Longitudinal Changes in Psychosocial Adjustment Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Adolescents with Differential Patterns of Solitude and Sociability.

Previous research has lacked a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of characteristics of solitude and sociability, and how they are associated with changes in psychosocial adjustment before and during the pandemic. The current study surveyed 1071 adolescents (Mage = 10.6, SD = 1.69, 49.86% female, age range = 8-14 years at Year 1) over six years (three years before pandemic, three years during pandemic). Piecewise linear mixed-effects analysis showed that adolescents with higher solitude and lower sociability reported improvements in adjustment during the pandemic, whereas adolescents with lower solitude and higher sociability reported declines in adjustment. The findings highlight the importance of considering multiple characteristics of solitude and sociability, as well as contextual factors (e.g., pandemic), to better understand the implications of solitude on adolescent adjustment.

When is Solitude Maladaptive for Adolescents? A Comprehensive Study of Sociability and Characteristics of Solitude.

Research examining the link between solitude and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents has lacked a comprehensive, person-centered examination of differential patterns of both solitude and sociability. The current study surveyed 1071 adolescents (Mage = 12.48, SD = 1.71, 49.86% female, age range = 10-16 years). Using latent-profile analysis, four groups were identified with differential patterns of characteristics of solitude (i.e., enjoyment, motivations, preference, frequency) and sociability. Results indicated that worse psychosocial adjustment across time points was associated with membership in the PFS-NonSociable group (characterized by high enjoyment, preference, and frequency of solitude; low sociability) compared to all other groups. Findings suggest that solitude for adolescents appears to be linked to worse psychosocial adjustment only if accompanied by a lack of sociability.

Deliberate Self-injury in Children and Associations With Negative Adjustment.

This study examines patterns between known childhood and adolescence self-injury behavior and longitudinal patterns with negative adjustment.

Affinity for Solitude and Motivations for Spending Time Alone Among Early and Mid- Adolescents.

Research on the link between affinity for solitude (a tendency to enjoy time alone) and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents has been mixed; however, this may depend on whether time spent alone is motivated by positive (self-reflection, creative pursuits) or reactive (negative affect, avoiding social interaction) factors. The current study investigated affinity for solitude and motivations for spending time alone among 1072 early to mid-adolescents (Mage = 12.48 years, age range = 10-16, 49.8% female). Higher reactive solitude predicted depressive symptoms, peer victimization, and lower self-esteem, controlling for previous scores on these adjustment indicators. For social anxiety and friendship quality, there were significant 3-way interactions between affinity for solitude, reactive solitude, and frequency of time spent alone, indicating that the relation between affinity for solitude and these latter adjustment indicators depends on why and how often youth spend time alone. Findings indicate that attention should be given to youth who spend time alone for reactive reasons, as this appears to be associated with negative adjustment.

Investigating the impacts of personality on the use and perceptions of online collaborative platforms in higher education.

Collaborative work is a critical component of active learning. Where in-person collaboration may not be possible, inclusion of online collaboration tools has become more prevalent. Previous studies have suggested that online collaboration is beneficial to overall learning outcomes; however, little research has investigated how differences in personality traits, such as extraversion and agreeableness, impact the benefits and effectiveness of collaborative learning, both through online (synchronous and asynchronous) and in-person platforms. In the present study, 360 (66.4% female) undergraduate students completed an online survey to assess perceptions of and beliefs about online synchronous, online asynchronous, and in-person collaboration in higher education with a focus on the impact of extraversion and agreeableness. Findings indicated that students had more experience and greater preference for online synchronous collaboration compared to online asynchronous collaboration; however, students believed that in-person collaboration was most effective. Both extraversion and agreeableness predicted positive beliefs about group work in both online and in-person settings but not uniformly. These findings support the use of online synchronous collaboration when in-person opportunities are limited; however, individual differences related to personality traits can differentially impact students' perceptions toward and actions within collaboration contexts.