Affective development from late childhood to late adolescence: Trajectories of mean-level change in negative and positive affect

Negative and positive emotions comprise basic elements of human experience and are associated with outcomes across a range of domains, spanning physical and emotional health, behavioral functioning, and psychological wellbeing. The present study used latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) to map trajectories of subjective mean-level negative (NA) and positive affect (PA) from late childhood to late adolescence in a sample of 652 community youth age 10 to 18 years (56.4% female) recruited in 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade cohorts. Youth affect was assessed repeatedly via self-report over three years in an accelerated longitudinal cohort design (6 total assessment points). Results of LGCM analyses indicate that adolescence is characterized by declines in PA and increases in NA, with girls experiencing greater mean-level NA than boys beginning in grade 6. Findings contribute foundational descriptive information, illustrating normative trajectories of mean-level affect across a critical period of human development.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2018

Author dc:creator

• Griffith, Julianne Marie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hankin, Benjamin L.

• affective development
• developmental trajectories
• negative affect
• positive affect

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2018 Julianne Griffith

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101828

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/101828