Time Attitude Latent Profiles and Influencing Factors Among Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

This study employed latent profile analysis to examine the profile characteristics of time attitudes among Chinese adolescents. Cross-validation was conducted across subsamples stratified by group (high school students vs. secondary vocational students) and gender (male students vs. female students). Furthermore, the effects of group, gender, and social support on the latent profiles of time attitudes were investigated. A total of 4,063 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 16.1, SD = 0.92; 45.7% female) participated in the study. The Adolescent Time Attitude Scale and the Perceived Social Support Scale were administered. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct profiles of adolescent time attitudes, and multinomial logistic regression analysis was employed to examine their relationships with influencing factors. Four distinct profiles of adolescent time attitudes were identified: Positives, Negatives, Moderate Positives, and Moderate Negatives. These profiles remained stable across group and gender subsamples. Gender and social support emerged as key factors influencing profile membership, with family support significantly increasing the probability of adolescents belonging to Positives profiles. This study highlights the value of a person-centered approach for understanding adolescent time attitudes and underscores the protective role of social support in fostering positive youth development.

Keywords: time attitude, Social Support, Adolescents, latent profile analysis