A Unified Latent Curve, Latent State-Trait Analysis of the Developmental Trajectories and Correlates of Positive Orientation

A longitudinal study of the relationships among competency-based teasing, positivity, and depressive symptoms in Chinese children: Highlighting gender differences

Competency-based teasing has been identified as a risk factor for children's depressive symptoms. However, the specific psychological mechanisms mediating this relationship are not well understood, especially in the context of Chinese culture. This study examined the relationship between competency-based teasing, subsequent depressive symptoms, and the possible mediating role of positivity in Chinese children by using parallel process latent growth curve modelling. Gender differences were also explored. A sample of 4376 Chinese children (55.1% boys; age: M = 9.98 years, SD = 0.88) completed measurements of the relevant constructs on five occasions across 2 years, using half-year intervals. The findings revealed that competency-based teasing was significantly positively associated with subsequent depressive symptoms in Chinese children. Furthermore, positivity mediated this relationship in girls, but not in boys. The results suggest that positivity-cultivating and gender-specific interventions may be effective to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in Chinese children.

Developmental trajectories of positivity from mid-childhood to early adolescence: Family and school environmental predictors

This study examined the heterogeneity in positivity trajectories and the predictive roles of family and school environments (i.e., perceived parental warmth and basic psychological need satisfactions at school) from mid-childhood to early adolescence. Elementary school students in China (N = 2204, 54.9% boys, M_age  = 9.47 years) completed relevant measures on six occasions, every 6 months. Latent class growth modeling revealed four heterogeneous developmental trajectories of positivity: High-Increasing (50.6%), Moderate Low-Increasing (33.2%), Low-Stable (11.0%), and High-Decreasing (5.2%). Perceived parental warmth and satisfaction of relatedness and competence needs at school significantly predicted trajectory class membership. Findings underscore the value of identifying group difference in positivity development in youth and the need for specific interventions targeting their unique characteristics.

Does Positive Thinking Help during Difficult Pandemic Times? The Role of Positive Orientation in the Relationship between Fear of COVID-19 and Perceived Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a huge challenge for the modern world. How people perceive themselves and their coping abilities is important for their mental health and well-being. One of the traits that may be important in effectively coping with difficulties is positive orientation: a stable cognitive disposition that is the opposite of depression and is associated with a positive perception of oneself, one's life, events, and the future. This study aimed to verify the role of positive orientation in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress. A sample of 907 Polish people took part in this study. FOC-6, P Scale, and PSS-10 questionnaires were used in the presented cross-sectional study. The analysis showed that women scored higher in fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress scores than men (Cohen's d indicated a moderate effect). There was no significant difference in the levels of positive orientation. P Scale results were significantly related to fear of COVID-19 (small effect) only for the whole studied sample, and not for women and men considered separately. Fear of COVID-19 was positively related to the perceived stress score (moderate effect). Positive orientation was negatively related to the PSS-10 scores (also moderate effect) for all tested groups. Fear of COVID-19 and positive orientation were significant predictors of perceived stress scores. The mediation effect of positive orientation was statistically significant, but the effect size was marginally small. Positive orientation is an important predictor of perceived stress, which could be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. People with a positive orientation better cope with the challenges of the pandemic and are optimistic about the future. Working on positive orientation can improve well-being and reduce tension, which is extremely important in difficult pandemic times.

The Trap of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Italian Adolescents Fare Well at First, Maybe Thanks to Protective Trait Expression

Abundant research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has been negatively affecting mental health in adolescence. Few works, however, benefit from data from the same sample before and after the onset of the pandemic. The present longitudinal study involved a non-clinical group of 136 Italian adolescents (Mage = 16.3 years ± 1.08, 67% girls) to investigate their psychological response to the first lockdown and explore the role of a protective trait (i.e., Positivity) in moderating the effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) on internalizing symptoms before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing psychopathological symptoms, psychological well-being, IU, and Positivity on three separate occasions: October 2019 (T1), January 2020 (T2), and April 2020 (T3). The results showed that internalizing and externalizing symptoms as well as psychological well-being did not vary significantly over time. Positivity was found to significantly moderate the relationship between IU and internalizing symptoms at T3 (i.e., during the COVID-19 lockdown) only. Overall, our findings suggest that the teenagers' good adjustment to the initial phase of the pandemic might have been associated with the enhanced weight of the Positivity trait, which may have encouraged a positive attitude towards self, life, and the future.

Links between Child Shyness and Indices of Internalizing Problems during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Positivity

Shyness in childhood has been linked to socio-emotional difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness. On the contrary, positivity (i.e., a personal tendency to see oneself, life, and future in a positive light) has been described as a protective factor. Given the challenges experienced by children during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., closure of school and confinement), we aimed to test the potential protective role of positivity and how it may link child shyness and indices of internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness) during the first wave of the pandemic. Participants were N = 236 children (M_age = 9.25 years, SD = 1.20) from Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, the three worst-hit countries in Europe when the data were collected (April-June, 2020). Children completed online self-evaluation scales to assess temperamental shyness, positivity, and indices of internalizing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from a multivariate regression analysis revealed significant interaction effects between shyness and positivity in the prediction of outcome variables. Follow-up simple slope analyses indicated that shyness was positively related to depression only among children with lower levels of positivity. The study highlights the role of children's positivity in buffering the pernicious link between shyness and their negative feelings during the pandemic. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

"Stay at Home" in Italy during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Longitudinal Study on Individual Well-Being among Different Age Groups

The restrictions imposed by the Italian government because of the coronavirus outbreak have been shown to be demanding on the Italian population. Data were collected at four different time points from 29 March 2020 to 3 May 2020 and during the final follow-up survey on 12 October 2020. In the present study, we provided longitudinal evidence on the relationship between the lockdown and mental health dimensions, such as emotional state, perceived stress, and time perspective, for three age groups. The results allowed us to observe their psychological status from different perspectives at five different time points. Notably, a negative effect of the lockdown individual well-beings emerged as a trend, and differences in individual adaptation strategies to a prolonged stressful situation were observed at the follow-up. Indeed, pairwise comparisons between age groups showed that the young adult group (18-23 years old) seemed to be the most psychologically affected by the lockdown. The findings are discussed according to the most recent literature on the topic. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first longitudinal studies carried out in Italy concerning the general psychological effects of the coronavirus lockdown.

Dealing With the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Portugal: On the Important Role of Positivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Coping Strategies

The global COVID-19 pandemic crisis has caused an unprecedented impact on most areas of people's lives. Thus, framed within the scope of Existential Positive Psychology (PP2.0), this study aimed at assessing the psychological distress of adults living in Portugal during the first national lockdown, how they are coping with stress, as well to contribute to a deeper understanding about the role that positivity, experiential avoidance, and coping strategies have in psychological distress and well-being. For this purpose, 586 Portuguese adults (73% females) ranging between 18 and 78 years old (M = 38.96, SD = 12.20) completed an online survey during the initial phase of the pandemic crisis in Portugal. Findings suggest that experiential avoidance was the strongest predictor of a negative response (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and negative emotions), whereas positivity was a better predictor of psychological well-being and lower levels of depression. Additionally, self-blame, behavioral disengagement, and emotional venting were strong risk factors for psychological distress, whereas positive reframing, planning, and acceptance were associated with more positive outcomes. These findings highlight the critical role of experiential avoidance on individuals' psychological distress and the essential contribution of positive life orientation in promoting flourishing. By offering a better understanding of the complex navigation through the dialectics between positive and negative life features, this study provides important and useful cues for psychological interventions directed at promoting a more positive and adaptive human functioning even through such potential adverse and painful life events.

Relations among positivity, positive affect in school, and learning flow in elementary school students: A longitudinal mediation model

BACKGROUND

Learning flow is an optimal learning experience representing full engagement in one's studies. The belief-affect-engagement model and control-value theory suggest that positivity would be a motivator of learning flow, while positive affect in school would be a mediator of the relation between positivity and learning flow.

AIMS

The current research aimed to examine (1) the longitudinal relations among positivity, positive affect in school, and learning flow, and (2) the mediational role of positive affect in school between positivity and learning flow.

SAMPLE AND METHOD

A sample of 4681 Chinese elementary school students (44.9% girls; M_age  = 9.87 years, SD = 0.70 at Time 1) completed reliable measures for each construct on four occasions across 2 years, using 6-month intervals. Structural equation modelling was used for examining study hypotheses.

RESULTS

After controlling for gender, age, and family socioeconomic status, the results showed that (1) positivity, positive affect in school, and learning flow reciprocally facilitated each other directly; (2) positive affect in school mediated the relation between positivity and later learning flow, as well as the relation between learning flow and later positivity.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings revealed that positivity, positive affect in school, and learning flow form a complex, dynamic system, suggesting that school professionals should consider monitoring and developing interventions based upon these variables as early as elementary school.

Positive Orientation and Posttraumatic Growth in Mothers of Children with Cystic Fibrosis - Mediating Role of Coping Strategies

PURPOSE

Analyzing the relationship between positive orientation and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in mothers of children with cystic fibrosis including the mediating role of coping strategies.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study using questionnaires. The sample was 144 mothers of children with cystic fibrosis (average age 37.25 years, SD = 6.50) recruited in the CF Foundation MATIO in Poland. The main measures included the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), The Positivity Scale, and the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE). Mediation was tested with Preacher and Hayes' model 4, including coping strategies as a mediator on the relationship between positive orientation and PTG.

RESULTS

Most examined mothers (105-72.91%) revealed high or average levels of posttraumatic growth. Positive orientation was positively (but weakly) correlated with PTGI total and all its dimensions. Additionally, coping strategies, especially focus on problem and seeking emotional support, were mediators between positive orientation and all dimensions of PTG. Full mediation was observed for PTG dimension: changes in relations to others.

CONCLUSION

Positive orientation and coping strategies are important for explaining post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with cystic fibrosis.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Therapeutic interventions and support programs for mothers of children with cystic fibrosis may increase mothers' awareness of experiencing PTG. Learning effective and flexible stress coping strategies can foster positive changes.

Positive Orientation and Health-related Quality of Life in Adult Patients Born With Anorectal Malformations

OBJECTIVES

Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are rare congenital colorectal anomalies, which may have a negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to long-lasting consequences, like fecal incontinence. The aim of the present study was to test whether a pervasive mode of appraising and viewing life experiences from a positive stance (ie, positivity) mediates the effect of fecal continence on HRQoL.

METHODS

Participants were enrolled from the Italian Association for Anorectal Malformations. Adult patients with ARMs who completed measures of fecal continence (Hirschsprung Disease/Anorectal Malformation Quality of Life Questionnaire), positivity (Life Satisfaction Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Life Orientation Test), and mental/physical HRQoL (SF-36) were included. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS statistical software (Model 4).

RESULTS

The study included 66 adult patients with ARMs. Mediated regression analyses showed a significant total effect in which patients with higher fecal continence perceived higher physical (β = 0.210, SE = 0.038, 95% CI [0.133, 0.286]) and mental HRQoL (β = 0.226, SE = 0.056, 95% CI [0.115, 0.338]) than patients with lower fecal continence. The indirect effects were also significant, indicating that positivity mediated the impact of fecal continence on physical (β = 0.026, SE = 0.017, 95% CI [0.002, 0.068]), and mental HRQoL (β = 0.146, SE = 0.058, 95% CI [0.047, 0.275]).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings extend previous literature on ARM patients and additional evidence that an optimistic view of oneself, one's life, and one's future contribute to explain the effects of functional impairments on quality of life.

Positive orientation, job satisfaction and psychological well-being of mental health practitioners in Malaysia

Mental health practitioners in many developing countries are faced with high job demands and a lack of institutional support. Given their high levels of work-related stress, it is important to identify mechanisms that help them to maintain psychological well-being and job satisfaction. Recent research has focused on the role that positive orientation (POS) may play in mediating the negative impact of stress on individual well-being. The present study investigated whether POS predicts mental health practitioners' perceived levels of stress, mental health and job satisfaction. If POS measures a person's tendency to take a positive attitude to life and their ability to cope with difficulties, a high POS could be linked to reduced levels of stress and increased levels of job satisfaction and well-being. This study examined associations between self-reported POS and psychological outcomes in a sample of 100 Malaysian mental health practitioners. The results showed that POS significantly predicted job satisfaction positively and mental health issues and perceived stress negatively, even when socio-demographic variables were controlled. Overall, we found a strong effect of POS on individual functioning across the sample of mental health practitioners. Our results have implications for improving practitioner wellbeing and job satisfaction.

Positive Orientation and Strategies for Coping with Stress as Predictors of Professional Burnout among Polish Nurses

Background: A psychological resource, positive orientation, may moderate stress and protect nurses from burnout. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of positive orientation and stress-coping strategies in predicting professional burnout among Polish nurses. Methods: A total of 1806 nurses employed in 23 hospitals in northeastern Poland participated in the study. The study used a standardized Positive Orientation Scale, Mini-COPE, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Results: On the stenographic scale, 21.8% of nurses had high levels of positive orientation, 46.8% were average, and 31.9% had low positive orientation. A total of 21.1% of respondents reported personal burnout. Most nurses reported work-related burnout (27%) and burnout in contacts with patients (28.4%) With increasing levels of positive orientation, nurses more often used adaptive strategies that focus on a problem and emotions. Personal burnout accounted for 16% of the variance of the dependent variable (β = −0.32; R² = 0.16), which was slightly lower than work-related burnout (10% (β = −0.23; R² = 0.10)), and burnout in contacts with patients (9% (β = −0.22; R² = 0.09)). Conclusion: The reduced level of positive orientation proved to be the main determinant of the professional burnout of Polish nurses. Burnout-prophylactic programs should be geared towards developing individual psychological resources, including positive orientation and the acquisition of effective stress-coping skills.

Social-cognitive antecedents of new venture internationalization

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social-cognitive antecedents of an entrepreneur’s internationalization intent and a firm’s behavior. Building on the insights of social-cognitive psychology, the author develops a conceptual model linking an entrepreneur’s positive orientation, self-efficacy beliefs, internationalization intent and actual behavior of the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

The author tests this model with a sample of 310 Polish firms (including 241 domestic and 69 international new ventures), drawing on data collected first in 2006 and then in 2007.

Findings

The author finds that self-efficacy mediates between positive orientation and internationalization intent, and that an entrepreneur’s internationalization intent predicts a firm’s behavior (i.e. foreign market entry). Moreover, firm age moderates the relationship between an entrepreneur’s positive orientation and internationalization propensity among new ventures.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, the findings demonstrate that social-cognitive theory is useful in predicting new venture internationalization.

Practical implications

Based on the findings, the author recommends that managerial education in international management combines the development of “formal” skills and cross-cultural competencies with experiential and vicarious learning.

Originality/value

The study combines insights from psychology and international business, thus responding to numerous calls for a more interdisciplinary and cognition-oriented focus on the international behavior of firms.

Time-specific Errors in Growth Curve Modeling: Type-1 Error Inflation and a Possible Solution with Mixed-Effects Models

Growth curve modeling (GCM) has been one of the most popular statistical methods to examine participants' growth trajectories using longitudinal data. In spite of the popularity of GCM, little attention has been paid to the possible influence of time-specific errors, which influence all participants at each timepoint. In this article, we demonstrate that the failure to take into account such time-specific errors in GCM produces considerable inflation of type-1 error rates in statistical tests of fixed effects (e.g., coefficients for the linear and quadratic terms). We propose a GCM that appropriately incorporates time-specific errors using mixed-effects models to address the problem. We also provide an applied example to illustrate that GCM with and without time-specific errors would lead to different substantive conclusions about the true growth trajectories. Comparisons with other models in longitudinal data analysis and potential issues of model misspecification are discussed.

The rocky road to prosocial behavior at work: The role of positivity and organizational socialization in preventing interpersonal strain

Among relevant consequences of organizational socialization, a key factor is the promotion of organizational citizenship behaviors toward individuals (i.e. OCBI). However, the relation between organizational socialization and OCBI has received little attention. This study tests the validity of a moderated mediation model in which we examine the mediating effect of a decreased interpersonal strain on the relationship between organizational socialization and OCBI, and the moderation role of a positive personal resource in reducing interpersonal strain when an unsuccessful socialization subsists. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 765 new recruits of the Guardia di Finanza–a military Police Force reporting to the Italian Minister of Economy. Findings confirm our hypothesis that interpersonal strain mediates the relationship between organizational socialization and OCBI. The index of moderated mediation results significant, showing that this effect exists at different levels of positivity. Theoretical and practical implications for promoting pro-organizational behaviors are discussed.

Explaining the “How” of Self-Esteem Development: The Self-Organizing Self-Esteem Model

The current article proposes a theoretical model of self-esteem called the Self-Organizing Self-Esteem (SOSE) model. The model provides an integrative framework for conceptualizing and understanding the intrinsic dynamics of self-esteem and the role of the context across 3 levels of development: The macro level, which is the level of trait self-esteem, the meso level, on which we find state self-esteem, and the micro level, which is the level of discrete self experiences. The model applies principles from the complex dynamics systems perspective to self-esteem, and can thus uniquely describe the underlying mechanism of self-esteem development based on self-organizational processes and interacting time scales. We compare the proposed SOSE model with a formalized account of the traditional approach to self-esteem, showing that the SOSE model is especially conducive to the understanding of self-esteem development in a way that the traditional approach is not—namely, in its ability to explain and predict the underlying dynamics of trait and state self-esteem, the meaning of variability, and the role of the context.

Being positive despite illness: The contribution of positivity to the quality of life of cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between Positivity (POS), defined as a stable disposition to view at experience under a positive outlook, and physical and psychological functioning in a sample of cancer patients immediately after diagnosis and one year later.

METHODS

A total of 110 patients (40% males) with pulmonary, colorectal and breast cancer, aged 30-75 (M age = 59.62; SD = 10.33), have been prospectively enrolled between 2012 and 2013, at the S. Andrea Hospital in Rome. All patients were previously aware of their diagnosis. A follow-up one year after diagnosis was conducted. We used structural equation modeling in order to analyse the specific effects of POS on functioning impairment from diagnosis to follow up.

RESULTS

POS was associated with less functioning impairment both at diagnosis and follow-up assessments. Furthermore, POS level at diagnosis continued to be associated with less functioning impairment one year later, after controlling for its stability.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with higher level of POS tended to report less symptoms associated with negative affect such as anxiety and despondency and to preserve their habitual relationships and social roles. POS may act as a basic disposition that sustains patients' efforts to deal efficaciously with severe illness, by complying with medical treatment and using cognitive strategies that enable individuals to cope with concurrent and prospective challenges of illness.

How Positivity Links With Job Satisfaction: Preliminary Findings on the Mediating Role of Work-Life Balance

The positive characteristics that can help people juggle their work and personal roles and experience greater job satisfaction are attracting increased research attention. This study presents a conceptual model to account for the association between employees' positive orientation (i.e., the tendency to evaluate self, life, and the future in a positive way) and their job satisfaction (N = 108). As theorized, the results indicate that employees' ability to manage their work-life balance fully mediates the relation between their positive orientation and job satisfaction. This suggests that a positive orientation serves as an adaptive personal resource that can facilitate employees' ability to balance work and non-work demands and hence can foster job satisfaction. The practical implications for positive psychological interventions in organizational settings are discussed.

Right-sizing statistical models for longitudinal data

Arguments are proposed that researchers using longitudinal data should consider more and less complex statistical model alternatives to their initially chosen techniques in an effort to "right-size" the model to the data at hand. Such model comparisons may alert researchers who use poorly fitting, overly parsimonious models to more complex, better-fitting alternatives and, alternatively, may identify more parsimonious alternatives to overly complex (and perhaps empirically underidentified and/or less powerful) statistical models. A general framework is proposed for considering (often nested) relationships between a variety of psychometric and growth curve models. A 3-step approach is proposed in which models are evaluated based on the number and patterning of variance components prior to selection of better-fitting growth models that explain both mean and variation-covariation patterns. The orthogonal free curve slope intercept (FCSI) growth model is considered a general model that includes, as special cases, many models, including the factor mean (FM) model (McArdle & Epstein, 1987), McDonald's (1967) linearly constrained factor model, hierarchical linear models (HLMs), repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and the linear slope intercept (linearSI) growth model. The FCSI model, in turn, is nested within the Tuckerized factor model. The approach is illustrated by comparing alternative models in a longitudinal study of children's vocabulary and by comparing several candidate parametric growth and chronometric models in a Monte Carlo study.

Distinguishing state variability from trait change in longitudinal data: the role of measurement (non)invariance in latent state-trait analyses

Researchers analyzing longitudinal data often want to find out whether the process they study is characterized by (1) short-term state variability, (2) long-term trait change, or (3) a combination of state variability and trait change. Classical latent state-trait (LST) models are designed to measure reversible state variability around a fixed set-point or trait, whereas latent growth curve (LGC) models focus on long-lasting and often irreversible trait changes. In the present article, we contrast LST and LGC models from the perspective of measurement invariance testing. We show that establishing a pure state-variability process requires (1) the inclusion of a mean structure and (2) establishing strong factorial invariance in LST analyses. Analytical derivations and simulations demonstrate that LST models with noninvariant parameters can mask the fact that a trait-change or hybrid process has generated the data. Furthermore, the inappropriate application of LST models to trait change or hybrid data can lead to bias in the estimates of consistency and occasion specificity, which are typically of key interest in LST analyses. Four tips for the proper application of LST models are provided.

Association between positivity and smoking cessation

The literature documents that personality characteristics are associated with healthy lifestyles, including smoking. Among positive traits, Positivity (POS), defined as a general disposition conducive to facing experience under a positive outlook has shown robust associations with psychological health. Thus, the present study investigated the extent to which POS is able to predict (i) relapse after quitting smoking and (ii) the desire to smoke again. All participants (481) had previously attended a Group Counselling Program (GCP) for Smoking Cessation (from 2005 through 2010). They were contacted through telephone interview. Among participants, 244 were ex-smokers (age: years 56.3 ± 10.08, 52% female) and 237 were still-smokers (age: years 55.0 ± 9.63; 63.5% female). The association of POS with "craving to smoke" levels was assessed with multivariate linear regression analysis while controlling also for important differences in personality such as conscientiousness and general self-efficacy, as well as for gender and age. Results showed that POS was significantly and negatively associated with smoking status and with craving to smoke. Among covariates (i.e., conscientiousness, generalized self-efficacy), gender was associated with smoking status and with craving to smoke. Altogether these findings corroborate the idea that POS plays a significant role in sustaining individuals' efforts to quit smoking.

Investigation of age and gender effects on positive orientation in Italian twins

We investigated age and gender effects on "Positive Orientation" (POS)-an individual's tendency to view life with a positive outlook-using a genetically informed design. Study subjects were 1016 twins aged 22-75 from the Italian twin registry. We assessed POS by the recently developed P-scale. First, we used confirmatory factor analysis to investigate scale's measurement invariance by age and gender. Then, we applied biometric modelling to estimate genetic and environmental components of POS score. Overall, we found a satisfactory degree of measurement invariance by both age and gender. Results from these analyses further indicated an increasing mean level of POS across the lifespan. Additive genetic and unshared environmental factors explained respectively 58% and 42% of variance in POS score, with no significant gender differences; furthermore, the pattern of change of gene-environment architecture of POS over time was consistent with a greater plasticity of personality at older ages.

An application of the LC-LSTM framework to the self-esteem instability case

The present research evaluates the stability of self-esteem as assessed by a daily version of the Rosenberg (Society and the adolescent self-image, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1965) general self-esteem scale (RGSE). The scale was administered to 391 undergraduates for five consecutive days. The longitudinal data were analyzed using the integrated LC-LSTM framework that allowed us to evaluate: (1) the measurement invariance of the RGSE, (2) its stability and change across the 5-day assessment period, (3) the amount of variance attributable to stable and transitory latent factors, and (4) the criterion-related validity of these factors. Results provided evidence for measurement invariance, mean-level stability, and rank-order stability of daily self-esteem. Latent state-trait analyses revealed that variances in scores of the RGSE can be decomposed into six components: stable self-esteem (40 %), ephemeral (or temporal-state) variance (36 %), stable negative method variance (9 %), stable positive method variance (4 %), specific variance (1 %) and random error variance (10 %). Moreover, latent factors associated with daily self-esteem were associated with measures of depression, implicit self-esteem, and grade point average.