Does Perceived Posttraumatic Growth Predict Observed Changes in Current-Standing and State Posttraumatic Growth?

Research on posttraumatic growth has been marred by the ubiquity of retrospective perceived growth assessments that lack construct validity. However, one justification for assessing perceived growth is that such perceptions may be a catalyst for subsequent change. We examined this question using a measurement-burst design in a representative midlife sample who had experienced a major negative life event in the past year (Wave 1: N = 804). Participants completed three waves of retrospective measures of perceived growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory), current-standing measures of posttraumatic growth domains, and experience-sampling assessments of state manifestations of growth-relevant domains twice a day for 3 weeks (N_assessments = 32,099) over 6 months. In random-intercept cross-lagged panel models, perceived growth did not predict subsequent observed change in current standing or aggregated state assessments of growth. Overall, perceived growth does not appear to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the short term.