Hope—a multidimensional positive motivational state—is particularly salient with adolescents in the school setting. Cognitive hope focuses on goal attainment cognitions whereas behavioral hope focuses on actions required for goal attainment. Studies rarely examine the contribution of each type of hope to adolescents’ academic functioning and well‐being. The present study examines the contributions of cognitive and behavioral hope to academic functioning (i.e., achievement and school engagement) and well‐being (i.e., stress and anxiousness) across adolescence among 5th‐ through 12th‐grade students (n = 643). When modeled concurrently, cognitive hope significantly predicted achievement, school engagement, anxiousness, and stress (high school only); however, aspects of behavioral hope only predicted school engagement. Findings provide evidence regarding the unique contribution of both types of hope in school settings and possible areas for intervention to foster hope in developmentally appropriate ways, depending on the age of the students and outcomes of interest.
Introduction: Feeling hopeful is an important condition for adolescents' health, well-being, and educational success and attainment, yet limited research has examined hope at different ages throughout adolescence. Information regarding hope levels across grade could help educators know when to capitalize on goal-setting behaviors, and when to intervene should hope levels be low. Additionally, hope could help with the middle to high school transition because it presents opportunities and challenges, including school-related stress, as students adjust to new environments and expectations. Methods: To investigate hope levels across adolescence, inter-and intra-personal analyses examined hope levels across grade-level in two cohorts of southwestern U.S. students (n = 1,018, 6th-10th grade students, 47% female, 55% White/45% non-White, (predominately Latinx)). The study used online self-report surveys to collect data. Next, longitudinal regression analyses across one year investigated relations of school stress and hope, and hope and achievement across the transition to high school. Results: Students in both cohorts reported relatively stable hope levels from 6th to 10th grade, except for large decreases in hope during 8th grade, which recovered during 9th grade. For longitudinal analyses across the high school transition, student stress about school performance primarily inluenced 8th graders who had relatively low hope. Eighth grade hope predicted 9th grade academic achievement. Conclusion: Findings regarding hope across adolescence show that hope is similar across grade, except for a large decrease in hope that may occur before the transition to high school. Longitudinal analyses showed that school performance stress may contribute to this decrease but may also assist in hope recovery after the transition. Findings support educational practices and policies that target student hope before the high school transition to potentially buffer student stress and promote high school achievement.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has entirely disrupted college students’ education plans, often their physical location, and it remains elusive when life will return to prepandemic normalcy. The current study examined changing media use patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect of these patterns on feelings of concern regarding one’s future and society, and the moderating roles of anxiety and depression in relations. Seventy-four college students (70% female; 55% White, 24% Pell-grant eligible) completed an online survey assessing time spent on TV, social media, and video game use in spring of 2019 (T1) and spring of 2020 (T2). Results revealed TV and video game, but not social media, use increased from T1 to T2, and change in TV use positively predicted an increased concern about society. Further, moderation analyses showed increased social media use raised concern for one’s future at lower levels of anxiety. Change in social media use raised concern for society at higher levels of depression. This study advances our understanding of college students’ interactions with media during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting some types of media may have been used as coping mechanisms with various effects on concern for self and others. Mental health can be salient to these relations.
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