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Marín-Gutiérrez M, Caqueo-Urízar A, Castillo-Francino J, Escobar-Soler C. The 5Cs of positive youth development: their impact on symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional distress in Chilean adolescents. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:372. [PMID: 38951933 PMCID: PMC11218329 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01863-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective approaches to addressing mental health challenges faced by adolescents require a deep understanding of the factors contributing to optimal development, well-being, and prosperity. From the perspective of Positive Youth Development (PYD), this study proposes to examine the relationship between the 5Cs of PYD (Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring) and symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional distress among Chilean adolescents. A quantitative, cross-sectional, non-experimental study was conducted with 425 adolescents (ages 12 to 19, M = 14.95, SD = 1.81) from three Chilean cities: Arica (23%), Alto Hospicio (32%), and Iquique (46%). Data analysis included the use of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that two of the 5Cs, Confidence and Connection, have a significant negative direct effect on the four evaluated criterion indicators. These findings contribute to the literature on positive youth development in Latin America and underscore the importance of fostering confidence and connection in interventions aimed at promoting the mental health of adolescents in Chile and in similar contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, 18 de Septiembre 2222, Arica, Chile
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Yıldırım S, Arslan Y. Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Positive Youth Development Scale - Turkish Version. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:2362-2387. [PMID: 37847854 DOI: 10.1177/00315125231206311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we translated to Turkish and evaluated the validity, reliability, and measurement invariance for respondent sex, grade level and analysis programs the Short Form and Very Short Form of the Positive Youth Development Scale (Turkish version). We had 435 youth, aged 11-17 years, complete the Short (34 items) and Very Short (17 items) Forms of the instrument. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that both forms had a 5-factor structure, and validity testing showed good criterion-related correlation validity between this tool and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. The Short Form had adequate reliability coefficients, but the Very Short Form lacked sufficient reliability for some dimensions. Test-retest correlations were satisfactory for both forms. While the Short and Very Short Forms showed measurement invariance across gender and grade level, CFI, NNFI (TLI), and IFI values diverged between LISREL and AMOS analysis programs. In summary, our data suggest that the Short Form is a reliable measure of positive youth development, while the Very Short Form may not be as reliable due to insufficient confidence values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinan Yıldırım
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkiye
| | - Yunus Arslan
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkiye
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Tirrell JM, Dowling EM, Kibbedi P, Namurinda E, Iraheta G, Dennis J, Malvese K, Abbasi-Asl R, Williams K, Lerner JV, King PE, Sim ATR, Lerner RM. Measuring Youth Perceptions of Being Known and Loved and Positive Youth Development: Cross-National Findings from Rwanda and El Salvador. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2022; 52:1-27. [PMID: 36569584 PMCID: PMC9764308 DOI: 10.1007/s10566-022-09725-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background Dynamic, relational developmental systems-based models of development emphasize that developmentally-nurturant youth-adult relationships elicit in youth perceptions of being known and loved. Although such perceptions are foundations of positive youth development (PYD), such measures do not exist. Objective We sought to create a theoretically-predicated measure of youth perceptions of being known and loved by capitalizing on data sets in two countries (Rwanda and El Salvador) wherein a multi-national study of PYD was being conducted by Compassion International (CI). Method With Rwanda data (n = 1,204, M age = 11.84, 50% CI-supported), exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses enabled refining the measure for robustness and parsimony. Measures of intentional self-regulation, hopeful future expectations, transcendence, and contribution were used for validation of the known and loved measure within the nomological net of constructs proposed in the Lerner and Lerner PYD model. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the use of the model within the El Salvador data set (n = 1,205, M age = 13.03, 51% CI-supported). Results Robust psychometric properties were established in both national settings. Measurement invariance was found across age, gender, urban-rural location, CI-enrollment status, and nations, and involved both mean differences and correlations among latent factors. Conclusions The results provide evidence for a theory-predicated measure of youth perceptions of being known and loved and that scores for this construct covary within a nomological net specified in the Lerner and Lerner model of PYD. These findings serve international development organizations seeking theory-predicated measures for use in evaluating PYD programs in low- and middle-income countries. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10566-022-09725-6.
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de Jesus MC, Dutra-Thomé L, Pereira AS. Developmental assets and positive youth development in Brazilian university students. Front Psychol 2022; 13:977507. [PMID: 36267079 PMCID: PMC9577292 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.977507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Positive Youth Development (PYD) describes an intersection between young people and their context, emphasizing characteristics of a healthy development. The PYD’s 5Cs occur when there is an alignment between healthy individual characteristics and contextual resources. This study investigated the PYD’s 5Cs associations with the perception of social connections (family, community, academic), mental health, and stressful events. The sample was composed of 495 Brazilian College students aged between 18 and 33 years, who answered a survey with 59 questions about reflexive, constructive, and healthy behaviors. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analysis through structural equation modeling were conducted. The results focused on the role of family, community and educational institution in the PYD promotion. These results highlight the relevant contributions of social support in the construction of protective strategies of coping with stressful events and in the promotion of health behaviors and well-being, particularly in the university context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurício Coelho de Jesus
- Instituto de Psicologia, Federal University of Bahia, El Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Maurício Coelho de Jesus,
| | - Luciana Dutra-Thomé
- Instituto de Psicologia, Federal University of Bahia, El Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Su S, Johnson SK. Measuring Positive Development among College Students in the United States: Investigating Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Measurement Invariance across Different Racial Groups. J Pers Assess 2022:1-13. [PMID: 36129401 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2022.2121712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Measures that are applicable to assess the positive youth development (PYD) of racially diverse college students are needed. The present study tested if a revised version of the very short form of the PYD measure (PYD-VSF) was applicable to college students from five racial groups in the U. S. (White, Black, Latinx, Asian, and other) across three measurement occasions. Participants were 5,735 college students who completed the PYD-VSF at least once across the three waves of a longitudinal study. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) indicated that a first-order Five Cs structure, a higher-order structure, and a bifactor structure all provided good fit to the data. Multi-group CFA across racial groups found that the first-order structure fit the data better than the higher-order and the bifactor models, and it showed configural-, factor loading-, intercept-, and residual-invariance. Longitudinal CFA models of the first-order structure supported configural-, factor loading-, intercept-, and residual-invariance. The revised PYD-VSF measure has shown the potential to assess PYD among college students of diverse racial-ethnic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaobing Su
- Research Program on Children and Adversity, Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara K Johnson
- Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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Abdul Kadir NB, Rusyda HM. Developmental assets, creativity, thriving, and mental health among Malaysian emerging adults. Front Psychol 2022; 13:944238. [PMID: 36148118 PMCID: PMC9487708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.944238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was part of a larger cross-national research project at the Norway's University of Bergen, which involved participants from over 30 countries. This undertaking delves into developmental assets, creativity, and thriving, and the part they play in determining mental health. Thus, this study examined the developmental assets (internal assets: support, empowerment, boundaries, and expectations and creative use of time; external assets: commitment to learning, positive identity, positive values, and social competencies), creativity, thriving, and their importance to mental health in a sample of Malaysian emerging adults. This study was based on a sample of 394 undergraduate students, comprising 264 females and 130 males, ranging between the ages of 18 and 26 years (M = 21.5). Two subscales of the Reisman diagnostic creativity assessment (RDCA) were used to measure creativity (originality and fluency). Meanwhile, thriving indicators of Search Institute were used to measure thriving while the short form of the mental health continuum (MHC-SF) for adolescents was used to measure mental health. An online Google form was used to collect data from university students enrolled in both public and private universities. The correlation analysis results revealed that all the variables were positively correlated to each other and that the relationship between development assets, creativity, thriving, and mental health ranged from weak to moderate. Multiple regression (stepwise) analysis produced four models that indicated that positive identity, support, creativity, and thriving have a significant influence on mental health among emerging adults. Further, analyses using the PROCESS procedure demonstrated significant indirect effects of positive identity and support on mental health through its effects on creativity and thriving. As such, it is our recommendation that mental health practitioners tailor their treatment approach to include positive identity, support, creativity, and thriving in their sessions with Malaysian emerging adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nor Ba’yah Abdul Kadir
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Center for Research in Psychology and Human Well-Being, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
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Buenconsejo JU, Datu JAD, Chiu MM, Chan RCH. Psychometric validity and measurement invariance of positive youth development in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2022.2078719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Wang Y, Li X, Bronk KC, Lin D. Factors that promote positive Chinese youth development: a qualitative study. APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2022.2060225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University
| | | | - Danhua Lin
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University
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Agentic and Receptive Hope: Understanding Hope in the Context of Religiousness and Spirituality through the Narratives of Salvadoran Youth. RELIGIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rel13040376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Hope contributes to positive development in adolescents, and religious and spiritual contexts may be particularly important for developing and supporting hope. However, extant literature on hope, religion, and spirituality neglects their synergistic relation, leaving questions about how they work together to support development. In this study, we explore how religiousness and spirituality (R/S) inform hope by identifying unique synergies that might be particularly useful in difficult contexts. Multilevel qualitative content analyses of interviews conducted with 18 thriving Salvadoran adolescents (50% female, Mage = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) involved in a faith-based program provided evidence that the ideological and relational resources associated with R/S informed these adolescents’ agentic and receptive hopes. Agentic hopes, identified through expressed hopeful future expectations, revealed that adolescents held beyond-the-self hopes focused on benefiting three distinct targets: God, community, and family. Youth also described “sanctified hopes”, which were hopes focused on fulfilling God’s purposes directly and indirectly. Analyses of receptive hopes, which consider how hope is shaped and empowered by context, revealed that for these youth, hope was experienced in seven key contexts: self, caring adult relationships, family, God, youth development sponsor, social activities, and peers. Implications for fostering hope in R/S contexts within low-to-middle-income countries are discussed.
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Wiium N. Physical Education and Its Importance to Physical Activity, Vegetable Consumption and Thriving in High School Students in Norway. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13124432. [PMID: 34959984 PMCID: PMC8709296 DOI: 10.3390/nu13124432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Earlier research indicates that physical education (PE) in school is associated with positive outcomes (e.g., healthy lifestyle, psychological well-being, and academic performance). Research assessing associations with resilience and thriving indicators, such as the 5Cs of Positive Youth Development (PYD; competence, confidence, character, caring, and connection) is limited and more so in the Norwegian context. The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between PE grade (reflecting students’ effort in theoretical and practical aspects of the subject) and the 5Cs as well as healthy behaviors (physical activity (PA), fruit and vegetable consumption), using cross-sectional data collected from 220 high school students in Norway (Mage = 17.30 years old, SD = 1.12; 52% males). Results from structural equation modelling indicated positive associations between PE grade and four of the 5Cs (competence, confidence, caring, and connection; standardized coefficient: 0.22–0.60, p < 0.05) while in logistic regressions, a unit increase in PE grade was associated with higher likelihood of engaging in PA and vegetable consumption (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.18–3.18 and OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.08–2.63, respectively). These significant findings suggest the need for policies and programs that can support effective planning and implementation of PE curriculum. However, further research is needed to probe into the role of PE on youth health and development with representative samples and longitudinal designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Wiium
- Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
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Lerner RM, Lerner JV, Murry VM, Smith EP, Bowers EP, Geldhof GJ, Buckingham MH. Positive Youth Development in 2020: Theory, Research, Programs, and the Promotion of Social Justice. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:1114-1134. [PMID: 34820946 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We use Hamilton's (1999) tripartite conception of the positive youth development (PYD) literature - that is, PYD as a theoretical construct, PYD as a frame for program design, and PYD as an instance of specific youth development programs - as a framework for reviewing scholarship involved in the PYD field across the second decade of the 21st century. Advances were made in all three domains and, as well, new issues emerged; chief among them was a focus on the promotion of social justice. We discuss ways in which social justice issues are being addressed within each of these domains and we present a vision for enhancing the PYD-social justice relation in future scholarship involving theory, research, program design, and community-based PYD programs.
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Kabir RS, Doku DT, Wiium N. Connection in Youth Development Key to the Mental Health Continuum in Ghana: A Structural Equation Model of Thriving and Flourishing Indicators. Front Psychol 2021; 12:676376. [PMID: 34744857 PMCID: PMC8566431 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.676376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Practitioners from sub-Saharan Africa are working to provide evidence-based intervention programs to address the mental health of established adults in poor rural communities in Ghana. However, institutions in Ghana also pursue youth policy for training human capital that can contribute to national development as a strategy to leverage its heavy demographic makeup of adolescents and emerging adults. Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a framework for measuring indicators of thriving for such youthful populations. Studies have recently examined PYD in terms of developmental assets with mental illness, but less is known about their interaction with the continuum of mental health, which poses strength-based theoretical distinctions about the conditions of human flourishing. Investigating positive mental health in terms of well-being, along with developmental indicators from another conception of PYD with strong theoretical grounding known as the 5Cs, represents a salient cross-section of Ghana's current trajectory along these policies and evaluations of culturally attuned well-being toward youth-focused efforts. Thus, the aim of this study was to clarify whether developmental constructs could predict positive mental health outcomes for indications of adaptive regulation processes and cultural concepts of well-being. We used structural equation modeling of the PYD domains (i.e., the 5Cs) to provide novel insights into individual differences in factors of thriving with flourishing-languishing indicators from the mental health continuum (MHC; i.e., factors of Emotional, Social, and Psychological Well-being) for 710 youth and emerging adults (M age=19.97, SD=1.93) attending a university in Ghana. The results showed supported paths for Connection, which was associated with all three MHC well-being domains (βs=0.34-0.41), and Caring, which was associated with Psychological Well-being (β=0.27), as factors to consider for youth who are expected to underwrite Ghana's development under economically challenged conditions. These findings support evidence-based program outcomes and prior work that situates social relations as a key route to maintaining well-being, advancing research on the specificity of predictors for positive mental health factors among young people in an enterprising Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Sarwar Kabir
- Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - David Teye Doku
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Nora Wiium
- Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Abdul Kadir NB, Mohd RH. The 5Cs of Positive Youth Development, Purpose in Life, Hope, and Well-Being Among Emerging Adults in Malaysia. Front Psychol 2021; 12:641876. [PMID: 34335359 PMCID: PMC8319496 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A substantial body of evidence supports Lerner and colleagues' 5Cs model of positive youth development (PYD) in the United States (U.S.). Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether the 5Cs can be used to identify positive development in the under-researched Asian contexts, such as Malaysia. Thus, this study examined the 5Cs of PYD (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) and their importance to purpose in life, hope, and well-being in a sample of emerging adult undergraduate university students in Malaysia. Data were collected from 400 participants from 15 Malaysian universities (132 males, 268 females; ages ranged from 18 to 26 years old, M = 22). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that two of the 5Cs of PYD (confidence and connection) as well as hope were important to explaining variation in well-being. The findings imply that there are strong links between PYD, especially confidence and connection, and well-being, while purpose in life and hope were indirectly related to the 2Cs (confidence and connection) of PYD and well-being. Therefore, mental health professionals are encouraged to review and redefine their treatment design to include confidence, connection, purpose in life and hope when working with Malaysian emerging adult university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nor Ba'yah Abdul Kadir
- Psychology Program, Center for Research in Psychology and Human Well-being, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Rusyda Helma Mohd
- Human Development Program, Center for Research in Psychology and Human Well-being, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
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Tirrell JM, Hay SW, Gansert PK, Le TU, O’Neil BC, Vaughn JM, Bishara L, Tan E, Lerner JV, King PE, Dowling EM, Williams K, Iraheta G, Sim ATR, Lerner RM. Exploring the role of the “Big Three” features of effective youth development programs in El Salvador: The sample case of programs of Compassion International. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/01650254211022858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Programs effective in promoting positive youth development (PYD) involve curricular features termed the Big Three: Positive and sustained adult–youth relationships; life-skill-building activities; and youth contribution and leadership opportunities. Data from 610 adolescents (50% female; M age = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) enrolled in Compassion International-supported programs in El Salvador indicated that scores derived from a youth-report measure of the Big Three, established using data from Rwanda, manifested strong invariance and predicted both youth strengths and contribution. Qualitative interviews with 18 youth from these programs indicated that the Big Three were seen as present and enhancing their positive development. We discuss how future research using a quantitative–qualitative approach may provide deeper evidence about the practical application and promotion of PYD in youth programs.
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Clark RS, Stubbeman BL. "I had hope. I loved this city once.": A mixed methods study of hope within the context of poverty. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 49:1044-1062. [PMID: 33561316 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this emergent mixed methods study was to measure hope in individuals living in poverty and to explore potential contextual influences on hope. We used a sequential mixed methods study in which the quantitative phase was administered first followed by a qualitative phase. Participants in impoverished areas scored higher in hope than a comparison group of university students. In a follow-up qualitative phase, participants named contributors to and detractors from hope that included experiences driven by environmental factors. Findings were organized according to Ecological Systems Theory (EST). Participants named factors from all levels of EST, and interactions between levels were evident. These results and findings support the inclusion of relevant contextual factors in psychological inquiry, and we suggest deliberate inclusion of individuals from all socioeconomic groups in future positive psychological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael S Clark
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, USA
| | - Bobbie L Stubbeman
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky, USA
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Tirrell JM, Gansert PK, Dowling EM, Williams K, Iraheta G, Lerner JV, King PE, Sim AT, Lerner RM. Interrogating ergodicity and specificity in youth development programs in El Salvador. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Exploring Religiousness and Hope: Examining the Roles of Spirituality and Social Connections among Salvadoran Youth. RELIGIONS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rel11020075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Given the strong link between religiousness and hope, we sought to further understand the relations of these potentially powerful resources for youth living in adversity. Although existing research suggests that religiousness might be associated with adolescent hope via spirituality and social connections, few studies have tested models that integrate both. Thus, as applied psychologists, the aim of this paper was to test a theoretical model in the lives of youth. Drawing on a Relational Developmental Systems metatheory, we sought to further elucidate the relations between religiousness and hope and to explore how involvement in the faith-based youth-development organization, Compassion International (CI), might facilitate character strengths like hope. In order to do so, we tested whether religiousness was directly and indirectly (via spirituality and social connection) related to hopeful future expectations, using a sample of 9–15-year-olds in El Salvador (M = 11.6 years; n = 888), half of whom were involved in CI and the other half of whom were a locally matched counterfactual sample. Structural equation models revealed that higher levels of religiousness were directly and indirectly associated with higher levels of hope in relation to higher levels of spirituality and social connections among these youth. CI-supported youth reported significantly higher levels of religiousness than the counterfactual sample. Findings suggest that the relationship between religiousness and hope is best understood when it incorporates youth’s spirituality and social connections associated with religion.
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Banyard V, Edwards K, Jones L, Mitchell K. Poly-Strengths and Peer Violence Perpetration: What Strengths Can Add to Risk Factor Analyses. J Youth Adolesc 2020; 49:735-746. [PMID: 32002715 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-020-01197-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a high-risk time for perpetration of different forms of peer-based violence including harassment, bullying, and sexual assault. Research documents a number of important risk factors but less understood are protective factors like sense of mattering or how combinations of strengths may reduce perpetration risk. The current study examined how protective factors (i.e., positive social norms), including a diversity of strengths (termed poly-strengths), influenced the perpetration of harassment, bullying, and sexual assault for young people, while accounting for the use of alcohol both cross-sectionally and over time. Youth (N = 2232, 52.6% female) in grades 7-10 enrolled in a study using active parental consent (53% response rate) and completed online surveys in school that asked about bullying and harassment, alcohol use, positive social norms related to violence prevention, and a composite of intra-personal strengths. Follow-up surveys took place 6 months later (N = 2150). Logistic regression analyses examined how social norms and poly-strengths influenced odds of perpetration after accounting for demographic variables and the risk factor of alcohol use. Use of alcohol increased the odds of perpetrating all forms of violence. Strengths were significantly related to lower perpetration at Time 1 but not Time 2. Positive social norms reduced perpetration at both time points. The findings suggest adolescent perpetration of bullying, harassment, and sexual violence is lower in the presence of positive social norms over time and more proximally, in the presence of a diverse strengths portfolio. Prevention efforts that incorporate positive social norms and alcohol reduction strategies may reduce peer violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Banyard
- School of Social Work, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA.
| | - Katie Edwards
- Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Lisa Jones
- Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Kimberly Mitchell
- Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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Tirrell JM, Dowling EM, Gansert P, Buckingham M, Wong CA, Suzuki S, Naliaka C, Kibbedi P, Namurinda E, Williams K, Geldhof GJ, Lerner JV, King PE, Sim ATR, Lerner RM. Toward a Measure for Assessing Features of Effective Youth Development Programs: Contextual Safety and the “Big Three” Components of Positive Youth Development Programs in Rwanda. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-019-09524-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
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Wiium N, Wreder LF, Chen BB, Dimitrova R. Gender and Positive Youth Development. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOLOGIE-JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 227:134-138. [DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. The positive youth development (PYD) perspective suggests that thriving leads to participation and contribution. All nations working to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Ghana, face challenges in their efforts to ensure that all youth have equal opportunities to thrive. The study design was cross-sectional and participants were 858 Ghanaian adolescents attending senior high school (44% girls). We explored thriving indicators as reflected by the 5Cs of PYD (i.e., confidence, competence, connection, character, and caring) in light of the adolescents’ gender and socio-economic background. Results indicated that boys scored higher on competence relative to girls and that girls scored higher on caring relative to boys. No significant differences were found for socio-economic background. Cultural norms and socialization processes that perpetuate gender inequality may be important to understanding the observed gender differences. Implications of these results are considered in light of efforts to achieve SDGs in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Wiium
- Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Bin-Bin Chen
- Department of Psychology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Radosveta Dimitrova
- Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden
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Tirrell JM, Gansert PK, Dowling EM, Geldhof GJ, Lerner JV, King PE, Iraheta G, Williams K, Sim ATR, Lerner RM. Illuminating the Use of the Specificity Principle to Go Inside the Black Box of Programs. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOLOGIE-JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. The UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for disaggregating results of program effectiveness within subgroups. Using the Bornstein (2017) specificity principle, involving within-group assessments regarding what specific youth prosper in what specific ways in what specific programs, we analyzed data from 888 Salvadoran youth (50% female), aged 9–15 years ( M = 11.60 years, SD = 1.7), participating in the Compassion International (CI) Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD). We compared CI-supported youth with non-CI-supported youth on nine variables related to PYD, intentional self-regulation, hopeful future expectations, and spirituality. Whereas tests of group averages indicated no meaningful differences, disaggregated results across 20 program sites indicated that 2 sites showed no group differences, 7 sites showed better CI-supported youth performance, 3 sites showed better non-CI-supported youth performance, and 8 sites showed a mixed pattern. We discuss the use of the specificity principle in future assessments of SDG indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M. Tirrell
- Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Patricia K. Gansert
- Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Dowling
- Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - G. John Geldhof
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jacqueline V. Lerner
- Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Pamela Ebstyne King
- Thrive Center for Human Development, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Richard M. Lerner
- Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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Wiium N, Dimitrova R. Positive Youth Development Across Cultures: Introduction to the Special Issue. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-019-09488-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Enhancing Theory and Methodology in the International Study of Positive Youth Development: A Commentary. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-018-9485-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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