Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate how 2,084 U.S. college-educated young adults (61.9% female, and 69.5% non-Hispanic White) navigated the goal attainment process during the transition to adulthood. Using four-wave data collected across eight years, we examined how financial behaviors (self-regulating behaviors) predicted both depressive symptoms (affective goal attainment evaluations) and financial obstacles to goal attainment (cognitive goal attainment evaluations) via financial satisfaction (resources). Given the variability in developmental trajectories (i.e., initial levels and rates of over-time changes) among young adults, we conducted an exploratory mediational analysis with Latent Change Scores. The results revealed indirect-only mediation patterns, and 8 of 16 (50%) indirect effects via financial satisfaction were statistically significant. Collectively, we identified the salient roles of financial behaviors and financial satisfaction among young adults who pursued and attained life goals amid the financial difficulties during the 2007–2009 Great Recession. Our findings should be informative for promoting desired development among the current generation of young adults who were pursuing goals during the financial recession, primarily by indicating the necessity in implementing financial education and providing financial resources for young adults.

摘要

该研究的目的是调查 2,084 名美国受过大学教育的年轻人（61.9% 的女性和 69.5% 的非西班牙裔白人）在向成年过渡期间如何导航目标实现过程。使用八年来收集的四波数据，我们检查了财务行为（自我调节行为）如何通过财务满意度（资源）预测抑郁症状（情感目标实现评估）和实现目标的财务障碍（认知目标实现评估）。鉴于年轻人的发展轨迹（即初始水平和随时间变化的速率）的可变性，我们使用潜在变化分数进行了探索性中介分析。结果揭示了仅间接的中介模式，财务满意度的 16 个间接影响中有 8 个（50%）具有统计学意义。总的来说，我们确定了在 2007-2009 年经济大衰退期间追求并实现生活目标的年轻人中，财务行为和财务满意度的重要作用。我们的研究结果应该有助于促进当前这一代在金融衰退期间追求目标的年轻人的理想发展，主要是通过表明实施金融教育和为年轻人提供金融资源的必要性。