Integrating scientific and teacher-based knowledge on social development and wellbeing in childhood and adolescence: a 6-year mixed-method longitudinal study

This preregistered study analyzed longitudinal trajectories of behavioral control and prosocial behavior in Dutch children aged 7-14 years (T1: n=512, 51.2% girls) and examined how these behaviors predicted wellbeing in early adolescence. Concurrently, a mixed-method study was conducted to integrate teachers’ perspectives on predictors of wellbeing using Q-method and co-creation (n=38). Longitudinal analyses demonstrated developmental decreases in aggression and bullying/victimization and increases in behavioral activation and empathy. Wellbeing was positively predicted by reward sensitivity and prosocial behavior, and negatively by behavioral inhibition. Teacher perspectives on wellbeing partly overlapped with the prediction analyses and additionally revealed the importance of feeling respected. These results indicate that important insights risk being overlooked when research is conducted in isolation from expert perspectives.