Conservation of Resources theory is a stress theory that describes the motivation driving humans both to maintain their current resources and to pursue new ones. It was proposed by Stevan E. Hobfoll in 1989 to expand on the existing literature treating stress as a construct, and it holds that psychological stress arises in three circumstances: when a loss of resources is threatened, when an actual net loss of resources occurs, and when resources are spent or significant effort is made without a corresponding gain. Under this theory, resources are defined broadly as anything a person values, including objects, states and conditions, and the loss of any of these resource types is what drives a person into a given level of stress.
Facts
Core ClaimConservation of Resources theory holds that psychological stress arises from a threatened loss of resources, an actual loss of resources, or a failure to gain resources after significant investment, and that people are motivated to protect and build the resources they value. 1 Connections
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Source Wikipedia: Conservation of Resources Theory
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1. Wikipedia: Conservation of Resources Theory
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Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory is a stress theory that describes the motivation driving humans to both maintain their current resources and to pursue new resources. This theory was proposed by Dr. Stevan E. Hobfoll in 1989 as a way to expand on the literature on stress as a construct.
Associated With: General Adaptation Syndrome, History of stress theory section
Hans Selye (1950) took on Cannon's research on stress as a response and indicated that stress itself was designed as a way to protect the body from environmental challenges.
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