A measure of psychological antifragility: development and replication

Abstract

Antifragility is a concept that has been described as beyond resilience–not simply resisting shock but becoming better as a result. Using a nationally representative survey of 783 low-income U.S. veterans in 2022–2023, a measure of antifragility was developed and tested. The results were replicated on a supplementary sample of 245 veterans. A 12-item measure of antifragility was developed, consisting of three factors/subscales labeled Benefit from Difficulty, Benefit from Ambiguity and Benefit from Stress. The scale demonstrated good psychometric properties. In main and replication samples, 2–4% reported overall antifragility ‘often’ or ‘nearly all the time’. Respondents reported antifragility in various areas of life, the most common being 60–61% in family life/children and 60–62% in social relationships/friends. These findings suggest antifragility is common in many areas of life, but high levels are rare. This study provides a measure of antifragility, and further testing is needed to assess its predictive value.