Hobfoll 1989 - Conservation of Resources - A New Attempt at Conceptualizing Stress

Google Scholar Link

Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: a new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American psychologist, 44(3), 513.

Summary

The parsimonious and elegant conservation of resources model states that stress is a reaction to either resource loss or the threat of resource loss. It further states that “people strive to retain, protect,and build resources”, and even invest them in hopes of further resource growth. Psychological stress can occur from both objective and subjective loss. In addition to resource loss or threat or resource loss, it is also caused by “a lack of resource gain following the investment of resources.” When confronted with stress, individuals will seek to minimize their net resource loss. A “self-protective style” is one in which an individual preemptively protects their resources (e.g., a person who refuses to make friends so that they will never experience rejection).

Resources are characterized as things that enable an individual to attain that which is valuable to them. These could include “objects, personal characteristics, conditions, or energies.” Object resources have either some inherent physical value or rarity-based value. Conditions are temporary situations such as marriage or tenure. If desired, conditions are resources. Personal characteristics are internal resources that increase stress resistance (e.g., resilience or perseverance). Finally, energies includes time, money, and knowledge. Energies are normally used to acquire more resources.

Facing loss, many people attempt to replace their resources. One example of this would be a person who loses self-esteem in one area, and compensates by gaining self-esteem in another. This coping itself seems to use up resources. As an aside here, this seems close to the concept of ego depletion, which doesn’t always replicate that well. A loss spiral is what occurs when resources are used to prevent loss of other resources, which further uses up necessary resource reserves. Facing loss spirals, many people engage in risky investments (as predicted by prospect theory). Other coping strategies include “reinterpreting threat as challenge” (similar to framing) and “reevaluating the value of resources that are threatened or that have been lost.” This second strategy seems similar to when one changes their referent in Festinger’s social comparison theory.

Application

This model lends itself to empirical testing well. Its simple conceptualization of stress seems applicable to almost any stressful situation. Evaluation of stressful workplaces can look specifically to what resources are either lost or threatened. Future research should look at the concept of sacrifice, which seems related to resource investment. If sacrifice is not met with blessing, stress ensues.