Adolescent Future Orientation: The Role of Identity Discovery in Self-Defining Activities and Context in Two Rural Samples

Looking Ahead and Working Hard: How School Experiences Foster Adolescents' Future Orientation and Perseverance

The current study examined developmental change in future orientation and perseverance across childhood and adolescence. Drawing from stage-environment fit theory, the study examined how adolescents' perceptions of key school experiences (teacher support, school climate, high-quality organized activities, school transitions) and socioemotional competencies covaried across time. Using an accelerated longitudinal design, a diverse sample of 4,055 youth in grades 6-12 completed assessments at 4 time points. Latent growth curve analyses revealed future orientation and perseverance both followed a quadratic trajectory marked by growth in early adolescence, followed by a leveling off in later adolescence. School experiences positively covaried with socioemotional competencies. Findings provide insight into patterns of age-related change and offer implications for practices aimed at promoting future orientation and perseverance.

Adolescents' Future Aspirations and Expectations in the Context of a Shifting Rural Economy

Adolescents' future aspirations and expectations influence the decisions they make as they transition into adulthood. However, less is known about how specific sociocultural factors interact with the formation of future aspirations and expectations and their association with goal attainment in emerging adulthood. The present study begins to fill this gap by using person-centered analysis with high school students (N = 517; 53% female; 92% white) from a rural county undergoing significant economic transition. Its aim was to identify future orientation profiles based on adolescent-reported future aspirations and expectations for success in both education and career. Four latent profiles were identified and labeled: universally high aspirations and expectations; low college aspirations and expectations; lower aspirations than expectations; and universally low aspirations and expectations. Significant gender differences were found. High school males were less likely to be in the universally high profile and more likely to be in the universally low and low college aspirations and expectations profiles. Future orientation profile placement was associated with differences in adolescent experiences in family, school, and community contexts as well as their work and education status and future residential aspirations in emerging adulthood. The findings inform future research and applied efforts focused on rural youth's preparation for adult roles, and on retaining rural youth, a necessity for the vitality of rural communities.

Measuring psychological engagement in youth activity involvement

Although psychological engagement (e.g., enjoyment, concentration) may be critical in fostering positive outcomes of youth activity participation, too few studies have been conducted to establish its role in development. Furthermore, an established measurement tool is lacking. In the current study, we evaluated a brief engagement measure with two Canadian samples of youth (Sample 1, N = 290, mean age = 16.9 years, 62% female; Sample 2, N = 1827, mean age = 13.1 years, 54% female). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling to examine the hypothesized structure of the model. We also assessed the measure's validity by testing relations between engagement and both perceived outcomes and positive features of activity settings. Psychological engagement was best captured by three latent cognitive, affective, and relational/spiritual factors and a second-order latent factor. Also, as anticipated, psychological engagement was associated with features of the activity setting and perceived impact.