Differential Trajectories of Social-Emotional Competence in Early Adolescence: The Role of Mindfulness

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 1:45 pm
  In Poster Session: Research Exploring Contextual Influences across the Lifespan: Grounded in Theories of Human Development

Abstract

This study investigated different trajectories of social-emotional competence (SEC) and the predictive effects of mindfulness on trajectory membership among young adolescents. A sample of 434 Chinese adolescents (196 girls; Mage = 12.39 years at Wave 1) was surveyed three times over 18 months. Growth mixture modeling with latent trajectory classes revealed three SEC trajectories: High Start with Fast Growth (14.98%), Moderate Start with Slow Decline (62.90%), and Low Start with Fast Decline (22.12%). Lower mindfulness at Wave 1 predicted membership in the Low Start with Fast Decline group compared with the other two groups. This study confirms the heterogeneous development of SEC among young adolescents and highlights the role of mindfulness in preventing them from experiencing fast decline in SEC.

Authors

• Yonghe TI, University of Hong Kong

• Cong Yi, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Shun-Lam Chan, Tsinghua University

• Jun Wei, Tsinghua University