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Liu X, Yue J, Yang Y. Why So Lonely? The Direct and Indirect Associations between Developmental Trajectories of Fear of Negative Evaluation, Prosocial Behavior and Loneliness in Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:1699-1710. [PMID: 38446286 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-01959-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Fear of negative evaluation and prosocial behavior have been identified as predictive factors influencing the development of loneliness in adolescence, representing typical factors in the cognitive and behavioral processes of re-affiliation. The elucidation of plausible direct and indirect pathways linking these pivotal factors to adolescents' loneliness need further exploration. This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between the fear of negative evaluation, prosocial behavior, and adolescents' loneliness through the lens of developmental changes. A total of 533 adolescents (49.0% girls, Mage = 15.18 years, SD = 0.71) participated in this longitudinal study, assessed at three timepoints over a span of two years with 12-month intervals. Latent growth modeling uncovered direct associations between the developmental trajectories of both fear of negative evaluation and prosocial behavior with the developmental trajectory of adolescents' loneliness. The developmental trajectory of fear of negative evaluation exhibited an indirect association with the developmental trajectory of loneliness through the mediating role of prosocial behavior. These findings highlighted the roles of cognitive and behavioral re-affiliation processes, both independently and as mediators, in influencing adolescent loneliness, suggesting that interventions aimed at reducing fear of negative evaluation and promoting prosocial behavior could effectively mitigate adolescents' loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Jiaying Yue
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Institute of Brain and Education Innovation, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
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Mund M, Maes M, Drewke PM, Gutzeit A, Jaki I, Qualter P. Would the Real Loneliness Please Stand Up? The Validity of Loneliness Scores and the Reliability of Single-Item Scores. Assessment 2023; 30:1226-1248. [PMID: 35246009 PMCID: PMC10149889 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221077227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Several measures that assess loneliness have been developed for adults. Across three studies, we investigated psychometric features of scores of different versions of the Rasch-Type Loneliness Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and three single-item measures. In Study 1 (N = 697 self-ratings, N = 282 informant-ratings of 160 targets) and Study 2 (N = 1,216 individuals from 608 couples), we investigated convergent validity, self-informant agreement, and nomological nets of the item scores using correlates related to demographic aspects, personality, satisfaction, and network characteristics. In Study 3 (N = 411), we estimated a reliability of r x x > . 70 for scores of three single-item measures of loneliness. Overall, scores of all measures and their nomological nets were highly correlated within and across studies, indicating that the scores of the included measures are all reliable and valid. Recommendations for choosing a loneliness measure are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Mund
- University of Klagenfurt, Austria
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany
| | - Marlies Maes
- KU Leuven, Belgium
- Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium
- Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Pia M. Drewke
- University of Klagenfurt, Austria
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany
| | | | - Isabel Jaki
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany
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Katulis G, Kaniušonytė G, Laursen B. Positive classroom climate buffers against increases in loneliness arising from shyness, rejection sensitivity and emotional reactivity. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1081989. [PMID: 37032957 PMCID: PMC10076792 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1081989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Loneliness is detrimental to well-being, particularly during the transition into and early years of adolescence when peer relations are ascendant. Shy and emotionally sensitive youth, who often spend considerable time alone, have known vulnerabilities to loneliness. Studies of young children suggest that a supportive classroom context may mitigate adjustment risks, reducing victimization and improving a sense of belonging. Herein we extend this work to older students, testing the hypothesis that a positive classroom climate protects temperamentally vulnerable children (i.e., those who are shy, emotionally reactive, or sensitive to rejection) from escalating levels of loneliness across the course of a school year. A community sample of 540 (277 boys, 263 girls) Lithuanian students in grades 5-7 (10-14 years old) completed identical surveys twice, 4-5 months apart. Self-reports assessed shyness, emotional reactivity, and rejection sensitivity, as well as perceived positive classroom climate and loneliness. Path analyses indicated that longitudinal associations from shyness, emotional reactivity, and rejection sensitivity to increased loneliness were mitigated by positive classroom climate. In each case, temperamental vulnerability anticipated greater loneliness for youth reporting low but not high positive classroom climate. The results held after accounting for several potential confounding variables. The findings have practical implications, suggesting that scholars and practitioners redouble efforts to improve classroom support, particularly for temperamentally vulnerable children who are at elevated risk for solitude, loneliness, and attendant mental health challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gintautas Katulis
- Institute of Psychology, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Goda Kaniušonytė
- Institute of Psychology, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Brett Laursen
- Institute of Psychology, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Brett Laursen,
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Grygiel P, Rębisz S, Gaweł A, Ostafińska-Molik B, Michel M, Łosiak-Pilch J, Dolata R. The Inclusion of Other-Sex Peers in Peer Networks and Sense of Peer Integration in Early Adolescence: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14971. [PMID: 36429689 PMCID: PMC9691103 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The main goal of the analysis presented in this paper is to examine the dynamics of including other-sex peers in the peer networks of early adolescents, aged 11 (at T1) and 13 (at T2), and the relationship between sex heterophily and changes in the sense of peer integration. The analysis was conducted using the Latent Difference Score (LDS) model with data from a representative nationwide longitudinal study in Poland (n = 5748). With reference to the dynamics related to the heterophilic process, the research confirmed that at the beginning of grade 5 of primary school, heterophily is still relatively rare, yet towards the end of early adolescence, there is a gradual shift, more strongly in girls, towards breaking through the strictly same-sex segregation and embarking on heterophilic relationships. Importantly, the LDS model-even when controlling for different measures of peer network-showed significant and positive (among both girls and boys) relations between establishing cross-sex relationships and the sense of peer integration. The results indicate that the appearance of the opposite sex in the peer network between grades 5 and 6 will improve the sense of peer integration. The findings are discussed in relation to results from other studies in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Grygiel
- Institute of Education, Jagiellonian University, 31-135 Cracow, Poland
| | - Sławomir Rębisz
- Institute of Education, Rzeszów University; 35-010 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Anna Gaweł
- Institute of Education, Jagiellonian University, 31-135 Cracow, Poland
| | | | - Małgorzata Michel
- Institute of Education, Jagiellonian University, 31-135 Cracow, Poland
| | | | - Roman Dolata
- Faculty of Education, University of Warsaw, 00-561 Warsaw, Poland
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Xiang GX, Gan X, Jin X, Zhang YH. The more developmental assets, the less internet gaming disorder? Testing the cumulative effect and longitudinal mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022:1-12. [PMID: 36320560 PMCID: PMC9607804 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03790-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the dramatical development and prosperity of online games, while worldwide people are suffering from it. Considering the high prevalence, serious impacts, and huge development potential of internet gaming disorder (IGD), it is extremely necessary to develop a protective model to prevent and intervene with it among young people. Based on the developmental assets theory, the present study adopted a two-wave longitudinal design to evaluate the cumulative effects of developmental assets on IGD, as well as the underlying mechanisms during this specific period. Data were collected from a sample of 1023 adolescents in Hubei province, Central China through self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that (1) developmental assets were negatively associated with adolescents' IGD concurrently and longitudinally; (2) the overall developmental assets had cumulative effects in linear patterns on adolescents' IGD, concurrently and longitudinally; and (3) internal developmental assets mediated the relationship between external developmental assets and adolescents' IGD longitudinally. Theoretically, the present study supports the developmental assets theory and expands the literature about developmental assets and IGD in younger generations. Practically, the present study provides guidance for prevention and intervention of IGD among adolescents during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprehensive measures should be taken to assist in developing positive internal and external resources to promote youth thriving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Xing Xiang
- Department of Psychology, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Xiong Gan
- Department of Psychology, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
| | - Xin Jin
- Yangtze University College of Technology and Engineering, Jingzhou, China
| | - Yan-Hong Zhang
- Department of Psychology, College of Education and Sports Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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Wieczorek LL, Humberg S, Gerstorf D, Wagner J. Understanding Loneliness in Adolescence: A Test of Competing Hypotheses on the Interplay of Extraversion and Neuroticism. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:12412. [PMID: 34886137 PMCID: PMC8657054 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Given that adolescents often experience fundamental changes in social relationships, they are considered to be especially prone to loneliness. Meanwhile, theory and research highlight that both extraversion and neuroticism are closely intertwined with individual differences in loneliness. Extant research has explored the linear main effects of these personality traits, yet potential non-linear associations (e.g., exponential effects) and the potential interplay of extraversion and neuroticism (e.g., mutual reinforcement effects) remain unknown. We addressed these open questions using cross-sectional and one-year longitudinal data from two adolescent samples (overall N = 583, Mage = 17.57, 60.55% girls) and an information-theoretic approach combined with polynomial regression. Analyses showed little evidence for interaction effects but revealed non-linear effects in addition to the main effects of extraversion and neuroticism on loneliness. For example, the positive cross-sectional association between neuroticism and loneliness was stronger at higher neuroticism levels (i.e., exponential effect). Results differed across loneliness facets in that both traits predicted emotional loneliness, but only extraversion predicted social loneliness. Longitudinal analyses showed that loneliness changes were mainly related to neuroticism. We discuss results in the light of sample differences, elaborate on the importance to differentiate between emotional versus social aspects of loneliness, and outline implications for adolescent development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa L. Wieczorek
- Educational Psychology and Personality Development, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Sarah Humberg
- Psychological Diagnostics and Personality Psychology, Institute for Psychology, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Humboldt University, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Jenny Wagner
- Educational Psychology and Personality Development, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg, Germany;
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