The Freshman Project: Adolescent Well-Being During the Transition to College
| dc.contributor.advisor | Pfeifer, Jennifer | |
| dc.contributor.author | Mobasser, Arian | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-12-08T17:15:44Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020-12-08 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Adolescence is a critical period of development during which myriad biological and ecological changes converge with youths’ burgeoning sense of self-awareness. Despite enduring views of this convergence as one of only stress and strife, scientists increasingly consider the degree to which it also presents opportunities for positive growth. One such opportunity is rooted in adolescents’ own evaluations of their positive feelings and functioning, commonly referred to in the scientific literature as well-being. While research points toward the importance of well-being for positive development, there is much yet unknown about its precise form and function, especially during later stages of adolescence. Advancing this science may enable us to better understand and support positive developmental trajectories into adulthood. The current dissertation is organized into two main sections. In the first section (Chapter I), recent research on the effects of digital technology provides the basis upon which to highlight common methodological and theoretical limitations in the existing science of adolescent well-being. Situated within a broader review, I discuss ways in which improved conceptual precision and stronger theory can help to propel the field forward. The second section (Chapters II-V) presents an empirical study of a relatively understudied area: well-being during the transition to college. Previous research has explored the effects of college on well-being; however, studies have generally ignored the ways in which the unique developmental tasks of this period may correspond to a set of criteria for being well that differs from that of younger adolescents and older adults. To help address this gap, the structure of well-being in college-aged adolescents (N = 573) was investigated using exploratory factor analyses and then confirmed in a sample of incoming college students (N = 274) within a structural equation modeling framework. The best-fitting model consisted of eight facets nested within two superordinate factors which correspond, respectively, to hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions of well-being. Developmental trajectories of well-being were then examined longitudinally. Second-order latent growth curve models showed significant decreases in well-being during the first year of college. Together, this dissertation contributes to the scientific understanding of the structure and development of well-being during adolescence. | en_US |
| dc.description.embargo | 2022-10-26 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/25923 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | |
| dc.rights | All Rights Reserved. | |
| dc.subject | adolescence | en_US |
| dc.subject | emerging adulthood | en_US |
| dc.subject | latent growth curve modeling | en_US |
| dc.subject | positive psychology | en_US |
| dc.subject | structural equation modeling | en_US |
| dc.subject | well-being | en_US |
| dc.title | The Freshman Project: Adolescent Well-Being During the Transition to College | |
| dc.type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Department of Psychology | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Oregon | |
| thesis.degree.level | doctoral | |
| thesis.degree.name | Ph.D. |
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