Continuity, Stability, and Change in Daily Emotional Experience across Adolescence

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined change in adolescents' daily range of emotional states between early and late adolescence. A sample of 220 youth provided reports on their daily emotions at random times during two 1-week periods. At Time 1 they were in the fifth through eighth grades; 4 years later, at Time 2, they were in the ninth through twelfth grades. Results showed that average emotional states became less positive across early adolescence, but that this downward change in average emotions ceased in grade 10. The results also showed greatest relative instability between youth in the early adolescent years--correlations over time were lower--with stability increasing in late adolescence. Lastly, the study found that adolescents' average emotions had relatively stable relations to life stress and psychological adjustment between early and late adolescence. As a whole, the findings suggest that late adolescence is associated with a slowing of the emotional changes of early adolescence.

Dispositional Optimism, Affective States and Judgements of Future Life Events

“…Given the increase in risky choices and behavior during adolescence, it appears that the value of positive and negative information may be exaggerated (Casey, Jones, & Hare, 2008). There is considerable evidence that on average, adolescents experience more extreme affects (both positive and negative) and more variable mood states in their everyday lives than their adult counterparts (Larson, Moneta, Richards, & Wilson, 2002). There is no empirical evidence of the relationship between affective states and judgements of future events on samples of adolescents.…”

Relations among mothers' expressivity, children's effortful control, and their problem behaviors: A four-year longitudinal study.

“…For example, the physical and psychological changes are likely to be associated with the experience of novel types of reactivity, and these changing systems seem to contribute to EC (Spear, 2000). Some of these changes are associated with increases in negative emotion and moodiness that are likely to place more demands on adolescents' regulatory abilities (Brooks-Gunn, Graber, & Paikoff, 1994;Buchanan, Eccles, & Becker, 1992;Larson & Asmussen, 1991;Larson, Csikszentmihalyi, & Graef, 1980;Larson, Giovanni, Richards, & Wilson, 2002). Finally, compared with work with younger children, there is less work on the relations between adolescents' EC and problem behavior and social competence, which is surprising given the rise in affective and behavioral disorders that occur during this developmental period (Farrington, 2004).…”

Teenagers Perceptions of Teachers: A Developmental Argument

“…It is assumed that young teenagers are conscious of their own personal development, but the extent to which their developmental needs are catered for and accounted for from their perspective in the classroom is unclear. Therefore, this issue warrants on-going investigation (Ashman & Elkins, 2011;Brighton, 2007;Eccles, 1999;Eccles & Midgley, 1989;Fenzel, 2000;Hardy, Bukowski, & Sippola, 2002;Hoffnung et al, 2012;Larson, Moneta, Richards, & Wilson, 2002;Peterson, 2010;Sprague & Biglan, 2011;Way, Reddy, & Rhodes, 2007).…”