Two-wave Longitudinal Study Research Articles

Longitudinal association of stress with mental health in the context of COVID-19: The mediating role of psychological flexibility and emotional schemas.

Stress is a known contributor to psychosocial pathological conditions and reduction of well-being. The literature has highlighted the role of emotional schemas and psychological flexibility as psychological processes underlying this relationship in the short term. This two-wave longitudinal study analyses the mediating role of psychological flexibility and emotional schemas in the relationship between stress responses to COVID-19-related events and mental health 6 months later. Two hundred and seventy-six individuals were included in this study, completing measures of stress responses, emotional schemas, psychological flexibility and positive and negative mental health. Negative evaluation of emotions was a significant mediator in the longitudinal relationship between stress responses and negative mental health. Valued action and openness to experience mediate the longitudinal relationship between stress responses and positive mental health. This study underscores the importance of the different dimensions of psychological processes, suggesting that over time, more maladaptive psychological processes play a significant role in elucidating the relationship between stress responses and negative mental health. Similarly, it suggests that more adaptive processes may help explain the relationship between stress responses and positive mental health. This contributes to a better understanding of the stability of these processes, which is important for determining which intervention targets should be prioritised.

Are basic psychological needs linked to collective narcissism and secure ingroup identity?

ABSTRACT Self-determination theory links frustrated needs to defensiveness, whereas satisfied needs to openness in interpersonal relations. Past work on intergroup relations and social identity differentiates between defensive (i.e. collective narcissism) and secure forms of ingroup identities. Here, we investigated how frustrated versus satisfied basic psychological needs (i.e. autonomy, competence, and relatedness) are associated with collective narcissism versus secure ingroup identity in a national context. In a two-wave longitudinal study (N = 297), frustrated competence predicted higher collective narcissism over time. Frustrated relatedness negatively predicted Time 2 collective narcissism. However, Time 2 secure ingroup identity was positively predicted by satisfied autonomy and negatively by frustrated competence. Results demonstrate the importance of self when identifying with groups in distinct ways.

Victim, perpetrator, or witness of peer sexual harassment? Middle-school students’ movements between roles across time

ABSTRACT Previous research on peer sexual harassment at school has mostly considered students’ involvement in the victim role while overlooking the roles of witnessing and perpetration, and students’ movements between different roles over time. In this two-wave longitudinal study (N = 783) conducted in Sweden, we examined students’ involvement in peer sexual harassment from ages 10 to 11 years to identify patterns of movements within and between roles. Through illustrations and Configural Frequency Analysis, we identified three central patterns. First, many students remained in the same roles across time, especially those who were involved in a combination of roles. Secondly, students often first encountered peer sexual harassment by witnessing it and then became targets themselves. Finally, students who perpetrated peer sexual harassment often had previous experience with other roles in peer sexual harassment. The findings suggest that social learning processes may influence how students move between different roles over time.

Parents' color-conscious racial socialization and adolescents' racial attitudes: the moderating role of parental psychological control

IntroductionThe present two-wave longitudinal study examined the relation between White U.S. parents' color-conscious racial socialization for African Americans and adolescents' racial attitudes, and explored how parental psychological control might moderate this relation.MethodParticipants included 412 White U.S. adolescents (42% girls; Mage = 15.63 years, SD = 1.24) and their primary caregivers (52% mothers). They completed online questionnaires, with parents reporting on their color-conscious racial socialization at Time 1, and adolescents providing measures of their perception of parents' psychological control at Time 1, color-blind attitudes, and racial prejudice at both time points, ~16 months apart.ResultsOur findings revealed that parents' color-conscious racial socialization for African Americans was negatively associated with adolescents' negative racial attitudes. Additionally, parental psychological control moderated this relation: the negative association was evident only when parents exhibited low or average levels of psychological control.DiscussionThis study highlights the crucial role parents play in shaping their adolescents' racial attitudes and underscores the necessity of an autonomy-supportive environment to enhance the success of parents' color-conscious socialization practices. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective interventions to reduce racial biases and foster inclusive attitudes among adolescents.

Reciprocal Relationships Between Parental Involvement and Academic Performance in Early Adolescence: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study in China.

Previous literature has focused on the overall influence of parental involvement on adolescents' academic performance, while less attention has been accorded to the reciprocal relationships between different forms of parental involvement and academic performance across gender. The present study examined the reciprocal associations between different forms of parental involvement and adolescents' academic performance using nationally representative data. A total of 9449 Chinese adolescents (47.82% girls, Mage = 13.21, SD = 0.65, 91.20% Han Ethnicity) have participated in the two-year and two-wave longitudinal study. Cross-lagged model results indicated reciprocal associations between parent-reported involvement and academic performance. Autonomy-supportive parental involvement in Grade 7 was positively associated with better academic performance in Grade 8, while behavioral control was negatively associated with later academic performance. Parental socialization practices vary by adolescent's gender. Compared with girls, boys experienced increased parental behavioral control in response to better academic performance. The findings reflect the persistence of stereotypical gender expectations and gender socialization in contemporary China.

Prospective associations between heterogeneous sleep profiles and depressive symptoms in adolescents: The mediating role of coping styles.

Extant literature has linked sleep disturbance to depressive symptoms. However, the coexistence of naturally occurring sleep profiles among adolescents and the prospective associations between sleep profiles and depressive symptoms remain poorly understood. This study aims to uncover sleep patterns in Chinese adolescents based on a comprehensive set of sleep features (e.g., latency, daytime dysfunction, etc.) derived from the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and investigate the relationship between these profiles and subsequent depressive symptoms mediated by positive and negative coping styles. Five thousand five hundred five adolescents from Shandong province, China, enrolled (Mage = 16.83 years; 49.9% girls) in a two-wave longitudinal study (T1 in August 2023; T2 in February 2024). Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify adolescent sleep patterns. Mediation and sensitivity analyses were used to examine prospective associations between sleep patterns, coping styles, and depressive symptoms. Four qualitatively distinct sleep profiles emerged: Healthy Sleepers (18.9%), Latency but Functioning Sleepers (13.6%), Efficient but Dysfunctional Sleepers (57.5%), and Medicated Maladaptive Sleepers (10.0%). Using the Healthy Sleepers as a reference group, Latency but Functional Sleepers, Efficient but Dysfunctional Sleepers, and Medicated Maladaptive Sleepers all predicted subsequent depressive symptoms through positive coping styles rather than negative coping styles. The relative indirect effects were 0.19, 0.19, and 0.32, respectively. The study underscored that adolescents exhibit distinct sleep patterns, and specific sleep profiles may be prospectively associated with depressive symptoms mediated by positive coping styles.

A test of the career construction model of adaptation in a sample of Turkish undergraduate students: a two-wave longitudinal mediation study

A test of the career construction model of adaptation in a sample of Turkish undergraduate students: a two-wave longitudinal mediation study

Adherence to COVID-19 measures and the associated factors: evidence from a two-wave longitudinal study in Singapore

BackgroundAt the onset of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when pharmaceutical interventions were not readily available, governments relied on public health mandates and social distancing measures to counter rising infection rates. In order to address the dearth of longitudinal studies, this study sought to identify factors associated with continued adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours in Singapore.MethodsData were from a two-wave longitudinal cohort study; baseline study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2021 and follow-up study from October 2021 to September 2022. Participants (n = 858) were Singapore residents, aged 18 and above, and able to speak English, Chinese or Malay. Weighted multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with adherence to the COVID-19 measures.ResultsAdherence rates of ‘avoid dining out’, ‘crowded places’, ‘people with flu symptoms’ and ‘small group gatherings’ at baseline were 39.41%, 60.82%, 79.82%, and 44.82% respectively. All measures had a decrease in adherence rates across the two-waves. Older age groups were associated with greater adherence to ‘avoid dining out’ and ‘avoid crowded places’. Having high trust in local public health experts was associated with greater adherence to ‘avoid crowded places’ and ‘avoid people with flu symptoms’. Fear of family and friends getting infected with COVID-19 was associated with ‘avoid dining out’ and ‘avoid crowded places’.ConclusionsSoft interventions like nudges can be implemented at crowded places to remind the public of the ease of transmitting the virus to their loved ones. Increasing media presence of public health experts can be a viable alternative to improve adherence.

Bidirectional relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness: A two-wave longitudinal study.

Previous research has found that self-compassion enhances well-being outcomes such as happiness and meaning in life. However, little is known about the link between self-compassion and psychological richness, a recently introduced concept of well-being. Thus, an exploration of the relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the association between self-compassion and well-being. To address this issue, this study investigated the temporal directionality of their relationship within a cohort of Chinese college students, utilizing a two-wave longitudinal approach. Using a cross-lagged model, the results revealed that the self-compassion could predict psychological richness 3 months later, and conversely, psychological richness could also predict subsequent self-compassion. This research provides new insights into the bidirectional relationship between self-compassion and psychological richness, broadening our understanding of the association between self-compassion and well-being. Future interventions should focus on the important effect of self-compassion interventions in the development of psychological richness. In addition, future research could consider interventions on increasing psychological richness to improve the level of self-compassion among college students.

Personality traits as predictors of forgiveness and gratitude/awe: a two-wave longitudinal study

AbstractCross-sectional studies have shown that individual differences can be associated with pro-social emotions. However, little is known about how personality may predict subsequent forgiveness and gratitude/awe. This study investigates the longitudinal influence of the Big Five traits (assessed by the Ten-Item Personality Inventory), supplemented by narcissism (assessed by the Single Item Narcissism Scale), on decisional and emotional forgiveness (assessed by the Decisional and Emotional Forgiveness Scales), as well as gratitude/awe (assessed by the Gratitude/Awe Questionnaire). Data were gathered from 292 respondents (64% women) from Poland who completed questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and 6 months later at Time 2 (T2). Structural equation modelling showed that agreeableness at T1 positively predicted decisional forgiveness at T2; extraversion at T1 and emotional stability at T1 positively predicted emotional forgiveness at T2; and openness at T1 positively predicted gratitude/awe at T2, albeit all effects were weak. Our findings suggested that personality traits play a more minor role than one might think based on cross-sectional studies in determining individuals’ capacity for forgiveness and gratitude/awe. However, it is essential to note that these results are specific to the Polish population, underscoring the necessity for future research incorporating a more diverse demographic representation.

Is the clique a pond? The big-fish-little-pond effect and the relative meaning of clique and classroom

BackgroundAcademic self-concept (ASC) is a key predictor of learning behaviors and educational outcomes. In adolescence, the evaluation of academic abilities is mainly shaped by the social environment and comparisons with various reference groups. The effect of making social comparisons with the academic achievement of a reference group is known as the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE). AimsBased on social comparison theory and the local dominance effect (LDE), the present study aimed to investigate a pivotal adolescent reference group beside the classroom: the clique. We investigated to what extent students’ social comparison with the mathematics achievement of clique members was related to the ASC of individual students more than general classroom comparisons. SampleThe sample comprised 743 German secondary students in sixth and eighth grade (93 cliques in 40 classrooms). MethodsWe estimated a three-level structural equation model using data from a two-wave longitudinal study in one school year. The change in students’ ASC was determined using latent change modeling. ResultsThe average academic achievement of the clique negatively predicted ASC development. Classroom academic achievement had no effect. ConclusionsThe results underline the importance of informal peer groups like cliques as important reference groups for social comparisons and ASC development during adolescence.

The longitudinal relationships between problematic mobile phone use symptoms and negative emotions: a cross-lagged panel network analysis

BackgroundThe association between problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and negative emotions in university students is not well understood in terms of causality and directionality. This study aims to clarify whether negative emotions trigger PMPU or whether the PMPU itself leads to increased negative emotions over time. MethodsA two-wave longitudinal study was conducted involving 5568 Chinese freshmen who were surveyed at baseline and followed up after one academic year. PMPU, social media use, online game use, fear of missing out, loneliness, social anxiety, and academic burnout were measured. Cross-sectional and longitudinal connections between these variables were examined using network analysis techniques. ResultsThe variable with the strongest influence in both contemporaneous networks was “Productivity loss” of MAPI. Moreover, “Academic burnout” at baseline significantly predicted higher levels of problematic smartphone use and negative emotions at follow-up, suggesting that it may serve as a catalyst for addictive tendencies. Furthermore, we observed bidirectional relationships between “Escapism” and “Social anxiety”, as well as between “Social anxiety” and “Inability to control craving”, suggesting a potential self-perpetuating cycle. ConclusionThese findings highlight the role of academic burnout in initiating cycles of PMPU and negative emotions. In order to effectively tackle PMPU, it is crucial to consider the underlying drivers such as academic burnout and emotional states. This is important due to the complex and reciprocal associations uncovered through our longitudinal network analysis.

Exposure to entrepreneurship education interventions reveal improvements to vocational entrepreneurial intent: a two-wave longitudinal study

The education sector has witnessed a growing recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of entrepreneurship education (EE), which has expanded beyond its traditional focus on business students. While higher education institutions have gained significant prominence in EE, little is known about the effects of EE in technical vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. This study aimed to examine the impact of EE on the entrepreneurial intentions (EI), attitudes towards business (ATB) creation, subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of vocational students, grounded in the theory of planned behavior. Adopting a Two-Wave Longitudinal design, the study was conducted on a sample of 128 TVET students who underwent an intensive six-month EE program. The results showed that the Time 2 scores were significantly higher than the Time 1 scores for EI (9.510), ATB (9.773), SN (8.588), and PBC (2.993), indicating the effectiveness of EE in fostering pro-entrepreneurial desires among vocational students. The findings suggest that TVET institutions should consider incorporating EE into their curricula and provide adequate support systems for their student population. This study contributes to the limited research on the impact of EE in the TVET context, particularly within emerging economies, and offers insights for educational practice and future research.

Hotter weather, less of a hoax? Testing the longitudinal association between experience of temperature anomalies and belief in climate change conspiracy theories

While people across the world are experiencing hotter summers, there is still a considerable number of people who believe that climate change is a hoax. It thus raises the question of whether the experience of local temperature anomalies would influence people's beliefs about climate change conspiracy. To address this question, we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study with participants from the U.S. (Study 1) and mainland China (Study 2), respectively. We expect that the experience of temperature anomalies would serve as a cognitive proxy that counteracts the hoax conspiracy narratives and thus would be negatively related to belief in such narratives. We further explored whether this negative association would be related to less perceived psychological distance, stronger negative emotions, and more climate change-related information exposure; and whether it would be weaker among people who tended to interpret things in a conspiracist manner (i.e., conspiracy mentality). In Study 1, our results support the hypothesized links cross-sectionally and longitudinally on the subjective experience of hotter summer, except for climate change-related information exposure. In Study 2, we found only cross-sectional associations between the constructs, except for climate change-related information exposure. Lastly, we found mixed evidence regarding the moderating role of conspiracy mentality between the studies. Our findings provide initial support that climate change conspiracy beliefs are malleable to people's subjective experience of temperature anomalies. The happening of temperature anomalies could be a crucial opportunity for promoting scientific understanding of climate change.

Parents’ Self-Compassion as a Moderator Between Children’s Emotional Regulation Difficulties and Parents’ Depressive Symptoms

ObjectivesRecent studies suggest that children’s emotional difficulties may impact their parents’ psychological well-being, and certain protective factors could mitigate this association. The existing literature points to self-compassion as a potential protective factor against stress and difficulties. To this end, the present study aimed to explore the potential protective role of parents’ self-compassion in the prospective relationship between children’s emotional regulation difficulties and parents’ depressive symptoms.MethodThe initial sample consisted of 214 children (53.3% girls; Mage = 12.71, SD = 1.37) and their parents: 209 mothers (Mage = 46.74 years, SD = 4.42) and 181 fathers (Mage = 48.85 years, SD = 5.42). The participants answered self-report questionnaires in a two-wave longitudinal study conducted over one year. A multilevel analysis was performed to examine the predictive pathways of parents’ depressive symptoms from children’s emotional regulation difficulties, parents’ self-compassion, and their interaction. Gender differences were addressed in the predictive associations.ResultsChildren’s emotional regulation difficulties predicted their parents’ depressive symptoms after one year, and this association was found to become attenuated as parents’ self-compassion increased. No significant gender differences were found for depressive symptoms or self-compassion, and parents’ gender did not moderate any of the longitudinal associations.ConclusionChildren’s emotional regulation difficulties may increase risk for parental depressive symptoms, but parental self-compassion mitigates this relationship.PreregistrationThis study was not preregistered.

A longitudinal examination of the measurement properties and invariance of the Sleep Condition Indicator in Chinese healthcare students

BackgroundThe Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI), an insomnia measurement tool based on the updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria with sound psychometric properties when applied in various populations, was evaluated here among healthcare students longitudinally, to demonstrate its measurement properties and invariance in this particularly high-risk population.MethodsHealthcare students of a Chinese university were recruited into this two-wave longitudinal study, completing the simplified Chinese version of the SCI (SCI-SC), Chinese Regularity, Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, Duration (RU_SATED-C) scale, Chinese Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4-C), and sociodemographic variables questionnaire (Q-SV) between September and November 2022. Structural validity, measurement invariance (MI), convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability of the SCI-SC were examined. Subgroups of gender, age, home location, part-time job, physical exercise, and stress-coping strategy were surveyed twice to test cross-sectional and longitudinal MI.ResultsWe identified 343 valid responses (62.9% female, mean age = 19.650 ± 1.414 years) with a time interval of seven days. The two-factor structure was considered satisfactory (comparative fit index = 0.953–0.989, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.931–0.984, root means square error of approximation = 0.040–0.092, standardized root mean square residual = 0.039–0.054), which mostly endorsed strict invariance except for part-time job subgroups, hence establishing longitudinal invariance. The SCI-SC presented acceptable convergent validity with the RU_SATED-C scale (r ≥ 0.500), discriminant validity with the PHQ-4-C (0.300 ≤ r < 0.500), internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.811–0.835, McDonald’s omega = 0.805–0.832), and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.829).ConclusionThe SCI-SC is an appropriate screening instrument available for assessing insomnia symptoms among healthcare students, and the promising measurement properties provide additional evidence about validity and reliability for detecting insomnia in healthcare students.

Do aversive well-being comparisons mediate the effects of childhood adversity on anxiety and depression?

BackgroundChildhood adversity (CA) is strongly associated with depression and anxiety in later life. Many adults with a history of CA may have internalized an insecure self-concept, which may contribute to negative evaluations of one's current well-being relative to different standards. Yet, there is lack of research on well-being comparisons in adults with a history of CA. Objective: We examined aversive well-being comparisons (i.e., comparisons threatening the comparer's motives) in the context of CA and their predictive value in depression and anxiety beyond self-esteem, emotion regulation, and external control beliefs. Further, we investigated whether well-being comparison processes mediate the relationship between CA and depression and anxiety. Participants and Setting: We conducted a two-wave longitudinal study with 942 adult participants (mean age: 31.56 years, SD = 10.49, 18–75 years). Methods: Participants completed measures of CA, aversive well-being comparisons (social, temporal, counterfactual, and criteria-based comparisons), self-esteem, emotion regulation, and locus of control at two time points, three months apart. Results: CA was significantly linked to more frequent aversive well-being comparisons. These comparisons were associated with greater discrepancies relative to the comparison standard and a more negative affective impact, ultimately contributing to higher levels of subsequent anxiety and depression symptoms. Comparison frequency emerged as key mediator, highlighting potential pathways through which CA affects adult mental health. These associations emerged despite controlling for established variables in this context, namely self-esteem, emotion regulation, and external locus of control. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the unique importance of aversive well-being comparisons in individuals with a history of CA.

How School Burnout Affects Depression Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents: Evidence from Individual and Peer Clique Level.

The impact of peer clique school burnout norms on adolescents' emotional adaptation is becoming increasingly prominent, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear, especially in China where academic achievement is highly valued. The present study examined how clique burnout norms impact the relationship between school burnout, negative cognitive bias, and depressive symptoms. A total of 904 Chinese adolescents (57% boys; Mage = 12.73, SD = 0.43) participated in a two-wave longitudinal study (initiated in 2015, with approximately a 2-year interval). The results of multilevel models indicated that only in low clique burnout norms, adolescents with high school burnout at T1 would exhibit more negative cognitive bias and suffer from more depressive symptoms at T2, whereas the moderating effect was only observed in all-boys cliques. These findings reflect that a decrease in the overall level of burnout within a peer clique does not necessarily benefit every student, and the adaptation issues of students experiencing burnout still require attention even in a relatively healthy context.

The roles of intolerance of uncertainty and mindfulness in psychological distress: a two-wave longitudinal study

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a vulnerability factor that is believed to play a significant role in the development and maintenance of many affective disorders. Previous research indicated that the strength of the association between IU and psychological distress tend to change depending on certain trait characteristics. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine whether the interaction between IU and mindfulness will prospectively predict anxiety and depression measured five weeks later. The data were collected from 243 university students (129 female) between ages 18 and 29 at two different time points via questionnaires assessing intolerance of uncertainty, mindfulness, anxiety, and depression at time 1, followed by only measures of anxiety and depression at time 2. The results revealed that higher IU scores were associated with higher levels of depression for the participants who have low levels of mindfulness. A similar pattern was not observed for anxiety. The findings indicated that mindfulness prospectively predicts lower levels of depression only for the individuals who have lower levels of intolerance of uncertainty.

Whom Does Remote Work Make Happy? The Digital Divide in Remote Workers' Well-Being.

The global shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified scholarly attention to remote workers' well-being. Although existing studies explore the varied impacts of remote work, there is a gap in understanding remote workers' well-being through the lenses of social disparity and the digital divide. Extending digital divide scholarship to the remote work context, this study disentangles why some remote workers experience better well-being than others. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal panel study in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic (Wave 1: February 2021, Wave 2: October 2021). Among the 501 participants who participated in both waves, we found that individuals with lower education levels were less likely to have remote work opportunities. We focused our further analyses on a subset of 144 employees who had remote work opportunities within organizations with typical hierarchical structures. We found that socioeconomic status (SES) did not directly influence remote workers' well-being but indirectly influenced it by contributing to the diversity in using information and communication technologies (ICTs). Workers with higher SES or more diversity in using ICTs demonstrated lower vulnerability and more effectiveness in maintaining their well-being in virtual organizational communication situations. This study highlights social disparities in remote workers' well-being, which arise from the complex interplay of SES either indirectly influencing the diversity in ICT usage or interacting with virtual organizational communication satisfaction and duration. This study advances remote work scholarship by restructuring theoretical discussions on social stratification and the digital divide reproduced within the evolving work environment.