Young Adolescents’ Responses to Positive Events

Abstract

This study examined how maximizing and minimizing responses to positive events were associated with sustained positive feelings about the events and adjustment in a community sample of 56 young adolescents (31 boys and 25 girls, 10-14 years of age). On daily reports, adolescents reported their positive emotional reactions to their best event each day. A week later, they reported their responses to their most intense positive event across the 4 days. Parents and adolescents reported on adolescents’ adjustment. The results indicated that maximizing responses were related to more intense feelings about the events 1 week later. Minimizing responses were associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors over and above coping with negative events. The findings indicated that adolescents can maximize or capitalize on positive events but that minimizing is linked to poorer adjustment. Our study parallels existing research with adults and offers new information about young adolescents’ responses to positive events.

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