Most people experience their first romantic relationship during adolescence. However, there is also a substantial proportion of youth who remain single during this time. Delaying the transition into ...the first romantic relationship may be associated with a decrease in self-esteem which might recover or even increase after youth engage in their first romantic relationship. The current study examined self-esteem development surrounding the transition into the first romantic relationship over a period of 10 years in a sample of N = 1395 adolescents (Mage = 16.22 at T1; Mage = 26.22 at T11) from pairfam, a German representative panel study starting in 2008. Results from multilevel piecewise growth curve models showed that self-esteem did not change before beginning the first relationship, but slightly decreased thereafter. There were no moderating effects of age at first relationship, single satisfaction, or relationship satisfaction. However, both single and partnered youth who were more satisfied with their current relationship status reported higher self-esteem on average. Overall, the findings extend the current understanding of self-esteem development surrounding the transition into the first romantic relationship. Being single during late adolescence and emerging adulthood does not seem to pose a risk for youth’s self-esteem development.
Abstract Objective We explored how young adults discussed their experiences with singlehood and their reasons for being single. Background Despite singlehood being normative during young adulthood, ...less research has focused on the diversity of singlehood compared to that of romantic involvement. Method In Study 1, 35 young adults participated in in‐depth qualitative interviews about their romantic histories. We explored singlehood meanings and reasons in the context of their relationship histories. In Study 2 we used data from 155 single young adults to explore the factor structure, internal reliability, and initial validity of the Reasons for Being Single (RBS) scale, which we developed for this study. Results In Study 1 we found that singlehood is not simply the time in‐between relationships, but represents its own, unique aspect of romantic development. In Study 2, our analyses indicated that the RBS was comprised of three subscales: (a) self‐defeating reasons, (b) self‐enhancing reasons, and (c) lack of interest. Self‐defeating reasons were negatively associated with young adult well‐being, whereas self‐enhancing and lack‐of‐interest reasons were positively associated with young adult well‐being. Conclusion Singlehood, like other aspects of young adults' romantic lives, is a diverse and varied experience. Singlehood is also neither an entirely positive nor entirely negative experience. Yet, framing singlehood more positively may aid well‐being. Implications Within relationship education, being single should be treated as a diverse experience. Helping single young adults gain clarity around why they are single and identify their romantic goals may increase the efficacy of relationship education efforts.
Abstract Objective This researchers examined how emerging‐adult siblings of people with schizophrenia navigate problem‐solving and decision‐making. Background Navigating more complex problems is a ...critical part of emerging adult development, although it can be complicated by stress, conflict, lack of self‐efficacy, and lack of family support. Understanding the development of problem‐solving and decision‐making of emerging‐adult siblings of people with schizophrenia development of these key competencies can aid in understanding how they navigate adulthood while contending with a stressful family environment. Method In‐depth interviews with 23 individuals between 18 and 30 years of age were conducted to explore problem‐solving, decision‐making, and family relationships. Results Findings suggest that participants who had supportive family or romantic relationships felt as if they were able to resolve their problems. They were likely to use cognitive strategies or advice from other people to resolve their issues. Participants who experienced a lack of support appeared to have more difficulty problem‐solving and decision‐making. Conclusion Emerging‐adult siblings of individuals with schizophrenia who had adequate family or spousal/partner support reported being more successful in formulating a problem‐solving strategy than participants as opposed to those who felt more isolated. Implications The study has implications for future researchers, such as the examination of other developmental stages and the need to examine why some emerging‐adult siblings were able to develop supportive romantic relationships more easily than participants who had similarly conflictual or ambivalent familial relationships.
Latent inhibition is said to occur when learning about the relationship between a cue and an outcome proceeds more readily when the cue is novel relative to when the cue has been rendered familiar ...through mere preexposure. Previous studies suggest that latent inhibition, while evident in 4- to 5-year-old children, is attenuated or even absent in older children. There are, however, acknowledged shortcomings associated with previous demonstrations of this effect, which we attempted to overcome using a letter prediction task that has been employed in recent studies of latent inhibition in adults. One hundred and seventy-five 4- to 14-year-old children and 175 young adults completed a letter prediction task, with a latent inhibition manipulation embedded within it. Using developmental trajectory analysis we found, contrary to other studies, an increase in the magnitude of latent inhibition as children age, with the effect becoming significant when children were around 6.7 years of age. Model comparison revealed that a linear function best described the relationship between latent inhibition and age. We discuss these findings in the context of theories of learning and attention, and consider the role of concurrent task type as a factor that determines the developmental trajectory of latent inhibition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduates found themselves in an unprecedented social situation. Campuses across North America closed, as universities moved to remote learning. When in-person ...classes resumed, students had to negotiate the return to on-campus life. The current investigation examines predictive associations between pandemic-related stressors and distress during this transition, focusing on social media activity as a potential moderator. A longitudinal sample of 349 students at an urban university (116 men, 222 women, 11 nonbinary; Mage = 20.37) completed consecutive waves of measures (fall 2021 to spring 2022). A cross-sectional replication was recruited in spring 2022 (163 men, 229 women, 34 nonbinary). In both samples, we assessed social media activity using a newly developed measure. We also assessed internalizing symptoms, loneliness, and exposure to pandemic stressors. COVID-19 stress predicted increases in internalizing symptoms, but the effect held only for students who acknowledged high levels of active online communication.
•COVID stress was associated with internalizing symptoms for undergraduates returning to campus after remote instruction.•Active and passive subtypes of social media use were demonstrated in two independent samples.•Online-only communication and active communication moderated associations between COVID stress and internalizing symptoms.•Links between COVID stress and internalizing held only at high levels of online-only communication or active communication.
Some researchers and clinicians may feel hesitant to assess sexual orientation and gender-related characteristics in youth surveys because they are unsure if youth will respond to these questions or ...are concerned the questions will cause discomfort or offense. This can result in missed opportunities to identify LGBTQ+ youth and address health inequities among this population. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and sociodemographic patterns of missingness among survey questions assessing current sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE), and past change in sexual orientation (sexual fluidity) among a diverse sample of U.S. youth. Participants (
= 4,245, ages 14-25 years; 95% cisgender, 70% straight/heterosexual, 53% youth of color), recruited from an online survey panel, completed the Wave 1 survey of the longitudinal Sexual Orientation Fluidity in Youth (SO*FLY) Study in 2021. Current SOGIE, past sexual fluidity, and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed for missingness. Overall, 95.7% of participants had no missing questions, 3.8% were missing one question, and 0.5% were missing ≥ 2 questions. Past sexual fluidity and assigned sex were most commonly missing. Sociodemographic differences between participants who skipped the SOGIE questions and the rest of the sample were minimal. Missingness for the examined items was low and similar across sociodemographic characteristics, suggesting that almost all youth are willing to respond to survey questions about SOGIE. SOGIE and sexual fluidity items should be included in surveys and clinical assessments of youth to inform clinical care, policy-making, interventions, and resource development to improve the health of all youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
The current study investigates stability and change in self-esteem among Russian emerging adults. Self-esteem of 1004 undergraduates (Mage = 19.50, SDage = 1.25) was assessed during their bachelor's ...program (T1). Eight years later, 242 of them took part in an online follow-up (T2). Self-esteem was measured with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. We conducted a longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis with strict measurement invariance constraints. Self-esteem showed substantial mean-level stability and rank-order consistency, both for women and men. No sex differences, effects of parenthood and change in the place of residence were found. Those participants who had had higher self-esteem at T1 were more likely married by T2 compared to singles, and those who cohabited with their partner by T2. Although individual differences in the self-esteem change cannot be excluded, the findings support the idea of self-esteem stability during emerging adulthood, both in the mean-level and rank-order terms.
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