Major Concepts

Environment - Conditions, circumstances and influences that affects the development

and behavior of humans as adaptive systems.
Health - A state and process of being and becoming integrated and whole.
Person - The human adaptive system and defined as a whole with parts that function
as a unity for some purpose. Human systems include people groups organizations,
communities, and society as a whole. (Roy & Andrews, 1999)
Goal of nursing - The promotion of adaptation in each of the four modes.
Adaptation - The process and outcome whereby thinking and feeling persons as
individuals or in groups use conscious awareness and choice to create human and
environmental integration.
Four Adaptive Modes
1. Physiologic-physical mode: physical and chemical processes involved in the function
and activities of living organisms; the underlying need is physiologic integrity as seen in
the degree of wholeness achieved through adaptation to changes in needs. In groups, this
is the manner in which human systems manifest adaptation relative to basic operating
resources. The basic need of this mode is composed of the needs associated with
oxygenation, nutrition, elimination, activity and rest, and protection. The complex
processes of this mode are associated with the senses, fluid and electrolytes, neurologic
function, and endocrine function.
2. Self-concept-group identity mode: focuses on psychological and spiritual integrity
and a sense of unity, meaning, purposefulness in the universe.
3. Role function mode: refers to the roles that individuals occupy in society fulfilling the

need for social integrity; it is knowing who one is, in relation to others.
4. Interdependence mode: the close relationships of people and their purpose, structure
and development individually and in groups and the adaptation potential of these
relationships.
Subconcepts
Adaptive responses - are those that promote the integrity of the person. The persons
integrity, or wholeness, is behaviorally demonstrated when the person is able to meet the
goals in terms of survival, growth, reproduction and mastery. Ineffective responses do
not support these goals. (Roy & Andrews, 1991)
Coping mechanisms - describe the control processes of the person as an adaptive
system. Some coping mechanisms are inherited or genetic, such as white blood cell
defense mechanism against bacteria that seek to invade the body. Other mechanisms are
learned, such as the use of antiseptics to cleanse a wound.
Two Coping Subsytems
A. Cognator subsystem - A major coping process involving four cognitive-emotive
channels: perceptual and information processing, learning, judgment, and emotion.
B. Regulator subsystem - A basic type of adaptive process that responds automatically
through neural, chemical, and endocrine coping channels.
Focal stimuli - Those stimuli that are the proximate causes of the situation.
Contextual stimuli - All other stimuli in the internal or external environment, which may
or may not affect the situation.
Residual stimuli - Those immeasurable and unknowable stimuli that also exist and may

affect the situation.