A Unified Latent Curve, Latent State-Trait Analysis of the Developmental Trajectories and Correlates of Positive Orientation

Literature documents that the judgments people hold about themselves, their life, and their future are important ingredients of their psychological functioning and well-being and are commonly related to each other. In this article, results from a longitudinal study (N = 298, 45% males) are presented. Using an integrative Latent Curve, Latent State-Trait Model (Tisak & Tisak, 2000), results corroborated (a) the impressive mean level and rank-order stability of positive orientation across a 4-year period, (b) the traitlike nature of positive orientation, and (c) the strong association of positive orientation with intrapersonal (i.e., quality of daily emotional experiences) and interpersonal (i.e., quality of friendships) adolescents' areas of functioning and on psychological resilience. These results attest to the utility of the new construct as a critical component of individuals' optimal well-functioning.