Interest-Curiosity, Depression, and Peer Relationships Among Chinese Adolescents: A Cross-Lagged, Semi-Longitudinal Study

Overview

Journal Psychol Res Behav Manag

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Social Sciences

Date 2025 Mar 7

PMID 40051891

Authors

Jiali He

Hanshu Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and the positive emotion expansion and construction theory, this study investigated how interest-curiosity influences adolescent peer relationships through depressive symptoms.

Methods: A cross-lagged, semi-longitudinal study was conducted with Chinese adolescents (N = 224; = 13.23, = 0.95). Data were collected in December 2023 (T1) and March 2024 (T2). Semi-longitudinal analyses were employed to examine the relationships among interest-curiosity, depressive symptoms, and peer relationships.

Results: The findings revealed that (1) adolescents with higher levels of interest-curiosity tended to experience lower levels of depressive symptoms over time; (2) adolescents who reported higher levels of depressive symptoms were more likely to experience difficulties in peer relationships; and (3) the positive influence of interest-curiosity on peer relationships was explained by its role in reducing depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of interest-curiosity in adolescent development. The findings suggest that fostering adolescents' interest-curiosity may help reduce depressive symptoms and consequently enhance peer relationships.

References

Crone E, Dahl R . Understanding adolescence as a period of social-affective engagement and goal flexibility. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2012; 13(9):636-50. DOI: 10.1038/nrn3313. View

Lewis A . States of Depression. Br Med J. 2010; 2(4060):875-8. PMC: 2210742. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.2.4060.875. View

Hazel N, Oppenheimer C, Technow J, Young J, Hankin B . Parent relationship quality buffers against the effect of peer stressors on depressive symptoms from middle childhood to adolescence. Dev Psychol. 2014; 50(8):2115-23. PMC: 4416089. DOI: 10.1037/a0037192. View

Lovibond P, LOVIBOND S . The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behav Res Ther. 1995; 33(3):335-43. DOI: 10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-u. View

DeWalt D, Thissen D, Stucky B, Langer M, Morgan DeWitt E, Irwin D . PROMIS Pediatric Peer Relationships Scale: development of a peer relationships item bank as part of social health measurement. Health Psychol. 2013; 32(10):1093-103. PMC: 3865609. DOI: 10.1037/a0032670. View

Burk W, Laursen B . Adolescent perceptions of friendship and their associations with individual adjustment. Int J Behav Dev. 2008; 29(2):156-164. PMC: 2396592. DOI: 10.1080/01650250444000342. View

Lin H, Tang T, Yen J, Ko C, Huang C, Liu S . Depression and its association with self-esteem, family, peer and school factors in a population of 9586 adolescents in southern Taiwan. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2008; 62(4):412-20. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2008.01820.x. View

Fredrickson B . The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol. 2001; 56(3):218-26. PMC: 3122271. DOI: 10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218. View

Fredrickson B, Cohn M, Coffey K, Pek J, Finkel S . Open hearts build lives: positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2008; 95(5):1045-1062. PMC: 3156028. DOI: 10.1037/a0013262. View

10.

Podsakoff P, Mackenzie S, Lee J, Podsakoff N . Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003; 88(5):879-903. DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879. View

11.

Achterbergh L, Pitman A, Birken M, Pearce E, Sno H, Johnson S . The experience of loneliness among young people with depression: a qualitative meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Psychiatry. 2020; 20(1):415. PMC: 7444250. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02818-3. View

12.

Blakemore S, Mills K . Is adolescence a sensitive period for sociocultural processing?. Annu Rev Psychol. 2013; 65:187-207. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115202. View

13.

Kashdan T, Rose P, Fincham F . Curiosity and exploration: facilitating positive subjective experiences and personal growth opportunities. J Pers Assess. 2004; 82(3):291-305. DOI: 10.1207/s15327752jpa8203_05. View

14.

Zimmer-Gembeck M, Hunter T, Waters A, Pronk R . Depression as a longitudinal outcome and antecedent of preadolescents' peer relationships and peer-relevant cognition. Dev Psychopathol. 2009; 21(2):555-77. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579409000303. View

15.

Litman J, Jimerson T . The measurement of curiosity as a feeling of deprivation. J Pers Assess. 2004; 82(2):147-57. DOI: 10.1207/s15327752jpa8202_3. View

16.

Lydon-Staley D, Zurn P, Bassett D . Within-person variability in curiosity during daily life and associations with well-being. J Pers. 2019; 88(4):625-641. PMC: 7067659. DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12515. View

17.

Oppenheimer C, Hankin B . Relationship quality and depressive symptoms among adolescents: a short-term multiwave investigation of longitudinal, reciprocal associations. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2011; 40(3):486-93. PMC: 4035302. DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2011.563462. View

18.

Zainal N, Newman M . Curiosity helps: Growth in need for cognition bidirectionally predicts future reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms across 10 years. J Affect Disord. 2021; 296:642-652. PMC: 8759714. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.001. View

19.

Litman J, Spielberger C . Measuring epistemic curiosity and its diversive and specific components. J Pers Assess. 2003; 80(1):75-86. DOI: 10.1207/S15327752JPA8001_16. View

20.

Renner B . Curiosity about people: the development of a social curiosity measure in adults. J Pers Assess. 2006; 87(3):305-16. DOI: 10.1207/s15327752jpa8703_11. View