Longitudinal Growth Models Research Articles

Piecewise Growth Modeling Using SAS PROC MIXED

ABSTRACT Typical longitudinal growth models assume constant functional growth over time. However, there are often conditions where trajectories may not be constant over time. For example, trajectories of psychological behaviors may vary based on a participant’s age, or conversely, participants may experience an intervention that causes trajectories to change. Specifically, this article outlines how to build and estimate piecewise growth models (PGM) using SAS PROC MIXED in order to estimate discontinuous growth models over time in a hierarchical linear model (HLM) framework. Details of data coding schemes, model parameterization, analysis using SAS PROC MIXED, and interpretation of parameter estimates will be discussed using a simulated education intervention data set.

French vocabulary development of early-elementary students in a dual language immersion program: The role of out-of-school input and output

Aims: The current study seeks to better understand the effects of input quantity, input quality, and output on the French vocabulary development of early-elementary school students attending a French–English dual language immersion (DLI) program in the United States. Design: The participants were 42 early-elementary students attending a French–English DLI program, who participated in a longitudinal study. At the beginning of the study, they experienced variability in out-of-school French input and output. Data and analysis: Data on out-of-school French input and output came from parents’ responses on a survey. Children’s French receptive vocabulary was measured using their scores on the Échelle de Vocabulaire en Images Peabody, while their French expressive vocabulary was measured using the number of different words employed on a picture description task. Their vocabulary skills were assessed over one year, and data from the five time points were used to fit a longitudinal growth model. Findings: Students who were exposed to more French input had higher scores on the French receptive vocabulary measure at baseline, whereas those who produced more French output had higher scores on the French expressive vocabulary measure at baseline. Maternal French proficiency had no significant effect on French receptive and expressive vocabulary scores at baseline. Originality: Few previous studies, if any, have analyzed the associations between input, output, and vocabulary development in the DLI context; that is, the extent to which children’s vocabulary trajectories in the partner language are affected by their out-of-school input and output experiences. Implications: Bilingual programs ought to emphasize both input and output in the target language given their unique contribution to children’s receptive and expressive language skills. Also, future research on bilingual vocabulary development should examine input and output in both languages.

Attachment to Peers and School: Longitudinal Moderators of the Relation Between Caregiver Psychological Distress and Adolescent Hopelessness.

Research has yet to determine how relationships outside of the family system may buffer negative outcomes associated with hopelessness among racial minority youth. In a sample of Black American youth (N = 512; 49% females) and their parents or caregivers, this study used longitudinal growth models to explore whether youth relationships (attachment to peers and attachment to school) moderated the association between caregiver distress (depressive symptoms and traumatic stress), and youth hopelessness. Adolescents' gender was examined to determine if there were gender differences present in these associations. Four linear growth models showed a significant change in levels of hopelessness over time for youth and a significant positive relation between caregiver distress and youth level of hopelessness. Attachment to peers and attachment to school did not equally moderate the relation between caregiver psychological distress and youth hopelessness. The type of caregiver distress had a differential effect on youth hopelessness in the context of the moderation models and based on gender. The type of caregiver distress had a differential effect on youth hopelessness in the context of the moderation models and based on gender. Implications for the importance of non-familial attachments among Black American youth with distressed parents are discussed.

When do job crafting interventions work? The moderating roles of workload, intervention intensity, and participation

Job crafting refers to self-initiated, proactive strategies to change work characteristics to better align one's job with personal needs, goals, and skills. This study evaluated the conditions under which job crafting interventions are effective for increasing job crafting behaviours. We assessed the impact of initial workload on the effectiveness of two interventions – a less intense, knowledge-reflection intervention (N = 39), and a more intense, knowledge-reflection-action intervention that involved completing Job Crafting Boosts over 4 weeks (N = 50). Irrespective of intervention, longitudinal growth modelling analyses revealed that those with high initial workload engaged in more crafting behaviours to decrease hindering demands, whereas those with low initial workload engaged in more crafting behaviours to increase structural resources. No significant differences were observed between intervention groups in any job crafting behaviours. A further goal of the study was to examine, for those in the knowledge-reflection-action intervention, how much the participants actively participated in Job Crafting Boosts. Engagement varied considerably, with the average participation being below the target of three Job Crafting Boosts per week. Content analysis of open-ended responses to questions revealed that, for those who did engage in the Job Crafting Boosts, there were positive experiences, including insights about making positive changes at work, increased vigour and motivation, increased productivity, and resolved problems. This research shows that: interventions to reduce hindering demands should be targeted at those high in initial workload; interventions to increase job resources should be targeted at those low in initial workload; and intervention intensity does not impact intervention effectiveness.

Beers with Peers: Childhood ADHD and Risk for Correlated Change in Perceived Peer and Personal Alcohol Use Across Young Adulthood.

ADHD poses risk for problematic alcohol use through adulthood. Perceived peer alcohol use, one of the strongest correlates of individuals' own alcohol use, is especially salient for adolescents with ADHD. The extent to which this risk extends into young adulthood is unknown, as well as how change in these constructs is associated throughout young adulthood. In the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study, 358 individuals with childhood-diagnosed ADHD and 239 without were prospectively followed from ages 18 to 29. Piecewise, bivariate longitudinal growth modeling was used to examine the change in both peer alcohol use and individuals' heavy drinking (binge-drinking frequency), their between-person associations, and differences by ADHD group. The addition of structured residuals probed within-person year-to-year change in peer and personal alcohol use and their prospective associations. Perceived peer alcohol use and individuals' heavy drinking frequencies changed together over time concurrently-from ages 18 to 21 (piece 1) and 21 to 29 (piece 2). Prospectively, individuals who increased the most in heavy drinking from ages 18 to 21 reported more friends using alcohol at age 29, regardless of ADHD history. Within-person increases in personal alcohol use likewise predicted increased perceived peer use the subsequent year within each age group (piece), regardless of ADHD history. However, while decreasing perceived peer use from ages 21 to 29 was related to more frequent heavy drinking at age 29 for those without ADHD, increasing perceived peer use from ages 18 to 21 predicted more frequent heavy drinking at age 29 for those with ADHD. Young adult heavy drinking changes in tandem with perceived peer alcohol use across individuals and predicts selection of alcohol-using peers from year to year within individuals, further into adulthood than previously documented. Findings suggest the centrality of relationships with alcohol-consuming friends in relation to one's heavy drinking, especially for young adults with ADHD histories, through the twenties.

Time to Help? Contextualizing Trajectories of Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has been found to vary over time, but its longitudinal development has remained unexplored. Drawing from event system theory and human capital theory, we investigate the development of OCB over time and contextualize it with events in the organization that affect employees and their work tasks and with resources provided through human resource management (HRM) practices. The longitudinal growth model was tested in a sample of 205 employees with monthly measures over one year. For each event, we found distinctive trajectories of OCB. Furthermore, the HRM practices of selective staffing and training influenced OCB at the onset of an event, whereas the HRM practices of decision making, performance management, and promotional opportunities determined the level and the development of OCB after the event reorganization. Our contextual view of the development of OCB helps in understanding what motivates employees to perform OCB and what resources support discretionary behavior.

A Group Randomized Trial of School-Based Teen Courts to Address the School to Prison Pipeline, Reduce Aggression and Violence, and Enhance School Safety in Middle and High School Students

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the efficacy of School-Based Teen Courts (SBTCs) using a rigorous experimental trial with 24 middle- and high-schools randomly selected to receive SBTCs (n= 12) or to business-as-usual without any SBTC program (n = 12). Analyses examined school-level longitudinal growth models and individual-level pretest-posttest comparisons on school climate, student problems, and suspension rates. Longitudinal growth models revealed that SBTCs were significantly associated with positive changes in school satisfaction and reductions in delinquent friends for high school students, but showed no significant changes on other outcomes. Short-term suspensions decreased more than twice as much in SBTC schools versus comparison schools. There was a 47% reduction in bullying victimization in SBTC schools relative to a 22% reduction in comparison schools. These findings suggest that SBTCs have the potential to positively impact youth development.

The case for hiring neurotic salespeople: A longitudinal growth modeling analysis

While often characterized as a negative personality trait in the academic literature, we contend that neuroticism, under certain conditions, can spur employee success in the workplace. Utilizing longitudinal growth modeling (LGM) analysis with a sample of 114 direct-to-consumer salespeople, we show that neurotics demonstrate positive initial job performance, but that their performance attenuates over time. Additionally, we demonstrate positive synergies between neuroticism and the traditionally desirable traits of conscientiousness and extroversion on initial performance and performance growth. Specifically, we demonstrate that individuals who are conscientious and extroverted perform better when they are also neurotic. In so doing, we contribute to the literature by demonstrating the time varying effects of personality on job performance as well as the importance of evaluating the synergies between different personality traits.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Cosmesis After Once-Weekly Hypofractionated Breast Irradiation in Medically Underserved Patients

To evaluate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and cosmesis from a phase 2 trial of once-weekly hypofractionated breast irradiation (WH-WBI) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Patients had stage 0-II breast cancer treated with BCS and negative margins. WH-WBI was 28.5 to 30 Gy in 5 weekly fractions of 5.7 to 6 Gy delivered with or without a boost. PROs were collected for 3 years after treatment using the Breast Cancer Treatment Outcome Scale (BCTOS) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23). Physicians rated cosmetic outcome with the Global Cosmesis Score. Longitudinal growth models were used to assess changes in BCTOS across time, and baseline values and changes between time points were correlated with patient and treatment factors. From 2011 to 2015, 158 women received WH-WBI, and 148 were eligible for analysis after a median follow-up of 39.3 months. Adverse changes (P < .001) in global BCTOS score and breast pain and arm function subscores were observed 6 months after radiation therapy, followed by improvement to near-baseline values at years 1 and 3. Adverse changes in BCTOS cosmetic subscore were also detected at 6 months (P < .001), with no significant improvement at 1 (P = .385) and 3 (P = .644) years. No effect was detected for longitudinal changes in BCTOS scoring for age, body mass index, diabetes, smoking, breast volume, tumor size, seroma volume, dosimetric factors, dose, boost, or systemic therapy. Physician-rated cosmesis at 3 years was excellent/good in 89% and fair/poor in 11%. WH-WBI was associated with transient worsening in arm function and breast pain but persistent adverse changes in cosmetic PROs that were typically mild or moderate in severity. Physician-rated cosmetic outcomes were acceptable.

Developmental Trajectories of Adaptive Behavior From Toddlerhood to Middle Childhood in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Longitudinal growth modeling was utilized to examine adaptive behavior over eight years across the three time points (i.e., ages 2-10). Seventy-six parents completed the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales interviews of adaptive behavior. Child participants completed standardized developmental testing and an executive function task in toddlerhood and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule across all time points. Growth models were specified for communication, daily living skills, and socialization domains of adaptive behavior. Mental age in toddlerhood was a significant predictor of trajectories of communication, daily living skills, and socialization. Executive function and autism severity were significant predictors of socialization. Findings suggest executive function as a potential target for promoting the growth of adaptive behavior skills in addition to autism symptomology.

ImageBreed: Open‐access plant breeding web–database for image‐based phenotyping

AbstractHigh‐throughput image‐phenotyping promises to accelerate the rate of genetic improvement in plant breeding through varietal selections informed by longitudinal growth models. To facilitate routine analyses and to drive breeding decisions, data integration is critical for effective management of germplasm, field experiment design, phenotyping, tissue sampling, genotyping, aerial‐phenotyping campaigns, image files, and geo‐spatial information. To this end, ImageBreed provides a software solution for end‐to‐end image‐based phenotyping integrated into the Breedbase plant breeding system. ImageBreed provides open‐source orthophotomosaic construction for raw image captures from standard color cameras and from the MicaSense RedEdge multispectral camera. Additionally, previously assembled orthophotomosaic raster images can be uploaded. Orthophotomosaic images allow for streamlined extraction of plot‐polygon images; however, ImageBreed plot‐polygon images can also be extracted directly from raw aerial image captures. A web–database interface streamlines assignment of plot‐polygon images from the orthophotomosaic or raw aerial‐captures to the field experiment design. Image processes spanning Fourier‐transform filtering, thresholding, and vegetation index masking are applied to reduce noise in extracted phenotypes. Summary‐statistic phenotypic values are extracted for every observed plot‐polygon image using a structured ontology. Plot‐polygon images are queryable against genotypic, phenotypic, and experimental design information for training of machine learning models and for driving breeding decisions in varietal advancement. ImageBreed is publicly available at http://imagebreed.org and built on the open‐source Breedbase system (https://github.com/solgenomics/sgn); all image‐processing scripts are available at https://github.com/solgenomics/DroneImageScripts and via a Docker image. All data deposited in http://imagebreed.org are publicly available for longitudinal model training and for driving future breeding decisions.

Updated Content of Education in Kazakhstan: Longitudinal Trajectories of Learning Performance in Mathematics and Science

Updated Content of Education in Kazakhstan: Longitudinal Trajectories of Learning Performance in Mathematics and Science Dimiter Milkov Dimitrov, Olga Ivanovna Mozhayeva, Aidana Senbekovna Shilibekova, Dinara Balakazovna Ziyedenova, Zamira Kenshilbayevna Rakhymbayeva Abstract Purpose. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the Updated Content of Education (UCE) project in Kazakhstan on longitudinal trajectories of learners‟ performance on diagnostic tests conducted under the piloting of UCE (2015/2019) in the areas of Mathematics and Science. Research Methods. A longitudinal growth modeling was used to study targeted UCE effects based on a study sample of 2,509 students from 30 pilot schools and 1,082 from control schools. Findings. The results revealed positive UCE effects on the learners‟ growth and performance in Mathematics and Science, the presence of two latent classes of growth trajectories in Science, no gender effects, and partial effects of school location (rural/urban) on the learners‟ performance. Implications for Research and Practice. It is necessary to continue the work on development of teachers‟ professional competencies, the development of teaching aids and didactic materials, and criteria-based assessments. Learners from different latent classes of performance in Science need to be identified and provided with support in differential learning strategies. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v9n1a9

Irregular sleep and event schedules are associated with poorer self-reported well-being in US college students.

Sleep regularity, in addition to duration and timing, is predictive of daily variations in well-being. One possible contributor to changes in these sleep dimensions are early morning scheduled events. We applied a composite metric-the Composite Phase Deviation (CPD)-to assess mistiming and irregularity of both sleep and event schedules to examine their relationship with self-reported well-being in US college students. Daily well-being, actigraphy, and timing of sleep and first scheduled events (academic/exercise/other) were collected for approximately 30 days from 223 US college students (37% females) between 2013 and 2016. Participants rated well-being daily upon awakening on five scales: Sleepy-Alert, Sad-Happy, Sluggish-Energetic, Sick-Healthy, and Stressed-Calm. A longitudinal growth model with time-varying covariates was used to assess relationships between sleep variables (i.e. CPDSleep, sleep duration, and midsleep time) and daily and average well-being. Cluster analysis was used to examine relationships between CPD for sleep vs. event schedules. CPD for sleep was a significant predictor of average well-being (e.g. Stressed-Calm: b = -6.3, p < 0.01), whereas sleep duration was a significant predictor of daily well-being (Stressed-Calm, b = 1.0, p < 0.001). Although cluster analysis revealed no systematic relationship between CPD for sleep vs. event schedules (i.e. more mistimed/irregular events were not associated with more mistimed/irregular sleep), they interacted upon well-being: the poorest well-being was reported by students for whom both sleep and event schedules were mistimed and irregular. Sleep regularity and duration may be risk factors for lower well-being in college students. Stabilizing sleep and/or event schedules may help improve well-being. NCT02846077.

Whom to hire and how to coach them: a longitudinal analysis of newly hired salesperson performance

Salesperson hiring decisions are critical for firms, and managers typically accept one of two viewpoints regarding optimal hiring strategies. The first asserts that prior sales experience allows new salespeople to perform immediately upon hire and represents a valuable hiring heuristic. The second believes lack of prior experience allows managers to mold new salespeople to the hiring firm’s needs. Further complicating matters, formal sales education programs are gaining in popularity and may represent an alternative hiring heuristic for sales managers. Using unique multisource data (from both B2B and B2C firms), the authors explore the effects of these hiring heuristics in driving salespeople’s longitudinal performance trajectories, along with the moderating role of post-hire manager coaching behaviors. Results of the longitudinal growth models show the distinct and opposing effects of each hiring heuristic and coaching strategy. The authors also identify critical areas of future research and managerial practice.

Role of timing of exposure to pets and dampness or mould on asthma and sensitization in adolescence.

Pet and dampness or mould exposure are considered risk factors for asthma and sensitization. It is unclear whether timing of exposure to these factors is differentially associated with asthma risk and sensitization in adolescence. We investigated the role of timing of pet and dampness or mould exposure in asthma and sensitization in adolescence. Understanding this role is essential to build targeted prevention strategies. We used data from 1871 participants of the Dutch Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) cohort. Residential exposure to pets, dampness or mould was assessed by repeated parental questionnaires. We used asthma data from the 17-year questionnaire and sensitization data from the 16-year medical examination. We characterized timing using longitudinal exposure patterns from pregnancy till age 17 using longitudinal latent class growth modelling. We used logistic regression models to analyse associations of exposure patterns with asthma at age 17 and sensitization at age 16. For none of the time windows, exposure to pets and dampness or mould was associated with asthma at age 17, but a lower sensitization risk at age 16 was suggested, for example the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for sensitization was 0.63 (0.35-1.11) and 0.69 (0.44-1.08) for early life and persistently high pet exposure, respectively, compared with very low exposure. An inverse association was also suggested for sensitization and moderate early childhood dampness or mould exposure (0.71 [0.42-1.19]). Different timing of pet and dampness or mould exposure was not associated with asthma, but lower risk of sensitization in adolescence was suggested, which could be partly attributable to reversed causation. Current findings are not sufficient to recommend pet avoidance to prevent allergic disease. More prospective studies are needed to obtain insights that can be used in clinical practice.

Role of Personality Traits and Psychological Capital in Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Study

Situated in positive organizational behaviour (POB) literature, this study uses a three-wave longitudinal research design and latent growth modelling (LGM) approach to investigate the effect of psy...

On early brain folding patterns using biomechanical growth modeling.

Abnormal cortical folding patterns may be related to neurodevelopmental disorders such as lissencephaly and polymicrogyria. In this context, computational modeling is a powerful tool to provide a better understanding of the early brain folding process. Recent studies based on biomechanical modeling have shown that mechanical forces play a crucial role in the formation of cortical convolutions. However, the correlation between simulation results and biological facts, and the effect of physical parameters in these models remain unclear. In this paper, we propose a new brain longitudinal length growth model to improve brain model growth. In addition, we investigate the effect of the initial cortical thickness on folding patterns, quantifying the folds by the surface-based three-dimensional gyrification index and a spectral analysis of gyrification. The results tend to show that the use of such biomechanical models could highlight the links between neurodevelopmental diseases and physical parameters.

The Role of Curiosity in the Sociopolitical Development of Black and Latinx Adolescents.

Sociopolitical development, the process of coming to understand and take action against systems of oppression, is associated with key outcomes for youth. Although rooted in Paulo Freire's work on critical consciousness, sociopolitical development models overlook a motivational attribute-curiosity-that Freire characterized as a catalyst of such development. This longitudinal study investigated the relationship between curiosity and two aspects of sociopolitical development (social analysis, societal involvement) in a sample of Black and Latinx adolescents (N=659). Longitudinal growth models demonstrated positive growth in all constructs over 4-years of high school. Multivariate growth models revealed a positive correlation at baseline between curiosity and both constructs; growth in curiosity was also positively correlated with growth in social analysis and societal involvement.

Student satisfaction with learning management systems: A growth model of belief and use

AbstractLearning management systems (LMSs) have been launched in universities and other schools. However, because the use of such technology in schools is relatively new in the blended context, it is essential to understand whether students will accept and continue to use it. In this study, longitudinal latent growth modelling was used to examine the relationship between changes to LMS use and belief, and satisfaction with LMS among 1179 students, mostly between 12 and 13 years old, from 25 Hong Kong schools. Both LMS use and belief had positive linear growth over time. We observed individual differences in the students’ initial level of belief and the rate at which their belief changed. In addition, individual differences in the students’ initial level of LMS use were observed. However, there were no individual differences in their rate of change for LMS use. The initial level of belief and increased LMS use were directly associated with system and learning satisfaction with LMS. Changes to LMS use mediated the relationship between changes to beliefs and system and learning satisfaction with LMS. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Extensive studies of technology acceptance have been conducted taking a cross‐sectional approach. Previous technology acceptance studies are focused on users in organisations or students in higher education. Technology acceptance studies explored users’ continuance technology use as the extension of initial acceptance, and a set of determinants have been established to predict and explain users’ acceptance and continued use of technologies, and user satisfaction. What this paper adds A growth model of belief and use to explore the dynamic changes of LMS belief and use and how they impact on satisfaction was proposed. The model was tested by a three‐wave longitudinal survey data set, which is a random sample that covered diverse academic ability levels of junior secondary students from 25 schools in Hong Kong. This study would make a significant contribution towards a better understanding about students’ acceptance and continuance of LMS and e‐learning technology. Implications for practice and/or policy Facilitating students to form positive LMS/e‐learning beliefs is critical to ensure satisfaction and the continuance use of LMS/e‐learning technologies. It is important for teachers and system designers to put more effort towards supporting students’ belief in perceived ease of use, so that they would find LMS easy to use. Teachers should endeavour to create positive LMS use experiences and encourage more frequent use of the LMS for different learning tasks.

Variables associated with reductions in insomnia severity among acutely suicidal patients receiving brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention

IntroductionThis study compared changes in sleep disturbance over time across brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention and treatment as usual and examined the mechanisms that link sleep disturbance with several suicide risk factors. MethodActive duty U.S. Army soldiers (N = 152) completed a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 76) or treatment as usual (n = 76). Six assessments of insomnia symptoms, hopelessness, coping, and suicide beliefs were tracked over 24 months. ResultsBrief cognitive behavioral therapy patients reported a significant decrease in sleep disturbance symptoms over time while treatment as usual patients did not. These improvements were initially observed during treatment and carried over through 12-months. Changes in sleep disturbance predicted changes in suicide risk. Longitudinal growth modeling was used to assess potential mechanisms of this effect. Results suggested that changes in cognitive flexibility, as defined by measures of hopelessness and suicide beliefs, predicted change in sleep disturbance symptoms. These relationships did not differ across treatment groups. LimitationsThe participants were active duty military personnel. Therefore, the results may not generalize to other patient populations. A greater number of assessment periods in closer proximity as well as additional measures of constructs of interest would have improved the internal validity of this study. ConclusionsBrief cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduces sleep disturbance and suicide risk. Changes in cognitive flexibility, in part, explain change in sleep disturbance across both treatments.