Gender-stratified associations between resilience dimensions and big five personality traits among emerging adult college students in India

Emerging adulthood is a developmental stage marked by identity exploration, psychosocial transitions, and heightened vulnerability to stress. Resilience and personality traits are important for adaptive functioning during this period; however, limited research has examined their multidimensional associations in Indian emerging adults, particularly in relation to how these traits influence coping strategies and overall mental health outcomes during this critical developmental stage. This study examined the relationships between multidimensional resilience and Big Five personality traits among emerging adult college students, with a focus on gender differences in resilience and personality dimensions. A descriptive cross-sectional correlational design was used with 335 college students (170 females, 165 males) aged 20–25 years from Kanpur Nagar, India. Participants were selected using disproportionate stratified random sampling. Personality traits were assessed using the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10), and resilience was measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Resilience–Hindi (MDRS-H). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, Pearson’s correlations, and regression analysis. Significant gender differences were observed across several resilience dimensions and personality traits. Females scored higher on internal locus of control, forgiveness, sociability, and agreeableness, whereas males scored higher on emotional maturity, extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, total personality, and overall resilience. Gender-stratified analyses indicated distinct associations between resilience dimensions and personality traits among males and females. Total resilience was positively associated with overall personality traits in both genders. Among females, assertiveness was positively associated with extraversion, sociability was negatively associated with neuroticism, and hardiness was positively associated with openness to experience. Among males, self-acceptance, humour, and assertiveness were associated with extraversion; forgiveness and emotional maturity were associated with agreeableness; and self-acceptance was associated with openness to experience. Effect sizes were modest. Resilience dimensions were selectively associated with personality traits, and these associations varied across gender. Although some gender differences were observed in specific resilience dimensions and personality traits, the findings emphasise the multidimensional nature of resilience and personality during emerging adulthood. The study highlights the importance of culturally contextualised approaches to understanding psychological adaptation and supports the need for longitudinal research to further examine developmental patterns linking resilience and personality. Resilience dimensions and Big Five personality traits demonstrated selective associations among emerging adult college students, highlighting the multidimensional nature of psychological adaptation. Significant gender differences were observed across specific resilience dimensions and personality traits, with females reporting higher internal locus of control, forgiveness, sociability, optimism, and agreeableness, while males reported higher emotional maturity, extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, and overall resilience. Gender-stratified analyses revealed distinct patterns of association between resilience dimensions and personality traits, suggesting that resilience resources may relate differently to personality functioning in male and female emerging adults.