Links between reflective functioning (RF; the ability to conceive of mental states and to interpret human behavior accordingly) and concurrent attachment security have been found in both childhood ...and adulthood. However, the respective contributions of early and concurrent attachment security in adult RF remain unknown. This study examines the contributions of attachment security to the mother in early childhood and of concurrent attachment security to each parent in young adults’ RF. Eighty-one low-risk participants (49 girls and 32 boys) from average income families took part in this longitudinal study. Attachment security was assessed at 4 years of age with a composite measure of mother-reported Attachment Q-Sort and observer ratings of the quality of mother–child interactions. At age 23, the Attachment Multiple Model Interview was administered to assess participants’ attachment security to each parent. RF was coded from the participants’ attachment narratives using the Reflective Functioning Scale. Attachment security to the mother at age 4 was found to be associated with RF in adulthood. Also, an interactive effect between attachment to the mother and attachment to the father in adulthood was related to RF, suggesting that attachment with one parent moderates the effect of attachment with the other parent on RF. These findings emphasize the importance of both early and concurrent attachment security in the capacity to understand mental states in adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
Despite the growing research on emotion regulation, the empirical evidence for normative age-related emotion regulation patterns is rather divergent. From a life-span perspective, normative age ...changes in emotion regulation may be more salient applying the same methodological approach on a broad age range examining both growth and decline during development. In addition, emotion-specific developmental patterns might show differential developmental trends. The present study examined age differences in seven emotion regulation strategies from early adolescence (age 11) to middle adulthood (age 50) for the three emotions of sadness, fear, and anger. The results showed specific developmental changes in the use of emotion regulation strategies for each of the three emotions. In addition, results suggest age-specific increases and decreases in many emotion regulation strategies, with a general trend to increasing adaptive emotion regulation. Specifically, middle adolescence shows the smallest emotion regulation strategy repertoire. Gender differences appeared for most emotion regulation strategies. The findings suggest that the development of emotion regulation should be studied in an emotion-specific manner, as a perspective solely on general emotion regulation either under- or overestimates existing emotion-specific developmental changes.
The rising prevalence of daily cannabis use among older adolescents and young adults in the United States has significant public health implications. As a result, more individuals may be seeking or ...in need of treatment for adverse outcomes (e.g., cannabis use disorder) arising from excessive cannabis use. Our objective was to explore the potential of self-reported motives for cannabis use as a foundation for developing adaptive interventions tailored to reduce cannabis consumption over time or in certain circumstances. We aimed to understand how transitions in these motives, which can be collected with varying frequencies (yearly, monthly, daily), predict the frequency and adverse outcomes of cannabis use.
We conducted secondary analyses on data collected at different frequencies from four studies: the Medical Cannabis Certification Cohort Study (
= 801, biannually), the Cannabis, Health, and Young Adults Project (
= 359, annually), the Monitoring the Future Panel Study (
= 7,851, biennially), and the Text Messaging Study (
= 87, daily). These studies collected time-varying motives for cannabis use and distal measures of cannabis use from adolescents, young adults, and adults. We applied latent transition analysis with random intercepts to analyze the data.
We identified the types of transitions in latent motive classes that are predictive of adverse outcomes in the future, specifically transitions into or staying in classes characterized by multiple motives.
The identification of such transitions has direct implications for the development of adaptive interventions designed to prevent adverse health outcomes related to cannabis use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Abstract
Individuals create both personal and culturally shared meaning through narratives; however, sparse research has
explored the specific ways in which individuals might use such cultural ...narratives in creating meaning from developmentally
important experiences. In this study, we examine how emerging adults narrate positive romantic relationships, both because
emerging adulthood is critical for the development of intimacy and because romantic relationship narratives are pervasive in
cultural media. Thematic analysis of 31 narratives from mostly European-descent students attending a private liberal arts
university in the Southeast US (mean age 19; 16 self-identified females) revealed three major narrative arcs,
Love Grows,
Firecrackers
and
Fairytale
, which varied in coherence, coda, and mutuality of the relationship, but
did not differ by gender. Further examination and discussion of these narratives suggest how emerging adults are making sense of
their first romantic relationships in ways that inform efforts to educate and intervene to promote healthy and positive
relationships.
Advances in medical therapies and liver transplantation have resulted in a greater number of pediatric patients reaching young adulthood. However, there is an increased risk for medical complications ...and morbidity surrounding transfer from pediatric to adult hepatology and transplant services. Health care transition (HCT) is the process of moving from a child/family‐centered model of care to an adult or patient‐centered model of health care. Successful HCT requires a partnership between pediatric and adult providers across all disciplines resulting in a transition process that does not end at the time of transfer but continues throughout early adulthood. Joint consensus guidelines in collaboration with the American Society of Transplantation are presented to facilitate the adoption of a structured, multidisciplinary approach to transition planning utilizing The Six Core Elements of Health Care TransitionTM for use by both pediatric and adult specialists. This paper provides guidance and seeks support for the implementation of an HCT program which spans across both pediatric and adult hepatology and transplant centers.
•First study to explore emerging adults’ motivation to use the dating app Tinder.•Motivations included Love, Casual Sex, Ease of Communication, Thrill of Excitement.•Tinder motivations meaningfully ...related to offline encounters with Tinder matches.•Tinder is more than a fun, hookup app without any strings attached.
Although the smartphone application Tinder is increasingly popular among emerging adults, no empirical study has yet investigated why emerging adults use Tinder. Therefore, we aimed to identify the primary motivations of emerging adults to use Tinder. The study was conducted among Dutch 18–30year old emerging adults who completed an online survey. Over half of the sample were current or former Tinder users (n=163). An exploratory factor analysis, using a parallel analysis approach, uncovered six motivations to use Tinder: Love, Casual Sex, Ease of Communication, Self-Worth Validation, Thrill of Excitement, and Trendiness. In contrast to previously suggested, the Love motivation appeared to be a stronger motivation to use Tinder than the Casual Sex motivation. In line with literature on online dating, men were more likely to report a Casual Sex motivation for using Tinder than women. In addition, men more frequently reported Ease of Communication and Thrill of Excitement motives. With regard to age, the motivation Love, Casual Sex and Ease of Communication were positively related to age. Finally, Tinder motivations were meaningfully related to offline encounters with Tinder matches. In sum, the study showed that emerging adults have six primary motivations to use Tinder and that these motivations differ according to one’s age and gender. Tinder should not be seen as merely a fun, hookup app without any strings attached, but as a new way for emerging adults to initiate committed romantic relationships. Notably, the findings call for a more encompassing perspective on why emerging adults use Tinder.
Past research syntheses provided evidence that personality traits are both stable and changeable throughout the life span. However, early meta-analytic estimates were constrained by a relatively ...small universe of longitudinal studies, many of which tracked personality traits in small samples over moderate time periods using measures that were only loosely related to contemporary trait models such as the Big Five. Since then, hundreds of new studies have emerged allowing for more precise estimates of personality trait stability and change across the life span. Here, we updated and extended previous research syntheses on personality trait development by synthesizing novel longitudinal data on rank-order stability (total k = 189, total N = 178,503) and mean-level change (total k = 276, N = 242,542) from studies published after January 1, 2005. Consistent with earlier meta-analytic findings, the rank-order stability of personality traits increased significantly throughout early life before reaching a plateau in young adulthood. These increases in stability coincide with mean-level changes in the direction of greater maturity. In contrast to previous findings, we found little evidence for increasing rank-order stabilities after Age 25. Moreover, cumulative mean-level trait changes across the life span were slightly smaller than previously estimated. Emotional stability, however, increased consistently and more substantially across the life span than previously found. Moderator analyses indicated that narrow facet-level and maladaptive trait measures were less stable than broader domain and adaptive trait measures. Overall, the present findings draw a more precise picture of the life span development of personality traits and highlight important gaps in the personality development literature.
Public Significance Statement
This study summarized data from hundreds of longitudinal studies to confirm that (a) personality trait differences are fairly stable among adults, (b) these differences tend to stabilize during adolescence and young adulthood, and (c) personality tends to change in the direction of greater maturity as people age. These patterns hold across gender, nation, and ethnicity, although research from Western countries was overrepresented.
Objective: Having Type 1 diabetes (T1D) may complicate the normative developmental task of personal identity formation in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Besides exploring and committing to ...identity choices in different life domains, youth with T1D need to integrate their illness into their identity, a process labeled as illness identity. The present study examined whether youth with T1D belonging to different personal identity trajectory classes developed differently on four illness identity dimensions (acceptance, enrichment, engulfment, rejection). Method: This four-wave longitudinal study over a 3-year period used self-report questionnaires to examine how personal identity trajectory classes were related to illness identity over time in youth with T1D (baseline: n = 558; 54% female; age range = 14-25 years). Personal identity trajectory classes were identified using latent class growth analysis. Differential development of the four illness identity dimensions among these personal identity trajectory classes was examined using multigroup latent growth curve modeling. Results: Five personal identity trajectory classes were identified: achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, carefree diffusion, and troubled diffusion. Individuals in achievement and foreclosure displayed highest levels of diabetes integration (i.e., high levels of acceptance and enrichment; low levels of engulfment and rejection), whereas individuals in troubled diffusion displayed lowest levels of illness integration (i.e., low levels of acceptance and enrichment; high levels of engulfment and rejection). Conclusions: The present study confirms that personal identity development relates to illness identity development over time in youth with T1D. Understanding the intricate link between personal and illness identity may help clinicians to tailor their interventions to patients' individual needs.
Objetivo: Tener diabetes tipo 1 (T1D, por sus siglas en inglés) puede complicar la tarea de desarrollo normativo de la formación de la identidad personal en la adolescencia y la edad adulta emergente. Además de explorar y comprometerse con opciones de identidad en diferentes ámbitos de la vida, los jóvenes con T1D necesitan integrar su enfermedad en su identidad, un proceso denominado identidad de enfermedad. El presente estudio examinó si los jóvenes con T1D pertenecientes a diferentes clases de trayectoria de identidad personal se desarrollaron de manera diferente en cuatro dimensiones de identidad de la enfermedad (aceptación, enriquecimiento, absorción, rechazo). Métodos: Este estudio longitudinal de cuatro ondas utilizó cuestionarios de autoinforme para examinar cómo las clases de trayectoria de identidad personal se relacionaban con la identidad de la enfermedad a lo largo del tiempo en jóvenes con T1D (Inicio: n = 558; 54% mujeres; rango de edad = 14-25 años). Las clases de trayectoria de identidad personal se identificaron mediante análisis de crecimiento de clases latentes. Se examinó el desarrollo diferencial de las cuatro dimensiones de identidad de la enfermedad entre estas clases de trayectoria de identidad personal utilizando modelos de curva de crecimiento latente multigrupo. Resultados: Se identificaron cinco clases de trayectoria de identidad personal: logro, exclusión, moratoria, difusión despreocupada y difusión problemática. Los individuos en logro y exclusión mostraron niveles más altos de integración de la diabetes (es decir, altos niveles de aceptación y enriquecimiento; bajos niveles de absorción y rechazo), mientras que los individuos en difusión problemática mostraron niveles más bajos de integración de la enfermedad (es decir, bajos niveles de aceptación y enriquecimiento; altos niveles de inmersión y rechazo). Conclusiones: El estudio presente confirma que el desarrollo de la identidad personal se relaciona con el desarrollo de la identidad de la enfermedad a lo largo del tiempo en jóvenes con T1D. Comprender el enlace intrincado entre la identidad personal y la de la enfermedad puede ayudar a los médicos a adaptar sus intervenciones a las necesidades individuales de los pacientes.
Public Significance StatementNowadays, many Western youth seem to struggle with exploring and committing to different identity options (i.e., personal identity processes), making identity development an important clinical research topic. More recently, it has become clear that youth with a chronic illness such as Type 1 diabetes (T1D) encounter an additional challenge of integrating one's illness into their identity, inspiring a new research line on illness identity. The present findings suggest the importance of integrating personal and illness identity challenges in supporting youth with T1D. Health care providers are encouraged to discuss with their patients whether they experience identity difficulties, and to be aware that difficulties in personal and illness identity often go hand in hand.
In the current study, we test the precursors to the Dark Triad traits, as well as the role that the Dark Triad traits have on predicting aggression. Participants (N=599, age range=18–83years) ...completed measures of the Dark Triad traits, emerging adulthood facets, and reactive and proactive aggression. In support of our theoretical model, (a) participant's age was related to all emerging adulthood facets except other and self-focused, (b) aggression was predicted by all the Dark Triad traits, and (c) several emerging adult facets predicted various Dark Triad traits. These findings were further substantiated by mediation tests that confirmed our theoretically derived adult developmental pathways from participant age to aggression. Specifically, results showed that feeling in-between, negativity, and identity exploration were the key emerging adult variables that served as mediators from age to aggressive behavior by predicting at least one Dark Triad trait(s). Overall, the Dark Triad traits are an important precursor to aggressive behavior, but also likely develop as a function of adult developmentally relevant predictors.
•Tested the relations between Dark Triad, emerging adulthood, age, and aggression.•Dark Triad traits positively predicted aggression.•Certain emerging adulthood facets predicted Dark Triad.•Age predicted emerging adulthood facets.•Multiple mediated pathways between age and aggression were observed.
The Dark Triad is a set of correlated personality variables (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) that are related to myriad behaviors. Myriad studies have been conducted to test the ...relations between the Dark Triad and other personality variables (e.g., the Big 5); however, the developmental correlates have been understudied. In the current study, we examined how markers of emerging adulthood and age predict the Dark Triad traits using a cross-sectional design. Participants (N=442) of varying ages (M age=32.99, range=18–74) completed Dark Triad measures and a validated questionnaire used to assess the degree to which participants believe they have successfully navigated through various facets of emerging adulthood. Emerging adulthood facets (e.g., negativity, other-focused, and feeling in-between) correlated with several Dark Triad traits. Additionally, several emerging adulthood facets mediated the relation between age and the Dark Triad traits; i.e., older participants were lower on the Dark Triad traits because of the successful transition through emerging adulthood. Results are discussed in terms of the Theory of Emerging Adulthood (Arnett, 2000).
•We tested relations between age, the Dark Triad, and facets of emerging adulthood.•As age increased, the Dark Triad traits and emerging adulthood facets decreased.•Negativity mediated the relation between age and all Dark Triad traits.
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