Coping with challenges in middle school [electronic resource] : the role of implicit theories of emotion

The ability to cope with challenges predicts functioning across a wide range of domains. One factor that has been shown to predict functioning is people's implicit theories — their beliefs about the malleability of personal attributes. The current research presents four studies that examine implicit theories of emotion during the challenging middle school period. Studies 1 and 2 compared the relationship between emotion theories and emotional functioning with the relationship between intelligence theories and academic functioning in a sample of 115 middle schoolers. Consistent with past research, Study 1 found that intelligence theories predicted academic functioning during the challenging transition year in middle school. Sixth graders with an incremental theory of intelligence earned higher grades than students with an entity theory. Extending past research, Study 1 found that emotion theories predicted emotional functioning. Sixth graders with an incremental theory of emotion reported fewer depressive symptoms and greater well-being. Further, Study 1 found that intelligence theories and emotion theories predict functioning through similar processes. Students with an incremental theory of intelligence valued effort more, and their effort beliefs mediated the relationship between an incremental theory and higher grades. Similarly, students with an incremental theory of emotion used more adaptive emotion regulation strategies, specifically reappraisal, and reappraisal mediated the relationship between an incremental theory of emotion and both fewer depressive symptoms and greater well-being. Study 2 followed the students from Study 1 through the end of the middle school period and found that implicit theories predicted students' trajectories throughout middle school. Students with an incremental theory of intelligence in sixth grade were more likely to move to advanced math courses over time. Similarly, students who began sixth grade with lower well-being were more likely to feel better over time if they reported having an incremental theory of emotion in sixth grade. Since Studies 1 and 2 were the first studies to explore emotion theories in middle school students, Study 3 examined emotion theories in a larger, more heterogeneous sample. In a sample of 1,353 sixth through eighth graders, an incremental theory of emotion predicted more reappraisal use, less misery, and greater well-being. Further, reappraisal mediated the relationship between emotion theories and emotional outcomes. Finally, Study 4 taught students an incremental theory of emotion and reappraisal use through a brief, online intervention. Students who were randomly assigned to the treatment condition reported more incremental theories of emotion and greater use of reappraisal several weeks after the intervention. If long-term follow up of these students shows a positive and lasting impact on emotional outcomes, an emotion theory intervention can be a powerful tool to set students on positive emotional trajectories.

Keywords: Psychology.
Advisor: Dweck Carol S.
Cohen Geoffrey L. (Geoffrey Lawrence) advisor. Thesis advisor
Gross James J.