Affective well-being trajectories during the transition out of upper secondary education: A measurement burst study

The present work investigated changes in well-being from shortly before graduating from upper secondary education to approximately one year later. The motivation for a post-school pathway and perceptions of the impact of moving out of home, ending a relationship, and entering a new relationship were examined as potential predictors of between-person differences in well-being trajectories. German-speaking high school graduates (N = 897) reported on their affective well-being in up to four surveys over approximately one year and indicated their motivation for their post-school pathway and life events they had experienced. At three measurement occasions, participants also participated in a three-week experience sampling phase, in which they reported on their daily well-being. Latent change models revealed an initial increase in well-being after graduation, but mixed evidence for subsequent trajectories, as both positive and negative affect decreased on average. Changes in well-being were more pronounced for global assessments of affective well-being. We did not find associations of the motivation for a post-school pathway and the life events with well-being trajectories. Overall, these findings highlight the complexity of well-being trajectories during the transition out of upper secondary education and the importance of using multiple time points and assessment methods to understand these dynamics.