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Antifragility and Growth Through Adversity: A Scoping Review
Nick Holton1, Marianne Cottin2, Adam Wright1
1The Antifragile Academy, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
Psychological Reports
|January 7, 2026
Summary
Antifragility suggests using adversity for growth, not just survival. This review synthesizes research on antifragility in human systems, finding a need for more empirical studies and better measurement tools.
Area of Science:
- Interdisciplinary research integrating biology, psychology, and organizational studies.
Background:
- Antifragility proposes that systems can benefit from stressors, unlike resilience or robustness.
- Emerging research explores antifragility in human systems, including psychology, leadership, and health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize emerging research on antifragility in human systems.
- To distinguish antifragility from resilience and robustness.
- To identify empirical gaps, particularly in psychological research.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review of 18 emerging research studies.
- Categorization of studies into human or non-human systems, with exclusion of non-human systems.
- Synthesis of applications in mental health, performance, and quality of life.
Main Results:
- Antifragility involves proactively engaging stressors to enhance capabilities.
- Concepts like hormesis and post-traumatic growth align with antifragility mechanisms.
- Empirical studies on antifragility in human systems are scarce.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant need for robust measurement tools and longitudinal designs to study antifragility.
- Future research should refine antifragility definitions and explore its biopsychosocial correlates.
- Adopting antifragility principles could transform how individuals and systems evolve beyond challenges.
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