The
findings relating to the effect of the intervention on the gratitude of
the participants showed that the intervention had a positive impact
soon after the intervention in the cases of participants who had both
their parents alive as well as the participants who had one of their
parents alive. The findings gain support from another experimental
study, which reported that the gratitude exercises involving
'Gratitude Journal,' 'Naikan' (introspection), and 'Watch your
language' were effective in enhancing the sense of gratitude among
institutionalized adolescents (Emmon, 2007). Gratitude exercises
were found to be effective in enhancing positive emotions among
the participants (Froh et al., 2010; Watkins et al., 2003; Froh, Sefick,
& Emmons, 2008; Algoe, Haidt, & Gable, 2008).
The intervention had no impact on the participants who had no
parent alive during follow-up. These findings bring out the
significance of certain conditions that may influence gratitude
among the institutionalized adolescents. The intervention could not
create a lasting impact on adolescents who were orphaned. Most of
the earlier studies on institutionalized orphans have consistently
shown that the image of mother imprinted in infants had great
influence on their emotionality throughout their developmental
periods. This may explain why the orphaned adolescents could not
sustain the sentiment of gratitude. It is also likely that gratitude is the
hardest spiritual practice of all and is not always easy to practice,
especially in the face of tragedy (Jones, Landau, & O'neill, 2003).
The certain level of mental maturity seems to be needed to develop
gratitude, especially in the face of tragedy, and the differential
findings related to the adolescents with at least one parent and those
without parents obtained in this investigation may be due to the level
of mental maturity of the participants.
In the present study exercises directly contributing to resilience
were not included in the intervention and the inputs of the
intervention were restricted to cater to improving probabilistic
orientation, forgiveness, and gratitude. However, the findings show
that the intervention had not only had immediate positive impact
involving resilience but also that the positive impact had persisted
for longer period succeeding the conclusion of the intervention.
This improvement in resilience may be correlated to the
improvement in probabilistic orientation for which adequate inputs
were included in the intervention. An earlier study had also found
that imparting probabilistic orientation through radio broadcast had
increased the probabilistic orientation and also resilience among the
1558 LIJO AND ANNALAKSHMI/ PROMOTING RESILIENCE AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED
participants (Siddharthan, 2010). The present findings relating to the
impact of the intervention on the resilience of the participant gains
support in the findings of the investigation just cited. Furthermore,
the personal strengths dealt with in the intervention, viz., forgiveness
and gratitude also have relevance to resilience. The personal
strengths are internal protectors for resilience, and hence the
improvement in them might also have an effect on the resilience. The
interventions on positive emotions can broaden people's ability to
widen the behavioral options, and increase resiliency while undoing
the effects of negative emotions (Fredrickson, 2001). Forgiveness
and gratitude are both positive and interpersonal emotions and focus
on the goodwill of an individual. In gratitude, one perceives the
goodwill of the others. In forgiveness, one extends goodwill to others
(McCullough & Witvliet, 2002). Positive responses to wrongs and
wrongdoers rather than negative responses to wrongs and
wrongdoers contribute to resilience (Annalakshmi & Lijo, 2010). In
the process of evolutionary adaptation, gratitude has a survival value
(Buck, 2004; Trivers, 1971). Gratitude is reported to be associated
with resilience among adolescents (Narayanan & Lijo, 2012). The
findings of studies involving gratitude exercises imparted to children
and college students have consistently reported that such exercises
improved the gratitude and the developmental adaptation skills
among the participants (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008; Froh et al.,
2010; Watkins et al., 2003). The findings of the present study relating
to gratitude are in line with the trend of these findings.
It is likely that the adolescents were struggling to cope with the
adversity and stressful experience confronting them and when
positive changes in thought, feeling, and behavior was instilled in
them through the intervention it leads to reorganization of their
psychological resources to enable them to adapt to the environment.
The improvement of the resilience of the institutionalized
adolescents following the intervention in this study could be
accounted for by their self-regulation and reorganization of self
appropriately to meet the challenges of their life.
Studies among institutionalized children have reported
consistently that these children are likely to do poorly in school. In
the present study, the improved level of academic achievement found
can be well taken as a resilient outcome of the intervention given to
improve probabilistic orientation, gratitude, and forgiveness. It is
interesting to note that the improvement in academic achievement
did not manifest immediately after the intervention, but was evident
only after four months after the intervention was concluded. Studies
show that the potential benefits of probabilistic orientation,
gratitude, and forgiveness are capable of bringing a positive outcome
like increased academic achievement among institutionalized
adolescents. Studies among adolescent students have reported that
improved level of probabilistic orientation helps to reduce
individuals' distress and disturbances (Annalakshmi, 2003);
perceive the environment in a positive way (Shillymol, Thomas, &
Narayanan, 2007); and relates them positively with intelligence,
creativity, and extroversion (Natarajan, 1983).
Froh, Miller, and Snyder (2007) have found out that improved
level of gratitude can promote academic gains through achievement
motivation. Gratitude can help students to build secure supportive
systems (Wood et al., 2008; Lerner, Dowling, & Anderson, 2003) and
to get satisfaction with self, family, friends, school, and community
(Froh, Yurkewicz, & Kashdan, 2009). The improved gratitude makes
students have a positive school experience like finding school
interesting, feeling good at school, thinking they are learning a lot,
and becoming eager to go to school. This may lead to the positive
outcomes like greater life satisfaction, social integration, absorption
in activities, and academic achievement among adolescent students
(Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008; Froh et al., 2011). Gabriel et al.
(2009) had found that the stigma and discrimination in the schools
are the risk factors for institutionalized children for low school
performance. So perceiving school as a positive environment can
improve self-concept and academic performance. Forgiveness is a
positive psychological process with a significant effect on the well-
being of both forgiver and offender (Worthington et al., 2001).
Forgiveness not only contributes to academic achievement but also
strengthens physical and psychological health (Berry &
Worthington, 2001; Toussaint et al., 2001; Worthington et al., 2001).
Similar to gratitude, it also promotes mental health through
improved social support, interpersonal functioning, and health
behavior (Temoshok & Chandra, 2000). The loving-kindness
meditation helped institutionalized adolescents to direct their
energy into productive forms like the academic achievement than
losing energy through the expression of negative emotions like
anxiety, depression, and anger.Various changes brought out in the
probabilistic orientation, forgiveness, gratitude, resilience,
academic achievement all add up together and percolate to the whole
of the organism's behavior repertoire and the gestalt of the
reorganization of the resources of the organism have had a saluting
effect on the overall well-being of the organism.
The findings of the study should be understood within the
limitations of the study.
The positive intervention program designed in this study included
focused on three strengths, namely, probabilistic orientation,
forgiveness, and gratitude in order to enhance developmental
adaption among institutionalized adolescents. The intervention was
delivered at an individual level and addressed only the agency for
resilience. A comprehensive model that includes in its scope other
factors like institutional climate, caregiving quality and presence of
a mentor, etc., could have a more promising effect. Multilevel
interventions involving others in the social-ecological system of the
individual adolescent could be attempted for better effect. The
present study employed group intervention strategy where
individual subject's needs and strengths could not be specifically
addressed, which stands as a limitation. Studies among vulnerable
adolescents would benefit from employing a mixed methods study
instead of exclusive reliance on quantitative analysis.
Conclusion
The effectiveness of positive psychology interventions in enhancing
resilience among vulnerable sections like individuals with
disabilities, institutionalized children and the elderly population has
been well documented. The present experimental study conceived a
positive intervention module that involved providing inputs
pertaining to certain internal protectors namely probabilistic
orientation, forgiveness, and gratitude, with the aim of promoting
resilience among institutionalized adolescents. This study adopted a
pre-post-follow-up control group design for evaluating the efficacy
of the intervention. It found that the intervention resulted in the
enhancement of resilience, academic achievement, as well as the
overall well-being in them. The intervention had a positive impact
on the agencies of resilience studied not only immediately after the
conclusion of the intervention but also had these positive effects
persisted for a longer period. The findings confirm that positive
 Indian Journal of Health and Well-being 2017, 8(12), 1551-1560
psychology interventions among vulnerable sections in the
community have a positive effect in enhancing their developmental
adaptation through prevention, promotion and resilience strategies.
The findings of this experimental investigation suggest that the
evidence-based positive intervention module herein conceived that
included providing inputs pertaining to internal protectors namely
probabilistic orientation, forgiveness, and gratitude, had improved
the probabilistic orientation, forgiveness, gratitude of the
institutionalized adolescents. Further, the intervention had resulted
in the enhancement of resilience, academic achievement, as well as
the overall well-being of the participants. The expected positive
impact of the intervention happened not only immediately after the
conclusion of their participation in the intervention but also
continued to persist for a longer period reflected in the follow-up
assessments. The findings confirm that enriching the inner protectors
of the adolescents at risk might help to enhance their developmental
adaptation, functioning, and well-being thanks to the interaction
between the protectors and the risk factors in the environment.
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