Interest–Ability Profiles: An Integrative Approach to Knowledge Acquisition

The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in the lifestyle of students. However, despite an extensive study of students’ life stress using a non-comprehensive scale and variable-centered approach, it has been little studied with a comprehensive scale and person-centered approach. Using the Student-Life Stress Inventory-revised (SSI-R), we analyzed students’ latent stress profiles and examined differences in psychological resilience and emotional intelligence by comparing stress profiles from a sample of 418 undergraduate and graduate students (aged 18–36) in various departments of eight universities in Turkey. We identified five distinct stress profiles, defined as an extremely low stress group (ELSG), a low stress group (LSG), a medium stress group (MSG), a high stress group (HSG), and an extremely high stress group (EHSG). We found that (1) MSG and HSG were similar in terms of emotional intelligence, resilience, and possession of high standards, and they reported higher levels of physiological, emotional, and behavioral reactions than ELSG and LSG; (2) MSG felt more pressure than HSG; (3) ELSG reported higher levels of emotional intelligence (wellbeing, self-control, and emotionality) than others. Also, EHSG reported lower levels of emotional intelligence (specifically self-control) than others; (4) whereas resilience was highly positively correlated to wellbeing, resilience and wellbeing were moderately negatively correlated to stress. Extremely low stress group and LSG reported higher levels of resilience than others. Medium stress group, HSG, and EHSG did not differ with regard to resilience and wellbeing. Our results suggest that, university students are able to maintain their functionality by coping up with stress in some ways, no matter how stressful they are. These findings are discussed in relation to the relevant literature.

This study examined several alternative methods to measure cumulative risk (CR) based on multiple risk indicators. Several methods for measuring CR are presented and their conceptual and methodological assumptions are assessed. More specifically, at the individual risk level, we examined the implications of various measurement approaches (i.e., dichotomous, proportion- and z-scores). At the composite level, we measured CR as an observed score, and compared this approach with two variable-centered approaches (consisting of reflective and formative indicators) and two person-centered approaches (consisting of latent class analysis and latent profile analysis). A decision tree was proposed to aid researchers in comparing and choosing the alternative methods. Using a sample of 169 low-income families (children approximately 5 years old, 51% girls; 74% African American, and their primary caregiver), we specified models to represent each of the alternative methods. Across models, the multiple risk composite was based on a set of 12 individual risk indicators including low maternal education, hunger, meal and money unpredictability, maternal psychopathology, maternal substance use, harsh parenting, family stress, and family violence. For each model, we estimated the effect size of the composite CR variable on children’s externalizing problems. Results indicated that the variable-centered CR composites had larger effects than the observed summary score CR indices and the person-centered methods.

L2 (second language) grit, an essential personal resource involving perseverance of effort and consistency of interest, has been well documented via a variable-centred method. The current study employed latent profile analysis (LPA), a person-centred approach, to identify the potential profiles of L2 grit, moving beyond previous studies by recognizing student heterogeneity. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study also examined the relationship between L2 grit, foreign language anxiety, and achievement within the identified profiles of L2 grit. Three profiles of L2 grit were disclosed, namely, “medium effort and interest”, “great effort but weak interest”, and “great effort and interest”. The facilitative function of foreign language anxiety on achievement was realised only for those within the “great effort and interest” profile, which was interpreted as the optimal configuration of personal resources from the lens of COR theory. This study generated insights for future studies on this topic.

BackgroundThe widespread use of digital technologies has raised growing concerns about their impact on mental health. While self-regulation has been proposed as a protective factor, little is known about how distinct psychological profiles based on self-regulatory and technology use patterns relate to psychological distress. Person-centered approaches, such as latent profile analysis, may offer deeper insights, particularly in underrepresented populations.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify latent psychological profiles based on self-regulation, nomophobia (fear of being without a phone), and problematic use of the internet and social media (defined by behavioral symptoms), to examine their associations with general psychological distress and the presence of emotional symptoms in a Colombian sample. Additionally, the predictive roles of age and gender in class membership were explored.MethodsParticipants were recruited through a convenience sampling strategy aimed at ensuring heterogeneity of the sample in terms of age and gender. A total of 453 participants aged 12 to 57 years (mean 21.03, SD 8.41 years; 257/453, 56.7% female) completed validated measures of self-regulation (Abbreviated Self-Regulation Questionnaire), nomophobia (Nomophobia Questionnaire), internet and social media use (MULTICAGE-TIC, a multidomain screening questionnaire based on the CAGE framework), and psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire-12). Latent profile analysis was conducted using standardized scores of continuous variables. Model fit was assessed using the Bayesian information criterion, entropy, and bootstrapped likelihood ratio test. Differences in psychological distress scores across latent classes were examined through variance analysis (ANOVA) and regression models. A multinomial logistic regression tested the predictive value of age and gender for class membership.ResultsThe optimal solution revealed 4 distinct latent profiles (entropy=0.85). Class 1 showed high self-regulation and low problematic technology use, displaying the lowest psychological distress scores. Class 2 presented moderate levels across all indicators but the highest level of psychological distress. Classes 3 and 4 showed mixed patterns. Class 3 (higher information and communication technology [ICT] use and lower self-regulation) exhibited lower distress than class 2, whereas class 4 (younger individuals with low self-regulation and moderately high ICT use) showed higher distress than class 3. Psychological distress differed significantly across profiles (ANOVA, P<.001). Age and gender predicted class membership. Older males were more likely to belong to class 1, and younger females were more likely to be classified into classes 3 and 4.ConclusionsLatent profile analysis identified distinct configurations of digital behavior, self-regulation, and psychological distress. Self-regulation consistently differentiated profiles with lower distress scores, suggesting its relevance for understanding how individuals manage ICT use. These findings support the value of person-centered approaches to characterize heterogeneous patterns of technology-related behaviors. The study provides evidence from a Spanish-speaking sample, offering a novel perspective on psychological distress and problematic technology use in contexts that remain underrepresented in the literature.

Previous research suggests that severe burnout impairs job performance, but most studies have been cross-sectional and variable-centred. This study adopted a person-centred longitudinal approach to examine burnout – performance profiles among Finnish employees (N = 565) over three years. Using latent profile and transition analysis, we investigated how symptoms of burnout (exhaustion, cynicism) and performance dimensions (task performance, organisational citizenship behaviour – OCB) co-emerge and co-develop over time. LPA revealed four distinct burnout – performance profiles. Even moderate burnout symptoms were associated with lower task performance, while OCB towards individuals remained high across all profiles. Four key findings emerged: (1) the relationship between burnout and performance varies depending on the specific symptoms and performance dimensions; (2) even moderate exhaustion associates with impaired performance, even in the absence of other burnout symptoms; (3) most employees remained in the same profile over time, and when transitions occurred, they were typically positive; (4) changing jobs was not associated with changes in burnout – performance profiles, suggesting that burnout symptoms may persist despite changes in the work environment. Overall, burnout and performance appear to reinforce each other – positively or negatively. The person-centred approach provides nuanced insights into individual developmental paths and supports early identification of risk profiles for targeted interventions.

IntroductionConsistently predicting adverse outcomes of long-distance running, such as running-related injuries (RRIs) and chronic fatigue, has proven to be a complicated matter. However, research suggests that a stronger focus on psychological factors of runners might provide further insights. Consequently, in this study, we explored the interplay between self-regulatory coping strategies and motivational aspects. Using a person-centered approach, we investigated whether latent psychological profiles of runners were associated with RRIs and chronic fatigue. MethodsQuestionnaire data were gathered from Dutch recreational long-distance runners (N = 425) using a cross-sectional design. We determined whether specific psychological combinations (i.e., latent profiles) based on coping strategies (i.e., running-related resources and recovery) and motivational aspects (i.e., harmonious and obsessive passion) could be distinguished using latent profile analysis (LPA). The resulting profiles were tested for their associations with RRIs and chronic fatigue. ResultsLPA revealed three different psychological risk profiles, termed the ‘low-risk’, ‘medium-risk’, and ‘high-risk’ profile. The low-risk profile showed low scores on obsessive passion and high scores on all recovery dimensions, whereas the high-risk profile resembled the opposite pattern. Furthermore, the low-risk profile showed significantly fewer RRIs and lower chronic fatigue scores than the high-risk profile. DiscussionThe results reveal that (1) patterns of passion and coping strategies interact in defining different profiles and (2) that such profiles are indeed linked to RRIs and chronic fatigue. Utilizing profiles might enable targeted intervention and more effective preventative measures by pinpointing at-risk runners. Specific combinations of psychological aspects, as reflected by our profiles, thus appear a worthwhile direction to consider in understanding RRIs and chronic fatigue in long-distance running.

BACKGROUND The widespread use of digital technologies—especially the internet and social media—has raised growing concerns about their impact on mental health. While self-regulation has been proposed as a protective factor, little is known about how distinct psychological profiles based on self-regulatory and technology use patterns relate to well-being. Person-centered approaches such as Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) may offer deeper insights, particularly in underrepresented populations. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify latent psychological profiles based on self-regulation, nomophobia, and problematic use of the internet and social media and to examine their association with mental health outcomes in a Colombian sample. Additionally, the predictive roles of age and gender on class membership were explored. Methods METHODS 453 participants aged 12 to 57 years (M = 21.03, SD = 8.41; 57% female) completed validated measures of self-regulation, nomophobia, internet use, social media use, and psychological health (GHQ-12). Latent Profile Analysis was conducted using standardized scores of continuous variables. Model fit was assessed using BIC, entropy, and BLRT. Differences in psychological health across latent classes were examined through ANOVA and regression models. A multinomial logistic regression tested the predictive value of age and gender on class membership. RESULTS The optimal solution revealed four distinct latent profiles (entropy = 0.85): Class 1 (adaptive): high self-regulation, low nomophobia, and low ICT use; presented the best psychological health. Class 4 (vulnerable): low self-regulation, high nomophobia, and high ICT use; reported the poorest health outcomes. Classes 2 and 3 displayed intermediate profiles, with Class 3 showing slightly better health than Class 4. Differences in psychological health across classes were statistically significant (ANOVA, p &lt; .001). Age and gender were significant predictors of class membership: younger females were more likely to belong to Class 1, whereas older males were more likely to be classified into Classes 3 and 4. CONCLUSIONS LPA enabled the identification of distinct psychological profiles that vary in mental health outcomes and digital vulnerability. Self-regulation emerged as a central protective factor, suggesting the importance of tailored digital interventions to enhance regulatory capacities. These findings reinforce the value of person-centered approaches and highlight the need for scalable strategies to mitigate the mental health risks associated with problematic ICT use in Spanish-speaking populations.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to classify latent profiles based on parenting characteristics perceived by 7th-grade students and to examine the influence of parental attachment as a predictive factor. Additionally, the study aimed to identify differences in reading habits and learning factors, such as academic understanding, academic stress, and self-regulated learning, across the latent profiles. Methods This study utilized data from 1,328 adolescents who participated in the 14th wave of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS). Using SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 8.11, latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted based on adolescents' perceptions of parenting characteristics. The study then examined whether there were significant differences in the average levels of reading habits, academic understanding, academic stress, and self-regulated learning among the identified latent profiles. Additionally, the study tested whether the parental attachment factors—communication, alienation, and trust—affect the parenting characteristics of achievement pressure, rational explanation, and parental monitoring in 7th-grade students. Results The results of the study indicated that, first, the latent profiles of parenting characteristics perceived by adolescents were classified into three distinct groups. Second, parental attachment was found to have a significant influence on the classification of these profiles based on adolescents' perceptions of parenting characteristics. Third, significant differences were observed in learning factors according to the perceived parenting characteristics, with the ‘high parental monitoring group’ scoring the highest. Conclusions This study classified adolescents' perceived parenting characteristics using a person-centered approach through latent profile analysis and revealed parental attachment types that could serve as risk or protective factors. Additionally, it validated the differences in academic understanding, academic stress, and self-regulated learning across the latent profiles. The findings provide implications for interventions in adolescent counseling, parent education, and family counseling.

The present study investigated personal values underlying career-related preferences among young adults deliberating on their career choice. As a fundamental component of one's identity, personal values can offer valuable insights into how individuals prioritize their career-related preferences. We employed two complementary approaches: variable-centered and person-centered, using a sample of 636 young adults (69.5% women; Mage = 21.9, SD = 2.12). Using a variable-centered approach, we identified 14 value-expressive career-related preferences, demonstrating that individuals are less willing to compromise on these preferences than on non value-expressive preferences. Using a person-centered approach, we applied latent profile analysis to identify four groups of young adults with distinct value profiles: (1) growth-focus (n = 212; 33.3%), (2) protection-focus (n = 206; 32.4%), (3) self-focus (n = 122; 19.2%), and (4) social-focus (n = 96; 15.1%). Importantly, the four profiles varied in 18 of 31 career-related preferences, revealing the composition of values underlying these career preferences. Fourteen of these preferences were identified as value-expressive in a variable-centered approach. The two complementary approaches employed in the present study introduce a fine-grained understanding of the value-expressiveness of career-related preferences.

Facebook addiction user risk profiles among college students: Identification of subclasses of addictive behaviors characterized by demographics and covariates using latent profile analysis

To examine how couple interactions shape changes in marital affection during the early years of marriage, we used two-wave, dyadic data from 268 Chinese couples and integrated variable-centered (i.e., the actor-partner interdependence model; APIM) and person-centered analytic approaches (i.e., the latent profile analysis; LPA). Employing variable-centered analyses, we found that husbands’ stalemate and verbal aggression as well as wives’ collaboration and avoidance were particularly predictive of changes in marital affection. Using person-centered analyses, we found that (1) three groups of couples can be identified based on husbands’ and wives’ marital conflict resolution strategies (i.e., Collaborative Couples, Aggressive Wife-Defensive Husband Couples, and Defensive Couples); and (2) the changes of marital affection varied systematically across these groups. Variable-centered and person-centered approaches each generate unique insights above and beyond each other when considering marital phenomena. Integrating the two approaches can depict a more complete and nuanced picture of the association between marital conflict resolution and marital affection.

Extant research has typically examined neighborhood characteristics in isolation using variable-centered approaches; however, there is reason to believe that perceptions of the neighborhood environment influence each other, requiring the use of person-centered approaches to study these relationships. The present study sought to determine profiles of youth that differ in their perceptions of their neighborhoods and objective neighborhood characteristics, and whether these profiles are associated with youth coping. Participants were low-income, African American youth (N= 733; 51.0% female, M age = 18.76 years, SD = 1.71) from a metropolitan city who were originally recruited for the Youth Opportunity program in Baltimore, Maryland. A latent profile analysis was conducted which included self-reported neighborhood social cohesion, collective efficacy, disorder, violence, and disadvantage derived from census data. Coping behaviors, specifically positive cognitive restructuring, problem-focused coping, distraction strategies, and avoidant behaviors were assessed via self-reported questionnaires. Four neighborhood profiles were identified: highest disorder (20.0%); highest violence/highest disadvantage (5.2%); high violence (26.6%); and highest cohesion/lowest disorder (48.2%). Individuals in the highest violence/highest disadvantage profile reported higher positive cognitive restructuring and problem-focused coping than the other profiles. These findings warrant an investigation into the individual assets and contextual resources that may contribute to more positive coping behaviors among youth in more violent and disadvantaged neighborhoods, which has the potential to improve resilient outcomes among youth in similar at-risk settings.

Children's early numerical abilities shape their trajectories for math learning throughout schooling, and task quantity representation (e.g., nonsymbolic vs. symbolic) affects their reasoning about numerical concepts. The role of quantity representation in early numerical ability has typically been studied using variable-centered approaches. The present study builds on past work by using latent profile analysis as a person-centered approach to investigate heterogeneity in U.S. preschoolers' (N = 200, Mage = 4 years, 6 months) numerical abilities across nonsymbolic, verbal symbolic, and written symbolic representation types. The aim was to determine whether numerical ability indicators across the three representation types would result in empirically distinct ability profiles and whether preschool ability profile would predict variance on a standardized assessment of math achievement a year later, in kindergarten. We found evidence of four distinct preschool number ability profiles: (a) consistently low; (b) consistently high; (c) intermediate, with an advantage on nonsymbolic items; and (d) intermediate, with an advantage on verbal symbolic items. Although children in the consistently low and consistently high profiles performed reliably lower and higher, respectively, on the assessment of kindergarten math achievement, the two intermediate profiles performed similarly. The results reveal heterogeneity in preschool numerical ability across quantity representations and suggest that proficiency with either nonsymbolic or verbal representations may be a helpful foundation for building future math achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Although it is well-known that teaching is one of the most stressful jobs, teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been thoroughly investigated. The main aims of this study were to identify distinct teacher burnout profiles and examine their association with HEXACO personality factors and sociodemographic variables. Data were collected from 522 teachers (77% women; Mage = 37.45 years, SD = 9.28) in November 2021. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified five latent profiles: “No burnout risk” (41.3%), “Low burnout risk” (21.9%), “Cynics” (7.7%), “Exhausted and cynics” (16.1%), and “High burnout risk” (13%). Our results showed a significant correlation between all six HEXACO personality traits and teacher burnout based on the variable-centered method, but the LPA highlighted that only the emotionality trait was antecedent of profile membership. In terms of sociodemographic variables, gender and rural/urban teaching environment did not have significant impact on teacher burnout profiles, but professional experience did. This study is the first to explore teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to dispositional traits based on the HEXACO model using a person-centered approach. Our results can inform specialists about the role of emotionality in the occurrence of teacher burnout and the greater vulnerability of experienced teachers in the context of remote learning. Tailored programs of intervention are necessary.

Background: Occupational burnout and fatigue are critical issues affecting the health and performance of healthcare workers (HCWs) globally. These outcomes are often driven by complex and overlapping work-related stressors, which remain insufficiently understood in combination. Objective: To investigate the associations of multiple work-related stressors with occupational burnout and fatigue, and to identify distinct stress patterns and critical stressors among HCWs. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered electronic questionnaire among 2695 HCWs in Shanghai, China. Validated questionnaire scales were used to assess work-related stress (self-developed occupational stress scale for medical staff, CSSM), occupational burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, MBI-GS), and fatigue (Fatigue Scale-14, FS-14). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct work-related stress patterns. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to explore the associations between individual stressors, stress patterns, and occupational burnout and fatigue. Additionally, weighted quantile sum (WQS) models were utilized to evaluate the combined effects of multiple stressors and identify the main contributors. Results: In this study, 77.0% and 71.2% of participants were classified as experiencing occupational burnout and fatigue, respectively. A strained doctor-patient relationship was the highest-rated work-related stressor. All work-related stressors, including career development, interpersonal relationships, work-life imbalance, physical environment, doctor-patient relationship, social environment, and workload, were significantly associated with burnout (β: 0.444~0.956, p < 0.001) and fatigue (β: 1.384~3.404, p < 0.001). WQS assigned higher weights to career development and workload for burnout, and to workload and work-life imbalance for fatigue. LPA identified two distinct occupational stress patterns. HCWs characterized by higher stress levels in physical environment, career development, workload, and interpersonal relationships exhibited significantly higher burnout scores (β = 0.325, 95% CI: 0.122, 0.528), particularly in the reduced personal accomplishment (PA) dimension (β = 1.003, 95% CI: 0.746, 1.259). Conclusions: This study highlighted the high prevalence of occupational burnout and fatigue among HCWs in Shanghai, China. Occupational stressors were associated with both burnout and fatigue, with higher workload, work-life imbalance, and poorer career development showing particularly significant contributions. These findings emphasized the urgent need for targeted interventions, including workload management, career development programs, and mental health support, to reduce occupational stress and mitigate its adverse effects on HCWs.