Department of Psychology, Chuo University, 742-1 Higashinakano Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA.
J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Jun;47(6):1192-1207. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0816-7. Epub 2018 Feb 14.
The transition to high school is generally considered as a stressful turning point in adolescent development, but some students experience personal growth (i.e., positive developmental changes) through that experience. It is important to examine the mechanism behind such positive changes to understand various developmental patterns of adolescents during the transition. However, the concept of growth in this research area remains unexplored. Some researchers have questioned whether retrospective, self-reported growth reflects actual positive changes in the perception of personal growth. We elaborated on the concept of growth after high school transition by examining whether retrospective appraisal of personal growth after transition to high school is correlated with measured change in growth. Two hundred and sixty-two Japanese adolescents (aged 14-16 years, 50% girls) participated in surveys right before and right after transition. We assessed five domains of growth, including improved relating to others, identification of new possibilities, increased sense of personal strength, spiritual growth, and greater appreciation of life. The results showed that retrospective assessment of growth and measured change during transition were positively associated, provided the adolescents reported the transition as an important turning point in their lives. Adolescents who experienced salient positive changes across the transition were more likely to engage in intrusive and deliberate rumination and social support than adolescents who reported fewer changes. In summary, retrospective growth covaried with measured change only when adolescents perceived the transition as impactful in their lives.
从中学到高中的过渡通常被认为是青少年发展中的一个压力转折点，但有些学生通过这一经历体验到个人成长（即积极的发展变化）。了解这种积极变化背后的机制对于理解青少年在过渡期间的各种发展模式非常重要。然而，这一研究领域的成长概念仍未得到探索。一些研究人员质疑回顾性的、自我报告的成长是否反映了个人成长感的实际积极变化。我们通过考察高中毕业后的个人成长的回顾性评价是否与成长的衡量变化相关，来阐述高中毕业后过渡的成长概念。262 名日本青少年（年龄 14-16 岁，50%为女性）在过渡前后参加了调查。我们评估了成长的五个领域，包括与他人关系的改善、新可能性的识别、个人力量感的增强、精神成长和对生活的更大欣赏。结果表明，只有当青少年将过渡视为生活中的一个重要转折点时，他们对成长的回顾性评估和过渡期间的衡量变化才呈正相关。与报告变化较少的青少年相比，经历过明显积极变化的青少年更有可能进行侵入性和深思熟虑的沉思和社会支持。总之，只有当青少年认为过渡对他们的生活有影响时，回顾性成长才与衡量变化相关。
