UC Santa Barbara

Thriving, the phenomenon of going through an adversity and emerging “better off,” has been relatively understudied in the field of psychology. Closely related to, but distinct from resilience, in which individuals overcome an adversity and return to normal development (Garmezy, 1993), thriving has not been explored in-depth and in particular, understudied with Latino/a college students. Latino/a college students stand to benefit from exploring strengths that contribute to their ability to thrive given the number and magnitude of adversities they often face. The current study investigated thriving in Latino/a undergraduate students. Analysis of qualitative interviews through Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR; Hill, Thompson & Williams, 1997) revealed adversities experienced (e.g., family discord and cultural difficulties), methods of thriving (e.g., cognitive coping, cultural values, faith, resources, social support and perseverance), and gains from the experience (e.g., improved self-concept, improved relationships, and increased knowledge base). Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.