Impact of a School-Based Multicomponent Positive Psychology Intervention on Adolescents’ Time Attitudes: A Latent Transition Analysis

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence 2022-05, Vol.51 (5), p.1002-1016
• Main Authors: Tejada-Gallardo, Claudia, Blasco-Belled, Ana, Alsinet, Carles
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Attitude; Attitudes; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child and School Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Developmental Stages; Emotions; Empirical Research; Female; Health behavior; Health Psychology; History of Psychology; Humans; Intervention; Law and Psychology; Male; Mental health; Profiles; Psychology; Psychology, Positive; Resistance (Psychology); Schools; Secondary schools; Teenagers; Time; Well being
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01562-5

Time attitudes, which refer to positive and negative feelings towards the past, present, and future, are a salient phenomenon in the developmental stage of adolescence and have been related to better well-being. Positive feelings towards time can be promoted in the school setting through empirically validated positive psychology interventions. However, the extent to which these interventions impact the time attitudes of adolescents remains unknown. The current study investigated the influence of a multicomponent positive psychology intervention on adolescents’ transitions between time attitude profiles and how these transitions are related to their emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Participants consisted of 220 ( M  = 14.98; 47.3% female) adolescents from two Spanish high schools who participated in the six-week Get to Know Me+ program. Adolescents’ time attitudes and well-being were measured via the Adolescents and Adult Time Inventory–Time Attitudes and the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form, respectively, at pre- and postintervention. Participants were clustered in different profiles through a latent profile analysis, and the transitions were analyzed using a latent transition analysis. Five profiles were identified ( negative , present/future negative , past negative , optimistic , and positive ), and results indicated that adolescents who participated in the intervention were more likely to transition to positive profiles ( optimistic and positive ) and generally reported higher well-being, especially those in the negative , present/future negative , and optimistic profiles. Preliminary evidence showed that school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions can have a positive impact on adolescents’ feelings towards time and well-being.