The Latent Profiles of Time Attitudes and Positive Emotional Adjustment in Secondary Vocational Students

Background Time attitude, as an affective dimension of time insight, is significantly related to adolescents’ adaptive and nonadaptive functioning. This study explored the types of time attitudes among Chinese secondary vocational students and assessed the relationship between different time attitude subgroupsand positive emotional adjustment. Methods A total of 2,310 secondary vocational students (M = 16.34, SD = 0.951; 41.7% female) participated in the study. Latent profile analysis was conducted using the Adolescent Time Attitude Scale, with positive emotional adjustment indicators analyzed as distal outcomes. Results The analysis revealed three time attitude profiles: Positive, Ambivalent, and Negative. Secondary vocational students in the Positive profile had the highest levels of life satisfaction and positive affect, but the lowest level of self-esteem; those in the Ambivalent profile had the lowest levels of life satisfaction and positive emotions, but the highest level of self-esteem. Conclusion Despite the limitations of the findings, they support existing research, enrich the theoretical framework in the field of time attitudes, and provide an empirical basis for the psychological adaptation of secondary vocational students.