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).
•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.
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.
Parents’ socialization beliefs have implications for the psychological adjustment of their children through their parenting behaviors; however, such pathways have rarely been established among ...Chinese American families. The present study examined how Chinese American parents’ goals for their children to take on bicultural values and behaviors (i.e., bicultural socialization beliefs) influenced their child’s level of depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood through their parenting behaviors and the level of parent–child alienation. Data came from Waves 2 (adolescence) and 3 (emerging adulthood) of a longitudinal study of 444 Chinese American families. Mothers’ reports of their bicultural socialization beliefs positively predicted adolescents’ reports of mothers’ autonomy-supporting behaviors and interdependence-focused shaming behaviors. In addition, there was a significant and negative indirect effect of mothers’ bicultural socialization beliefs on emerging adult depressive symptoms through adolescents’ reports of mothers’ autonomy-supporting behaviors and emerging adults’ reports of alienation to their parents. In contrast, there was a significant and positive indirect effect from fathers’ reports of their bicultural socialization beliefs to emerging adult depressive symptoms, through emerging adults’ reports of alienation only. Findings contribute to our understanding of bicultural processes in Chinese American families and establish that parents’ beliefs have significant implications for the psychological adjustment of Chinese American youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)
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.
Research indicates harmful associations between parental weight-focused conversations and markers of pediatric health and well-being. However, little is known about the prevalence and consequences of ...parent conversations focused on weight or health behaviors (i.e., physical activity or nutrition) with emerging adult children.
Data are from the 2018 follow-up survey of the population-based EAT 2010–2018 (Eating and Activity over Time) in cohort from Minneapolis—St. Paul, MN. Participants were emerging adults at follow-up with ages 18–26. Regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were conducted.
Over two-thirds (68%) of mothers and 44% of fathers engaged in weight-focused conversations with their emerging adult children; 25% of both parents reported engaging in conversations focused only on health behaviors; and 8% of mothers and 26% of fathers reported not engaging in either type of conversation. Health-focused conversations by both parents were associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and disordered eating behaviors, higher intake of fruit and vegetables, and psychosocial well-being in emerging adult children. Weight-focused conversations with both parents were associated with higher BMI and disordered eating behaviors in emerging adults. There were gender moderated associations of paternal conversations about weight and health with vegetable intake, binge eating, and depressive symptoms.
The high prevalence and negative health outcomes associated with weight-focused conversations coupled with the low prevalence and positive health outcomes associated with health-focused conversations by parents suggests the need for public health messaging and intervention development aimed at reducing parental weight talk with emerging adult children.
Objective: This study investigates the interaction between message framing and point-of-reference (self vs. others) for vaccine benefits on young adults' COVID-19 vaccine confidence and intentions. ...It also examines how COVID-19-related health beliefs-such as perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived benefits of obtaining the vaccine to protect others-mediate these interactions. Method: In a 2 (framing: gain vs. loss) × 3 (reference point: self, others, university community) between-subjects experiment (Fall 2021), 202 participants ages 18-23 were shown animated messages with embedded manipulations to convey vaccine information. Moderated mediation models tested the conditional indirect effects of framing on vaccine confidence and intentions. Results: Reference point significantly moderated the effect of framing on the perceived severity of COVID-19. More specifically, and somewhat contrary to previous literature, perceived severity was highest when messages emphasized gains for others. In turn, perceived severity correlated positively with vaccine confidence and intentions, resulting in a significant conditional indirect effect. Despite its positive relationship with COVID-19 vaccine confidence and intentions, perceived benefit to others was not a significant mediator. Conclusion: This study provides evidence for the role of reference point in moderating the effect of gain-loss message framing on COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and intentions. However, the findings differ from past research, suggesting other-gain messages may be an optimal strategy for promoting these vaccine outcomes for young adults. Overall, findings have implications for developing tailored messaging strategies that account for the nature of targeted populations and the evolving perceptions of the disease and its associated messaging campaigns.
Objetivo: Este estudio investiga la interacción entre el encuadre del mensaje y el punto de referencia (uno mismo frente a otros) de los beneficios de la vacuna en la confianza y las intenciones de los adultos jóvenes sobre la vacuna COVID-19. También examina cómo las creencias sobre la salud relacionadas con COVID-19- como la gravedad percibida de la enfermedad y los beneficios percibidos de obtener la vacuna para proteger a otros- median en estas interacciones. Método: En un experimento de 2 (encuadre: ganancia versus pérdida) por 3 (punto de referencia: uno mismo, otros, comunidad universitaria) entre sujetos (otoño de 2021), a 202 participantes de entre 18 y 23 años se les mostraron mensajes animados con manipulaciones integradas para comunicar la información de la vacuna. Los modelos de mediación moderada probaron los efectos indirectos condicionales del encuadre sobre la confianza y las intenciones de las vacunas. Resultados: El punto de referencia moderó significativamente el efecto del encuadre sobre la gravedad percibida de COVID-19. Más específicamente, y algo contrario a la literatura anterior, la severidad percibida fue mayor cuando los mensajes enfatizaban los beneficios para los demás. A su vez, la gravedad percibida se correlacionó positivamente con la confianza y las intenciones de la vacuna, lo que resultó en un efecto indirecto condicional significativo. A pesar de su relación positiva con la confianza y las intenciones de la vacuna COVID-19, el beneficio percibido para los demás no fue un mediador significativo. Conclusión: Este estudio proporciona evidencia del papel del punto de referencia en la moderación del efecto del encuadre de mensajes de ganancia-pérdida en las actitudes e intenciones de la vacuna COVID-19. Sin embargo, los hallazgos difieren de investigaciones anteriores, lo que sugiere que los mensajes de beneficio para otros pueden ser una estrategia óptima para promover los resultados de estas vacunas entre los adultos jóvenes. En general, los hallazgos tienen implicaciones para el desarrollo de estrategias de mensajería personalizadas que tengan en cuenta la naturaleza de las poblaciones objetivo y las percepciones cambiantes de la enfermedad y sus campañas de mensajería asociadas.
Public Significance StatementThis study suggests that COVID-19 vaccine health messages that mention benefits to other people (versus gains or losses for oneself) improves COVID-19 vaccine confidence and intentions to get a COVID-19 vaccinate in college-age young adults. Tailoring COVID-19 vaccine messages for this age group is critically important because they can easily spread this coronavirus among each other and to others with increased vulnerabilities for severe health outcomes from contracting COVID-19.
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.
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