A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Equitable Shifts in Youth Resilience? Distinguishing Normative Changes and Pandemic Effects on Academic Self-Efficacy and Cognitive Reappraisal
Authors: Repo, Juuso; Herkama, Sanna; Salmivalli, Christina
Publisher: AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
Publishing place: WASHINGTON
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Developmental Psychology
Journal name in source: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Journal acronym: DEV PSYCHOL
Number of pages: 12
ISSN: 0012-1649
eISSN: 1939-0599
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001913
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001913
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/485073944
This preregistered longitudinal study examined the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic self-efficacy and cognitive reappraisal in early adolescence. It followed and compared two cohorts over 4 years: one prepandemic (11-14 years, 2016-2019) and one during the pandemic (2019-2022). The study analyzed annual well-being surveys merged with school enrolment data from South Australian public schools (N = 28,307, 49% female). Employing latent growth modeling and a novel cohort comparison design, the study addressed a major limitation in pandemic studies: It separated pandemic effects from normative developmental changes. Results indicate that the pandemic cohort largely followed typical, yet declining, developmental trajectories, showing resilience at a population level. Unexpectedly, the examination of multiple covariates (i.e., gender, socioeconomic status, non-English background, anxiety, peer belonging, teacher support) showed that preexisting vulnerabilities did not predict adverse pandemic effects. This research underscores the value of longitudinal data infrastructures and the importance of understanding normative youth development and resilience research in discerning the effects of pandemics or other widespread crises.
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Funding information in the publication:
The study has been supported financially by the Research Flagship Center for Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State, University of Turku. This research was funded in whole, or in part, by the Academy of Finland (AKA; 345546).
