Assessing the Relationship Between Transcendent Development and Post-Trauma Growth: Reactive Transformation versus Volitional Transformation

Dehghani Shuroki, Mohammad; Rafie Honar, Hamid; Daneshfar, Behzad; Najafi, Mohamadreza

doi:10.48308/jiethics.2026.245703.1085

Assessing the Relationship Between Transcendent Development and Post-Trauma Growth: Reactive Transformation versus Volitional Transformation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Dehghani Shuroki ¹

Hamid Rafie Honar ²

Behzad Daneshfar ³

Mohamadreza Najafi ¹

¹ M.A., Islamic Psychology, Department of Ethics and Psychology, Institute of Higher Education for Ethics and Education, Qom, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Ethics, Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Qom, Iran (Corresponding Author).

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

10.48308/jiethics.2026.245703.1085

Abstract

Introduction: This study compares "Transcendent Development" in Islamic sources and "Posttraumatic Growth" (PTG) in positive psychology across three domains: nature of transformation, effective factors, and ultimate goal. PTG refers to positive psychological changes from struggling with difficult circumstances (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) and is reactive. Transcendent Development is a voluntary, purposeful transformation toward perfection rooted in human nature (Kaviani, 2020). The main question is the distinction between these concepts in the three domains.
Findings: A mixed-methods approach using linguistic semantics, ijtihad (PAD), and Delphi methods was employed. Components and stages of Transcendent Development were extracted from Islamic sources and compared with PTG. Validation used CVI with 11 experts. Transcendent Development has seven components (process-oriented, sustainable, simple, transformative-bidirectional, qualitative-infinite, voluntary-purposeful, universal-human) and four stages (belief, existential commitment, building aligned identities, placement in a unified social system). Comparison showed PTG forms in reaction to crisis, while Transcendent Development is a voluntary initiative toward perfection with crises as contexts. CVI was 0.91. The relationship is a paradigmatic difference in three domains: nature of transformation (reactive vs. voluntary), effective factors (crisis vs. transcendent human goal), and ultimate goal (adaptation vs. human transcendence). The goal domain difference is deepest; PTG has a psychological horizon, while Transcendent Development has an existential-divine horizon achievable as an innate universal capacity in all humans.

Discussion: Despite shared emphasis on positive growth, fundamental differences exist. In nature of transformation, PTG is reactive and adaptive, while Transcendent Development is voluntary and based on conscious choice. In effective factors, PTG's factor is crisis, while Transcendent Development's is the innate pursuit of perfection. In ultimate goal, PTG aims at readaptation, while Transcendent Development aims at divine nearness and absolute perfection—a goal innately present in all humans (Quran 2:62; 17:70). Validation with CVI=0.91 confirmed excellent validity. The key contribution is the universality of Transcendent Development as an innate capacity independent of religion and culture. The methodological contribution demonstrates the effectiveness of combining ijtihad and Delphi. This three-domain analysis provides a foundation for future research in religious and positive psychology.

Keywords

Transcendent Development

Posttraumatic Growth

Reactive Transformation

Voluntary Transformation

Islamic Psychology

Ijtihad Method

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