Journal of Adolescence最新文献

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the relationship between aggressive attitude and aggressive behavior is reciprocal or bidirectional in nature.

Method: A sample of 845 early adolescent youth (406 boys, 439 girls) between the ages of 10 and 13 (mean = 11.21) served as participants in this study. Aggressive attitudes were assessed with 4 items from the Denver Youth Survey Neutralization scale and aggressive behavior was assessed with 5 items from the Self-Reported Offending scale.

Results: A random intercepts cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) analysis revealed that aggressive attitude predicted aggressive behavior from Wave 1 to Wave 2 and from Wave 2 to Wave 3, whereas aggressive behavior only predicted aggressive attitude from Wave 1 to Wave 2. These findings insinuate that while aggressive attitude consistently predicted within-person increases in aggressive behavior, aggressive behavior may have been less consistent in predicting within-person increases in aggressive behavior.

Conclusion: A partial or restricted bidirectional relationship may link aggressive attitude to aggressive behavior such that the reciprocal effect between the two is only or most clearly evident during the transition from childhood to adolescence (i.e., the age 11-to-12-year transition). The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate how mother-adolescent relationships evolved before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and their correlation with pandemic-related stress and adolescents' psychological distress.

Methods: A longitudinal study involving 579 mother-adolescent dyads (junior high school students at Time 1; 50% male students) was conducted, with data collected before (October 2019) and during (October 2020) the pandemic in Japan. Both mothers and adolescents reported the perceived quality of their positive and conflictual relationships at each time point. At Time 2, assessments were made regarding perceived pandemic-related stress and adolescent psychological distress.

Results: Structural equation modeling, cross-lagged regression, and mediation analysis revealed that perceptions of relationships by both mothers and adolescents before the pandemic predicted and sustained their own and their partners' perceptions during the pandemic. Furthermore, adolescents' perceptions of positive relationships with mothers protected against adolescents' distress. Otherwise, their perceptions of conflictual relationships with mothers posed a risk for adolescents' psychological distress. Additionally, the maintenance of adolescents' higher perception of positive relationships with their mothers was mediated by their perceived higher pandemic-related stress.

Conclusions: These findings underscore the reciprocal and additive nature of mothers' and adolescents' perceptions of relationship quality, which in turn predict adolescents' mental health during stressful situations like a pandemic. Moreover, adolescents are encouraged not to suppress negative feelings about stress, to enhance perceptions of a positive relationship perceptions with their mother.

Introduction: To account for the limitations of categorical taxonomies, a general psychopathology factor (p-factor) has been proposed as a transdiagnostic dimension that captures the shared variance across various forms of psychopathology. However, further research is required to clarify the specific characteristics that define the p-factor, particularly in adolescence - a period marked by heightened vulnerability to psychological disorders and significant developmental changes.

Methods: This study utilized a sample of 1366 cisgender adolescents (56% assigned female at birth, Mage = 16.25, SD = 1.44) to examine the structure of the p-factor using Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling. The study also explored the association between the p-factor and emerging personality pathology, focusing on self and interpersonal dimensions.

Results: The p-factor was characterized by items reflecting negative affectivity, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral problems. Greater difficulties in self-related (e.g., sense of self, self-acceptance, and goals) and interpersonal dimensions (e.g., family relationships, aggression, and sexuality) were associated with higher levels of general psychopathology. A small but significant negative association was found between the quality of peer relationships and the p-factor, suggesting a potential protective role of friendships.

Conclusions: The study highlights the multifaceted nature of the p-factor, confirming its relevance in capturing general psychological maladjustment during adolescence. The p-factor demonstrated a double-edged nature, encapsulating externalizing (e.g., impulsive behaviors, aggression) and internalizing symptoms (e.g., feelings of inadequacy and guilt). These findings provide insights into the interplay between general psychopathology and personality pathology, supporting a model that integrates self and interpersonal dimensions to understand adolescent psychopathology.

Introduction: Children from multicultural families in South Korea are at high risk of bullying victimization, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. This study explores the gendered dynamics of depressive symptoms associated with persistent exposure to bullying victimization among these youths, as well as the role of family support.

Methods: This study utilizes data from nine waves of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS), spanning from 2011 (Wave 1) to 2019 (Wave 9). MAPS is a nationally representative longitudinal survey of adolescents with multicultural backgrounds and their mothers. Participants include 1375 families (51.1% girls; grade 4-13). Fixed-effects models were estimated to address the possibility of bias due to unobserved time-invariant confounders. Gender-stratified analyses and interaction models were employed to examine the moderating role of gender and family support.

Results: Depressive symptoms among girls were higher with persistent bullying victimization; however, this association was observed up to two consecutive waves of exposure (an immediate and short-term pattern). In contrast, persistent bullying victimization was associated with a cumulative increase in depressive symptoms up to three or more consecutive waves of exposure in boys (an immediate and cumulative pattern). Moreover, while family support was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms among bullied girls, bullied boys exhibited a similar pattern of a cumulative increase in depressive symptoms regardless of the level of family support.

Conclusion: The study's findings suggest potential considerations for gendered interventions related to mental health outcomes of bullying victimization among multicultural family youth in Korea.

Introduction: While social networks have become an integral part of people's lives, they also bring the potential for negative consequences, with problematic social network use emerging as a noteworthy concern, especially among adolescents. Guided by social control theory, this study examined bidirectional relationships between problematic social network use and its influencing factors: school connectedness and social anxiety.

Methods: Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were employed to examine the bidirectional relationships among school connectedness, social anxiety, and problematic social network use. Data were collected using the School Connectedness Scale, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and the Evaluation Tool for Problematic Mobile Social Network Usage. Measurements were taken at three different times, each 6 months apart, over the course of 1 year (Time 1-3; T1 in November 2020). A total of 1684 Chinese adolescents (45.23% boys, M_age = 14.66, SD = 1.30) from a secondary school in Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, China, participated in the study.

Results: The results indicated school connectedness and problematic social network use negatively predicted each other over time. In contrast, a positive bidirectional relationship was found between social anxiety and problematic social network use.

Conclusions: The findings have important implications for the development of targeted intervention strategies aimed at promoting healthy online habits and preventing the escalation of problematic social network use among adolescents. By highlighting the dynamic interplay between school connectedness, social anxiety, and social network use, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of these issues and lays the groundwork for future research and interventions aimed at supporting adolescents in navigating the digital landscape.

Introduction: Young people with chronic health conditions are among the most at risk of having poor social connections, however, little is known about their experiences of loneliness and social isolation. We aimed to describe the perspectives and experiences of loneliness and social isolation among young people with chronic physical conditions.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and CENTRAL from inception to May 2023 for qualitative studies that described the perspectives of loneliness and social isolation in young people aged 10-24 years with chronic physical conditions. Findings from the included studies were analyzed using thematic synthesis.

Results: We included 35 studies across 12 countries involving 723 participants (56% female). Most studies (63%) were conducted in young people with cancer. Four major themes were identified: suffering from repercussions of disease (struggling with body image and physical changes, intensified disconnection while hospitalized); hindering relationships with peers and friends (missing out on formative experiences, feeling stuck behind, restrictive parental attitudes); grappling with social exclusion (facing concerns alone, bullying and ostracism); seeking social support and self-help (reliance on family, kindness and empathy from friends, developing rapport with healthcare professionals, discovering self in adversity).

Conclusions: Symptoms, treatments, and hospitalizations limited young people's social participation and ability to maintain friendships, and this was compounded by social exclusion and bullying. Supportive friends, family, and healthcare professionals helped mitigate feelings of isolation. Interventions and strategies are needed to improve social support and foster meaningful connections. This can be achieved through education and awareness initiatives that promote inclusion in schools and the community, as well as efforts to enhance social support and continuity of care in hospitals.

Background: Popularity in adolescence has been the subject of considerable empirical inquiry over the last two decades. As research on this dimension of social experience evolved, fundamental shifts occurred in the modalities through which adolescents communicate. Social networking platforms, instant messaging applications, and other forms of social media emerged as organizing features of adolescent peer groups.

Objective: In the current paper, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis examining evidence that social media activity is associated with both popularity and goals for becoming popular.

Methods: Syntheses were conducted based on 34 effect sizes from 12 studies (N = 7776; 4037 girls and 3739 boys) using three-level Meta-analytic techniques.

Results: Average effect sizes across studies were of small to medium magnitude and were not influenced by Meta-analytic moderators. Although the findings provide support for expected positive associations between social media activity and popularity, unresolved questions remain.

Introduction: Current literature recognizes that various socialization agents often shape political behavior. This study employs frameworks of political socialization and political agency to explore how extracurricular activities and political intentions established at age 16 influence aspects of political participation and civic engagement at age 20.

Methods: A 4-year longitudinal study was conducted using a community-based sample of 933 adolescents from a medium-sized Swedish city with a population of approximately 135,000. Data were collected in 2010 and 2014, allowing for an analysis of the impact of extracurricular activities and political intentions developed during adolescence on later political and civic behaviors. The analytical sample comprised 933 individuals (50.8% females; mean age = 16.62, SD = 0.71).

Results: The analysis revealed that participation in extracurricular activities at age 16 is a significant predictor of offline political participation at age 20. However, no significant associations were found between these activities and other forms of participation, such as illegal behaviors or broader civic engagement. Political intentions at age 16 also significantly predicted offline political participation at age 20.

Conclusions: The findings highlight the pivotal roles of both socialization agents and individual factors related to youth political agency in shaping political trajectories during adolescence. Understanding the effects of extracurricular activities and political intentions on political participation and civic engagement can aid policymakers and educators in developing strategies to foster active citizenship among young people.

Introduction: Knowing who we are and what we are living for helps us to better adjust in everyday life and confront negative life events, especially for adolescents who are going through critical developmental periods when changes in life could bring both psychopathology risk yet opportunity to achieve a better self. The current study focused on mental time travel, the mental visit to the past or future, and examined the impact on adolescents' perceived meaning in life, with the potential mediating factor of self-continuity.

Methods: A total of 1543 high school students aged 12 to 18 years old (M_age = 15.02, SD_age = 1.58, 52% girls) from Jiangsu Province, China were recruited in a two-wave longitudinal survey that separated by an interval of 6 months. Participants reported their proneness to engage in nostalgia or future prospection at T1 and sense of self-continuity at T2, while the perceived meaning in life were reported at both time points. The latent structural equation models were established with items as indicators for all study variables.

Results: Mental time travel, including both nostalgia and future prospection, facilitated adolescent meaning in life via increased self-continuity, except that future prospection showed only positive indirect effect, while nostalgia demonstrated direct yet negative impact on meaning in life after accounting for the positive mediation effect.

Conclusions: Findings highlighted the distinct effects of the past- and future-oriented mental time travel on adolescent meaning in life, and provided insights for promoting adolescent psychological adjustment.