ISSN: 2578-5095
Authors: Rzechowska E and Krawiec B
This article presents a theory-generating model of adaptive functioning among young adults, developed through the idiographic analysis of their early family experiences and the meanings attributed to them. Applying the Process Transformation Reconstruction (PTR) strategy, the study combines qualitative case analysis with data-driven modelling techniques to reconstruct the internal differentiation of adaptive behaviours. The life paths of 122 participants were analysed to identify distinct behavioural variants, understood as structured constellations of actions, meanings, and developmental mechanisms. The C4.5 decision tree algorithm was used within the PTR framework to explore hidden regularities in the data and model the internal logic of behavioural differentiation. This approach, rooted in the paradigm of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), made it possible to identify empirically grounded variants of adaptive functioning-ranging from flexible, autonomous coping strategies to rigid, defensive modes of response. Each variant reflected specific constellations of early family experiences, patterns of interpretation, and developmental trajectories. The proposed model contributes to developmental theory by showing how subjective meaning-making processes mediate the long-term effects of family history on adaptation in adulthood. It also has practical implications for psychological assessment, counselling, and education-offering a structured framework for understanding the diversity of young adults’ functioning and for tailoring interventions to their developmental profiles.
Keywords: Adaptive Behaviour; Early Family Experiences; Meaning-Making; Developmental Trajectories; Behavioural Variants; Young Adulthood; Qualitative Analysis; Case Study; PTR Strategy; Decision Tree Algorithm (C4.5); Explainable AI
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