Utilisation of Cognitive Adaptation Strategies to Counteract Discrimination on Well-being

Taylor’s theory of cognitive adaptation proposes that when the individual experiences threatened events, adjustment depends on the ability to search for meaning in the experiences, the ability to gain mastery over the event, and an effort to enhanced one’s self-esteem to feel good about oneself again despite the personal setback [1]. Cognitive adaptation views the individual as adaptable, self-protective, and functional in the face of adversities. Thus, cognitive adaptation deals with the utilization of various cognitive strategies to counteract negative distress on well-being. Cognitive adaptation theory has been broadly applied to threats to health, particularly with cancer patients [2,3] however, it has not been adequately used to understand the adaptation to social life challenges, such as the discrimination or exclusion. Crisp and Turner [4] propose that when people cognitively adapt to the experience of social and cultural diversity, there are crossdomain benefits these processes bring. Hence, cognitive adaptation theory may be particularly useful in predicting successful adjustment to the adaptation processes of individuals facing social exclusions and discrimination.