Adolescent Development in Unprecedented Times: A Comparative Study of Theory of Mind Before and After COVID-19
The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented a significant global event that disrupted the typical social lives of adolescents. Studies show that the pandemic negatively impacted adolescent well-being. Very little is known about the social–cognitive implications of wide-scale soci...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Adolescents |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/5/2/11 |
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| Summary: | The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represented a significant global event that disrupted the typical social lives of adolescents. Studies show that the pandemic negatively impacted adolescent well-being. Very little is known about the social–cognitive implications of wide-scale social distancing, school closures, and the transition to digital modes of communication for adolescents. This study aims to compare affective Theory of Mind (ToM), self-esteem, and self-perceptions before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on existing data, this study compared two distinct but comparable samples of adolescents. Data from the pre-COVID-19 sample were collected in the 2016/2017 school year (<i>N</i> = 145, 60.7% female and 39.3% male, mean age 13.38 years. Data from the post-COVID-19 sample were collected over the 2021/2022 school year (<i>N</i> = 107 participants, 51% female, 48% male, and 1% genderqueer, mean age of 13 years). Independent-sample <i>t</i>-tests and two-tailed correlational analysis were used to compare associations and changes in affective ToM, self-perceptions, and self-esteem between the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 samples. The main findings of this study includes declines in affective ToM post-COVID-19, specifically related to the perception of negative affect. Further, perceived self-worth and behavioural conduct declined after the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for social–emotional learning and future research are discussed. |
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| ISSN: | 2673-7051 |