Developmental Assets Research Articles

Mediators that matter: Psychological distress, developmental assets, and educational outcomes among Black youth.

Mediators that matter: Psychological distress, developmental assets, and educational outcomes among Black youth.

Predictors of Purpose Among Young Adults in College: An Exploratory Analysis of the Importance of Relational Supports and Experiential Learning

College is an important context for young adults to cultivate developmental assets, solidify vocational plans, and nurture meaningful relationships. National data from Gallup have highlighted key experiences that positively impact a student’s experience while at college and their life after graduation. These “Big Six” experiences, including relationships with faculty and mentors and participation in high-impact practices, predict student success. Similarly, both theory and research underscore the importance of relationships, active engagement, and exploration in cultivating purpose and long-term aims. Little work has examined the cumulative and relative value of the “Big Six” experiences in explaining purpose development in college. The present cross-sectional and exploratory study sought to address this gap. Specifically, this study utilized hierarchical linear regression to examine the impact of different experiences and relationships on college student purpose at a small, liberal arts university in the Southeast region of the United States (n = 758). The results indicated that a greater number of “Big Six” experiences were predictive of a stronger purpose. Furthermore, experiences centered on relationships mattered relatively more in fostering purpose among college students than participation in high-impact practices. The findings are discussed in the context of the literature and recommendations for higher-education institutions are made.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental assets scales: A study protocol for psychometric properties.

Application of developmental assets, one of existing Positive Youth Development (PYD) frameworks, has gained momentum in research, policy formulations, and interventions, necessitating the introduction of the most efficient scales for this framework. The present study protocol aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental assets scales to document the underlying logic, objectives, and methodologies earmarked for the identification, selection, and critical evaluation of these scales. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P), the intended search will encompass databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, and PsycINFO, spanning from the inception of 1988 to 1st of April 2024. The review will include articles published published in English language focusing on individuals aged 10 to 29 years and reporting at least one type of reliability or validity of developmental assets scales. The review process will be in compliance with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), and the overall quality of evidence will be determined using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) guidelines. This comprehensive assessment aims to identify potential biases in prior research and offer guidance to scholars regarding the optimal scales for developmental assets in terms of validity, reliability, responsiveness, and interpretability The evidence-based appraisal of the scales strengths and limitations is imperative in shaping future research, enhancing their methodological rigor, and proposing refinements to existing instruments for developmental assets.

Developmental Assets and Their Relationship to Suicidal Behavior in Mexican Young Adults.

Suicide in young people is a public health problem. Typically, protective factors for suicide are not studied; research tends to focus on measuring risk factors. However, knowing the risk factors does not mean that we also know the opposing factors that influence a group's health problems. For this reason, we examined the relationship between developmental assets in Mexican youth aged 18 to 25 years who are not at risk for suicide, exhibit self-injurious behavior, and whose last suicide attempt had low or high lethality. A cross-sectional study of 478 young people (73% female and 27% male) from Mexico City was conducted using an online survey and correlations were tested with dummy variables (groups) and multinomial logistic regression. The no-risk group showed associations with all developmental assets, the self-injurious group had an association with the house rules variable, the low lethality group was correlated with twelve assets and the high lethality group with four assets. Four internal developmental strengths were significant in the regression model: avoidance of risk behaviors, school expectations, resistance to pressure, and expression of anger. These results suggest that PYD is a useful framework for examining suicide risk and promotes skill development in young college students.

Ecological Developmental Assets and Gratification Delay: Hedonic Well-Being as a Potential Mediator

Ecological Developmental Assets and Gratification Delay: Hedonic Well-Being as a Potential Mediator

A scoping review of the research evidence of the developmental assets model in Europe.

Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a strength-based perspective that focuses on the resources to promote a successful transition to adulthood, derived from the Relational Developmental Systems theory. In this line, the Developmental Assets (DA) model focuses on describing the personal resources (Internal Assets) and contextual resources (External Assets) that help to reach PYD. Most research from this approach has been carried out in United States and, to a lesser extent, in the European continent. The aim of this scoping review was to examine the evidence collected for the DA model in Europe. Web of Science database was used to search for articles published between 2013 and February 2024. Initially, there were 55 possible articles to be included, but after applying the exclusion criteria, this number was reduced to 11. The findings suggested that the evidence for DA in Europe was in line with North American research, so that a higher presence of DA was related to higher well-being, better psychological adjustment, and lower risk behaviors. Internal Assets were the most influential assets, with the Positive Identity category being especially remarkable. Commitment to Learning and Social Competencies were also highlighted in the studies included in the review. Concerning External Assets, Positive Boundaries-expectations and Empowerment were emphasized as protective factors in youth development. These assets were found to present a protective effect against risk behaviors and were positively associated with PYD and socioemotional skills. Thus, these findings support the applicability of the DA framework in promoting PYD in European context, and some intervention strategies are discussed considering cultural diversity.

A demographic analysis of developmental assets, misconduct behaviours, and depression among New Zealand youth in mentoring relationships

ABSTRACT Mentoring is often utilised to support youth who have low levels of protective assets. This study explored 300 NZ youth (16-18 years old) who were involved in mentoring relationships to better understand how developmental assets influence depressive symptoms and misconduct behaviours. Results suggest that most participants possessed low to fair levels of internal (77.3%) and external (72.6%) assets with high levels of major depressive symptoms (40.7%) and moderate to high levels of misconduct behaviours (29.4%). There were demographic differences in developmental assets (e.g. Pacific youth reported higher assets and non-student participants reported lower assets than others), depressive symptoms (e.g. higher ranks for females than males) and misconduct behaviours (e.g. higher misconduct behaviours among Māori youth, non-student and full-time employed participants). Importantly, lower levels of external assets (β = – .90, S.E = .20, p = <.001; 95% CI [−1.30, – .50]) and internal assets (β = – .76, S.E = 29 .28, p = <.001; 95% CI [−1.31, – .20]) predicted depressive symptoms and low levels of external assets significantly contribute to youth misconduct behaviours (β = – .40, S.E = .08, p = 31 < .001; 95% CI [-.56, – .23]). These findings suggest strategies, programmes and policies to improve developmental assets which may decrease emotional and behavioural distress among youth.

The importance of developmental assets in HIV prevention behaviors among young black men who have sex with men (MSM)

Developmental assets are critical to the health and wellbeing of youth. The current study examines the influence of developmental assets on PrEP use and HIV testing among YBMSM ages 18–24. Using a cross-sectional survey of YBMSM (N = 225), this study explored the role of external (e.g., family support, other adult support) and internal (e.g., personal responsibility) assets in explaining HIV prevention behaviors. Participants were recruited from Mechanical Turk (M-Turk) internet-based platform, social media sites, and community-based organizations. A path analysis was conducted to investigate the direct/indirect effects of internal and external assets on PrEP use and HIV testing. Family support (β = 0.40, p < 0.001) and other adult support (β = 0.22, p = 0.004) were both associated with personal responsibility. Personal Responsibility (β = 0.15, p = 0.03) and positive identity (β = 0.28, p < 0.001) were both associated with an increase HIV testing. Personal responsibility was positively associated with increased PrEP use (β = 0.30, p < 0.001). Our study results indicated that external assets play a role in helping to build internal assets that support increased HIV testing and PrEP use among YBMSM. Our findings suggest the need for strength-based interventions that help YBMSM build assets and increase HIV prevention behaviors.

Understanding the Effect of External and Internal Assets on Hazardous/Harmful Drinking Among Chinese College Students: A Serial Mediation Model.

Hazardous/harmful drinking among college students is increasingly becoming a global health concern. Previous studies have mostly paid more attention to the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol use disorder based on the public health approach, and less is understood about psychological mechanisms and protective factors of problem drinking behavior. Grounded in the framework of developmental assets, this study explored the predictive effect of external assets (i.e., social connectedness) and internal assets (i.e., self-concept clarity and drinking refusal self-efficacy) on hazardous/harmful drinking among Chinese college students. Participants were 598 college students with a mean age of 19.41 (SD = 1.21) years. The results of structural equation modeling showed that social connectedness negatively predicted college students' hazardous/harmful drinking. Moreover, our path analyses revealed a serial mediation among these variables: students with high social connectedness tended to report high self-concept clarity, which in turn increased drinking refusal self-efficacy, and consequently decreased the level of hazardous/harmful drinking. This study revealed the mechanisms underlying how external and internal assets predict risky drinking among college students. These findings made significant contributions to prevention and precision interventions for college-aged youth with drinking problems.

Mapping Developmental Assets in Kosovo’s Youth: Insights into the Internal Cohesion Psychotherapeutic Process for Young People Experiencing Anxiety and Depression: A Qualitative Study

Mapping Developmental Assets in Kosovo’s Youth: Insights into the Internal Cohesion Psychotherapeutic Process for Young People Experiencing Anxiety and Depression: A Qualitative Study

The association between family dynamics and Positive Youth Development in secondary education students.

The Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework is a strengths-based approach to adolescence that states that adolescents will thrive if nurtured by the right developmental assets. The family is one of the most important developmental assets, but studies about the relationship between family dynamics and the overall PYD of adolescents are scarce. The present study aims to examine the associations between five family dynamics indicators and PYD, while taking into account the role of gender. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of adolescents from the city of Huelva, Spain (n = 1,036). Data were collected in 14 randomly selected secondary education schools. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was tested to determine the effect of family dynamics on PYD, both for the whole sample and within each gender. The SEM for the whole sample showed a positive effect of the family dynamics factor on the PYD factor, explaining 51.8% of its variance. The indicators of satisfaction with the relationship with the mother, satisfaction with the relationship with the father, frequency of engaging in joint family activities on weekends, and frequency of sharing daily occurrences at home showed factor loadings over 0.50, while the indicator of frequency of contribution to household chores had the lowest loading. The family dynamics factor in the model with the subsample of girls explained 54.8% of the variance in PYD, while in the SEM with the subsample of boys this factor explained 47.6% of it. Additionally, among girls, the relative influence of satisfaction in the relationship with the parents, as well as of frequently discussing the day at home, is higher than among boys. These results highlight a strong association between family dynamics indicators and PYD among adolescents and indicate that this relationship is stronger for girls than for boys. Intersectoral policies enhancing improvements in family dynamics (e.g., facilitating the practice of joint family activities on weekends) may have a relevant impact on PYD.

Online school sport club in South Korea: policy adaptation towards youth development through sport during touchless era

ABSTRACT Using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory, this qualitative case study aimed to explore how the online school sport clubs (O-SSC) were developed and administered as a counteraction against the pandemic and the meanings of the O-SSC from stakeholders’ perspectives in South Korea. Data were collected from official and open-source O-SSC materials, working-level meeting logs, and in-depth interviews with six policy stakeholders that included superintendents and teachers in Seoul, South Korea. The findings revealed four themes regarding the development of the policy and perceived changes as a result of the implementation of O-SSC: (a) thinking outside the box beyond traditional sports, (b) melting the frozen gym, (c) setting the stage beyond stereotypes in sport and physical spaces, and (d) unlimited opportunities to challenge: ‘you can try it again tomorrow’. The discussion addressed the following: (a) O-SSC as a domino effect for youth development through sport and (b) balance between sportisation and healthisation. The O-SSC generated a transformative chain of changes, providing youths with a new sporting developmental asset and prioritising students’ basic psychological needs and motivation. Furthermore, it embraced the inclusiveness, a quality missing in traditional school sport, and integrated aspects of physical fitness to tackle the adolescents’ physical inactivity caused by COVID-19. To conclude, it is imperative to call for the development of school sport policy that is more adaptive, inclusive, and future-oriented, not just to prepare for future contingencies but to embrace new possibilities of school sport for the benefit of school-age adolescents.

Developmental assets in emerging adulthood—Systematic review

Characterizing emerging adulthood as a period of the life course has proven to be relevant in understanding development and intervention with a focus on a positive orientation in the life course trajectory. Characterized by individualization, this period implies that people are increasingly compelled to depend on their own resources to build their life course trajectory. Identifying which resources place the person on a positive developmental trajectory becomes more relevant. Within the field of the Positive Youth Development, the Developmental Assets® model specifically focuses on which resources, that is, which personal and contextual characteristics of emerging adults can favor a positive orientation in the trajectory of the life course. The objective of this investigation is to analyze the utilization of the Developmental Assets model in the emerging adult population. In the review process, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) protocol was applied. Research was conducted in July 2023 in electronic databases, namely: Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, ERIC, PsycArticles, SciELO and B-on. In this review, 13 articles published between 1999 and 2023 were included. Results indicate diversity in adopted methods, both on conceptualization of the concept and its operationalization. Results of the analysis of studies included indicate the relevance of applying the Developmental Assets model in emerging adults and the importance of its exploration in future investigations. The utilization of the model in the population of emerging adults is suggested as a strategy focusing on a positive developmental trajectory.

Spirituality as a key asset in promoting positive youth development: Advances in research and practice

Spirituality is a universal human experience. Within the process of development, the role of spirituality as a developmental asset is understudied in general and especially within majority world contexts. In this article, we frame advances in spirituality research and practice with youth around three pillars: (a) theory, (b) measurement, and (c) research about and evaluations of positive youth development (PYD) programs in low- and middle-income countries. We place PYD programs as associated with dynamic, relational developmental systems (RDS)-based models of human development, describe spirituality and the “Big Three” features of effective PYD programs as aligning to promote thriving, and discuss spirituality as a strength, as a key asset, in the lives of youth. We discuss advances in developmental methods and measures for describing, explaining, and promoting spirituality and PYD and offer a case study that responds to a United States Agency for International Development call for action and evaluations of spirituality within the context of a PYD program in the majority world. Considerations for future research about spirituality and youth development are discussed.

Developmental Assets and Career Development in the Educational System: Integrating Awareness of Self-Identity, Knowledge of the World of Work and the SDGs in School Programs.

Individuals are embedded within systems that possess contextual or ecological developmental assets. Psychosocial assets refer to beliefs that enable positive responses to challenging situations and growth despite adversity, such as hope and a future orientation towards positive attitudes and expectations, as well as persistence and the ability to thrive. Career-related assets refer to career-related resources that characterize career decision-making processes and the world of work, such as the ability to negotiate transitions successfully as well as to tolerate and cope with uncertainty by increasing one's flexibility and autonomy. This study investigated the effectiveness of two sets of psychoeducational activities in promoting positive attitudes and resources, developmental assets that are useful to strengthen students' personal resources and shaping their future. This study also highlighted sensitivity to change in personal and career-related developmental assets. Using a mixed design approach, 108 students with an average age of 13.91 years were asked to participate in two psychoeducational activities. The first activity focused on developing a positive future self-identity and the second activity on career exploration and knowledge about the world of work. The results show that each of these two activities support the development of psychological assets as well as of a perspective that addresses complex dynamics and that may reduce inequalities.

PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN TENTANG PERILAKU HIDUP BERSIH SEHAT (PHBS) KEPADA WARGA DESA TANJUNGPURA KABUPATEN KARAWANG

The Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (CHLB) is a government health promotion program aimed at enhancing community self-reliance in maintaining and improving health. CHLB at the household level strives to empower members to be conscious, willing, and capable of adopting clean and healthy living behaviors to preserve and enhance their health. This initiative not only prevents the risk of diseases but also shields individuals from health threats while actively participating in the broader public health movement. The Clean and Healthy Living pattern should commence at the household level, recognizing that a healthy household serves as a developmental asset for the future that requires safeguarding. Given the susceptibility of certain household members to both infectious and non-infectious diseases, it becomes imperative for households to adhere to Clean and Healthy Living Behaviors (CHLB) to mitigate these risks effectively. This study underscores the importance of integrating CHLB into daily household routines to foster a healthier community and contribute to long-term societal development.

Relative Age and Positive Youth Development in Youth Sport: Do Developmental Assets Play a Role in Creating Advantage Reversals in Female Soccer?

Relative age effects (RAEs) are commonly associated with advantages for older athletes. However, a variety of benefits attributed to 'advantage reversals' have been observed among relatively younger professional athletes. Considering psychosocial development as a proposed mechanism, the purpose of this study was twofold: (1) To explore an association between developmental assets (i.e., facilitators of positive youth development [PYD]) and RAEs; (2) To assess whether overall developmental asset levels are protective against sport dropout. The Developmental Assets Profile© was distributed to members of a one-year cohort of post-adolescent, female soccer players from Ontario, Canada. The presence of differences between groups of relatively older (H1; n = 64) and younger (H2; n = 57) participants and developmental asset scales were assessed using discriminant analysis. A binary logistic regression was conducted to assess whether overall developmental asset levels are protective against sport dropout, with consideration of relevant factors. Findings suggest that relatively younger, female players score higher in two internal categories: commitment to learning and positive values. The overall developmental asset scores were not found to be protective against dropout. This study provides preliminary, albeit cautious, support that 'advantage reversals' may be in part associated with enhanced PYD resulting from developmental sport experiences.

Developmental assets as predictors of Albanian adolescents’ life satisfaction

This study examined the relationship between Positive Youth Development (PYD) Internal and External assets and life satisfaction among Albanian adolescents. Data were collected from a sample of 409 Albanian students aged 14-19 years using the Developmental Assets Profile and the Life Satisfaction Scale. The sample included the majority group (51%) and various minority groups in Albania. Statistical analyses were conducted to explore the association between PYD assets, demographic variables, and perceived life satisfaction. The results revealed significant differences in Internal and External assets across all groups, with life satisfaction reported at a moderate positive level. Gender and minority group differences were observed in the relationship between assets and life satisfaction. The findings of this study reveal that the ten Positive Youth Development (PYD) assets serve as predictors for life satisfaction. Additionally, it was observed that the same set of ten PYD assets acts as a predictor for life satisfaction. These results provide valuable insights into the implementation of PYD strategies and the impact they have on life satisfaction within an under-researched community.

Religion and Development: Alternative Visions, Credibility, and Networks as Religious Assets for Sustainable Development?

Religious organizations have become crucial actors in international development. However, scholarly discussions have largely ignored the dynamics that shape their impact on the ground. This article examines these dynamics by assessing three claims about the specific developmental assets of religious organizations: (a) their credibility in the eyes of their beneficiaries; (b) their control over far-flung social networks; and (c) the idea that religious organizations pursue alternative visions of development. Drawing on existing research, we study these claims in two development sectors: healthcare and environmental sustainability. The results complicate linear narratives of the positive impact of religions on development. Dynamics internal to the religious field sometimes lead to practices that run counter to the Sustainable Development Goals, while institutional pressures in the field of international development push religious organizations to become more similar to their secular counterparts. We suggest the need for alternative frameworks that go beyond prevailing secularization and de-secularization narratives to pay attention to the institutional field dynamics that shape religious development initiatives.

Heritage culture and national identity trajectories: Relations to classroom cultural diversity climate and socioemotional adjustment for adolescents of immigrant descent

Adolescents’ heritage culture and national identities are potential developmental assets for socioemotional adjustment. The school context can support the development of such identities. Therefore, the aims of our study are to (1) identify patterns of heritage and national identity trajectories across mid-adolescence, (2) test whether they are predicted by classroom cultural diversity climate, and (3) test whether they are linked to socioemotional adjustment. Adolescents of immigrant descent in Germany (N = 431, 50.3% female, Mage = 12.36 at T1) filled out surveys at the beginning (T1) and end of 7th grade (T2), and end of 8th grade (T3). Using latent growth mixture models, three trajectories were identified, which had stable, moderate national identities but varied in heritage identity: “high decreasing heritage identity”, “moderate stable identities”, and “low increasing heritage identity”. At the classroom level (but not individual level) diversity climate at T1 predicted a “moderate stable identities” trajectory, compared to a “low increasing heritage identity” trajectory. Further, adolescents in the “moderate stable identities” trajectory reported higher life satisfaction at T3 compared to those in the “low increasing heritage identity” trajectory. Overall, the findings suggest heterogeneity in identity trajectories with implications for socioemotional adjustment.