Examining Secondary School Choice Processes as a Predictor of Adjustment After the School Transition.

The secondary school transition is an important moment in adolescents' lives. Taking a prospective approach, the present study examined whether educational identity regarding a secondary school choice and own and parental expectations during the last year of primary school predicted post-transition school and psychological adjustment in Dutch adolescents (N = 314, Mage = 11.58). Additionally, the study qualitatively examined the reasons adolescents gave for their school choice, and linked these reasons to exploration behavior and post-transition adjustment. Identity processes and expectations predicted adjustment. Adolescents mostly reported multiple reasons for their school choice, with educational, practical, and social aspects of secondary schools appearing most important. The number of reasons mentioned was associated with pre-transition exploration behavior.

The relation between self-event connections and personality functioning in youth with severe psychopathology.

OBJECTIVE: One way in which individuals construct their narrative identity is by making self-event connections, which are often linked to better functioning. Being unable to make connections is related to identity discontinuity and psychopathology. Work in the general population corroborates this association, but also highlights the importance of focusing on specific aspects of these connections and on vulnerable populations. METHOD: We examined the association of self-event connections with personality functioning in youth with severe psychopathology (cross-sectional N = 228, Mage = 19.5, longitudinal N = 84), and the role of event and connection valence in the subsample of youth who made a connection (n = 188 and n = 68). Negative affectivity was controlled for in all models. RESULTS: We found no evidence that self-event connections, nor connection valence and its interaction with event valence, are related to functioning. Positive event valence was associated with better functioning. Higher negative affectivity was strongly linked to lower functioning and explained the relation between event valence and functioning. No longitudinal associations emerged. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that for youth with severe psychopathology making self-event connections may not be associated with better functioning. Moreover, negative affectivity may be a distal predictor of both event valence and functioning.

Dynamics of Identity Development in Adolescence: A Decade in Review.

One of the key developmental tasks in adolescence is to develop a coherent identity. The current review addresses progress in the field of identity research between the years 2010 and 2020. Synthesizing research on the development of identity, we show that identity development during adolescence and early adulthood is characterized by both systematic maturation and substantial stability. This review discusses the role of life events and transitions for identity and the role of micro-processes and narrative processes as a potential mechanisms of personal identity development change. It provides an overview of the linkages between identity development and developmental outcomes, specifically paying attention to within-person processes. It additionally discusses how identity development takes place in the context of close relationships.

With a little help from my friends? Perceived friendship quality and narrative identity in adolescence.

Stressful events are associated with various outcomes, but there is variability in these associations suggesting that the interpretation of these events is important. This interpretation is reflected in the narratives adolescents tell of events, which are largely constructed in social interactions. We examined the associations of perceived friendship quality with self-event connections and redemption in turning point narratives, in a sample of Dutch adolescents. Findings from regression analyses in a cross-sectional subsample (N = 1087, Mage  = 14.8) and a three-wave cross-lagged panel model in a longitudinal subsample (N = 186, Mage at Wave 1  = 14.7) showed that perceived friendship quality was associated with the presence of redemption sequences and self-event connections within time points, but not longitudinally.

Stressful life events and identity development in early and mid-adolescence.

INTRODUCTION: In the past, stressful life events have been consistently linked to developmental outcomes such as well-being and psychopathological problems. Theory on identity postulates that stressful life events may also predict a regression in identity development. While some support for this link has been found in adult populations, it is important to examine this in adolescence, a time marked by identity development as well as stressful transitions and experiences. METHODS: In the present study, we examined whether having to repeat a grade and death of a family member or friend were related to regressive change in educational and relational identity in a sample of 840 Dutch adolescents (49% female, Mage W1 = 12.4) drawn from a large ongoing longitudinal study. We also investigated whether the impact of the events was moderated by neuroticism, and parental and peer support. All analyses were controlled for age, educational level, and sex. RESULTS: Results of latent difference score models indicated that experiencing an event did not predict regressions in identity. Congruence between the domain of the event and identity (i.e., educational or relational) did not affect the strength of the effects. Neuroticism and parental and peer support did not significantly moderate this link. However, social support was related to relational and educational identity. CONCLUSIONS: The link between stressful events and identity may not be as straightforward as would be expected based on identity theory, as our results did not show evidence for a link between these events and change in identity for all adolescents.

Identity disturbance in dimensional and categorical models of personality disorder: The incremental value of self-rated identity and narrative identity.

Identity disturbance is increasingly considered to drive personality disorder (PD) onset. Previous research has investigated how identity relates to PD using either self-report scales or narratives to assess identity. Few studies have investigated how both operationalizations relate to one another and to models of PD. More so, no study has investigated whether a narrative identity assessment offers additional explanatory power in understanding PD, beyond what is captured by a self-rated identity assessment, or vice versa. We aimed to address these gaps by administering a rating scale measuring (mal)adaptive identity alongside a prompt to write a narrative about a turning point event to 331 individuals aged 18-30 (72.2% female, Mage = 22.56). Using this multimethod approach, we investigated (a) associations of narrative identity dimensions (agency, communion, exploratory processing) with self-rated identity, self- and interpersonal dysfunction, and symptoms of borderline and antisocial PD, and (b) whether these narrative identity dimensions could explain unique variance in self- and interpersonal dysfunction, and borderline and antisocial PD symptoms, above and beyond self-rated identity, and vice versa. Results revealed significant associations among narrative identity, self-rated identity, and models of PD. Furthermore, communion demonstrated incremental value in explaining PD features, beyond what was accounted for by self-rated identity. However, narrative identity did not offer additional explanatory power in understanding self- and interpersonal dysfunction, beyond self-rated identity. Self-rated identity showed incremental value in explaining all PD models, beyond narrative identity. These results emphasize the importance of employing different methodologies for assessing identity in elucidating how identity disturbance manifests in personality pathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality pathology in youth: A comparison of the categorical and alternative model in relation to internalizing and externalizing pathology and age-adequate psychosocial functioning.

Youth with personality pathology are at a greater risk of developing broader psychopathology and experiencing poorer life outcomes in general. Therefore, detecting personality problems, specifically features of borderline personality disorder (BPD), provides opportunities for early intervention. In this study, we investigated the incremental value of Criteria A and B of the alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD) compared to a BPD symptom count based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition Section II personality disorder model in broader psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms) and age-adequate psychosocial functioning (i.e., attainment of developmental milestones). In a clinical sample of 246 young people (Mage = 19.22, SD = 2.76, 81.7% female), separate path analyses showed that a BPD symptom count, Criterion A, and Criterion B were all relatively strongly related to the outcome measures. In a combined path model, the AMPD and especially Criterion B explained additional variance in internalizing and externalizing pathology and age-adequate psychosocial functioning. The current results underscore the value of the AMPD for the early detection of negative psychopathological and psychosocial outcomes commonly associated with BPD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mental illness and identity in adolescents with internalizing problems: A qualitative exploration of identity-relevant narratives.

Mental illness and identity are related, with issues in identity contributing to the development of psychopathology and vice versa. However, little work has examined how mental illness and identity can become interwoven (i.e., mental illness identity). Mental illness identity may be particularly important during adolescence, as this life phase is marked by the salience of identity and an increase in psychopathology. In the present study, we conducted a qualitative examination of the high point, low point, turning point, and psychopathology-related narratives of 69 Dutch adolescents (Mage = 16.5, 75.4% female, 15.9% male, 8.7% other). The participants were diagnosed with a mood, anxiety, and/or eating disorder, and the majority of them (82.6%) were in treatment at the time of the study. We found that adolescents' mental illness identity could take different forms and that these forms may be more adaptive or maladaptive depending on the context of each adolescent's life. Furthermore, mental illness identity was related to several factors within adolescents (e.g., sense of agency) and their environment (e.g., stigma). These findings contribute to our understanding of adolescent mental illness identity and may be used to improve the treatment of their internalizing problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An item response theory analysis of two frequently used measures of identity development.

Identity development-exploring options and making commitments-is an important process related to human functioning across the lifespan. An accurate understanding of identity development processes requires precise measures, but commonly used questionnaires have not been subject to intensive psychometric analyses. We investigated the psychometric properties of two such measures, the Utrecht Management of Identity Commitments Scale and the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale. Previous analyses have treated the response scales as interval rather than ordinal, which may not be reasonable given the measures' Likert-type response scales. Accordingly, we evaluated their measurement precision by conducting multidimensional item response theory analyses of data from six studies of secondary and postsecondary students in The Netherlands and the United States (total N = 4,844; 36.00% boys/men, 63.07% girls/women; 0.02% nonbinary or missing gender data; 62.39% completed the measure in Dutch, 37.61% in English; 52.66% postsecondary school; 47.34% secondary school; racial, ethnic, and nationality information varied across studies). Graded response models showed that a limited range of the latent attributes was precisely measured, and the quality of items varied considerably. The measures functioned mostly similarly between gender groups, but there was substantial differential item functioning based on school level and language of the measure. We originally sought to create shortened versions, but the shortened versions provided no improvement over the low quality of the longer versions. Our analyses suggest that reflection on what these identity processes entail is needed, to develop new items that address different manifestations of the attributes under consideration. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric Qualities of the Educational Identity Processes Scale (EIPS).

In the educational domain, the development of identity becomes especially salient during school transition phases. To assess the specific identity processes that match the adolescents' experiences before and after the school transition, the Educational Identity Processes Scale (EIPS) was developed. The present study aimed to test the psychometric qualities of the EIPS by examining its factor structure, the internal and convergent validity of the identity dimensions, and whether the questionnaire was measurement invariant over time. The pre-transition version was tested in a Dutch sample (N = 242 early adolescents) and the post-transition version was tested in a Lithuanian sample (N = 1,268 mid-adolescents). Findings indicated good psychometric qualities for both the pre- and post-transition versions of the EIPS. Additionally, context dependencies were observed, as distance to the transition influenced the meaning of specific identity processes and determined whether specific processes could be considered as part of normative development.

What Should I do and Who's to blame? A cross-national study on youth's attitudes and beliefs in times of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a major impact on youth. This study examined factors associated with youth's attitudes towards their government's response to the pandemic and their blaming of individuals from certain risk groups, ethnic backgrounds, and countries or regions. In a sample of 5,682 young adults (Mage = 22) from 14 countries, lower perceived burden due to COVID-19, more collectivistic and less individualistic values, and more empathy were associated with more positive attitudes towards the government and less blaming of individuals of certain groups. Youth's social identification with others in the pandemic mediated these associations in the same direction, apart from the COVID-19 burden on attitudes, which had a positive indirect effect. No evidence of country-level moderation was found.

Self-esteem and satisfaction with social relationships across time.

Research on the longitudinal association between self-esteem and satisfaction with social relationships has led to ambiguous conclusions regarding the temporal order and strength of this relation. Existing studies have examined this association across intervals ranging from days to years, leaving it unclear as to what extent differences in timing may explain differences across studies. In the present study, we used continuous time structural equation models (i.e., CT-SEM) to examine cross-lagged relations between the constructs, and also distinguished between-person differences from within-person processes (i.e., RI-CT-SEM). We analyzed 10 years of annual data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies of the Social Sciences (N = 14,741). When using CT-SEM, we found a bidirectional positive relation between self-esteem and satisfaction with social relationships, with larger effects over longer intervals. When using RI-CT-SEM, we found the largest effects of self-esteem and satisfaction with social relationships across intervals of 1 year, with smaller effect sizes at both shorter and longer intervals. In addition, the effect of fluctuations in people's satisfaction with social relationships on fluctuations in their self-esteem was greater than the reverse effect. Our results highlight the importance of considering time when examining the relation between self-esteem and interpersonal outcomes and likely psychological constructs in general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Tracking Infant Development With a Smartphone: A Practical Guide to the Experience Sampling Method.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced developmental researchers to rethink their traditional research practices. The growing need to study infant development at a distance has shifted our research paradigm to online and digital monitoring of infants and families, using electronic devices, such as smartphones. In this practical guide, we introduce the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) - a research method to collect data, in the moment, on multiple occasions over time - for examining infant development at a distance. ESM is highly suited for assessing dynamic processes of infant development and family dynamics, such as parent-infant interactions and parenting practices. It can also be used to track highly fluctuating family dynamics (e.g., infant and parental mood or behavior) and routines (e.g., activity levels and feeding practices). The aim of the current paper was to provide an overview by explaining what ESM is and for what types of research ESM is best suited. Next, we provide a brief step-by-step guide on how to start and run an ESM study, including preregistration, development of a questionnaire, using wearables and other hardware, planning and design considerations, and examples of possible analysis techniques. Finally, we discuss common pitfalls of ESM research and how to avoid them.

Social inhibition, sense of belonging and vulnerability to internalizing problems.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to provide a conceptual test of how social inhibition, sense of belonging and internalizing problems are related, and whether sense of belonging moderates or mediates the relation between social inhibition and internalizing problems. METHODS: Data were used from two waves of the Dutch internet cohort LISS (Longitudinal Internet Studies of the Social Sciences; N = 511, M age = 52.09 years). Social inhibition was measured using the DS14 in 2012, sense of belonging (i.e., feeling cut off and having people to really talk to) was measured with the General Social Exclusion Index in 2012 and internalizing problems with the MHI-5 in 2015. RESULTS: Social inhibition was related to a lower sense of belonging and more internalizing problems. A low sense of belonging was related to more internalizing problems. Results indicated no moderation. However, evidence was found for partial mediation. That is, feeling cut off and having people to really talk to explained part of the link between social inhibition and internalizing problems. All analyses were controlled for sex, age and income. LIMITATIONS: The items used to measure sense of belonging only cover part of the construct. The study was not fully prospective, as such, no conclusions can be drawn regarding causality. CONCLUSIONS: Low sense of belonging is a key factor to consider when aiming at understanding individual differences in internalizing psychopathology related to social inhibition.