Developmental Contextual Perspective Research Articles

Healing wounded trees: clinicians' perspectives on treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder.

While treatment guidelines agree on the first-line interventions for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is an ongoing debate between experts regarding the treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). As scientific research is slowly emerging, different treatment approaches are used in clinical practice This article aims to provide a set of treatment options for C-PTSD in adult survivors of repeated exposure to severe violence and abuse, both in childhood and later on in life. The developmental-contextual perspective on mental health forms the basis of this approach. This perspective is elaborated using the tree metaphor. Then, several treatment strategies are suggested. The presented strategies are a combination of the existing evidence-based approaches for the treatment of PTSD and personality disorders. They target psychological damage in survivors while taking their developmental trajectories and ecological environments into consideration. The treatment model presented is based on longstanding clinical practice and it may be a promising framework for treating C-PTSD. However, it still needs to be scientifically examined for acceptability and effectiveness.

Teacher–student relationships and academic adaptation in college freshmen: Disentangling the between‐person and within‐person effects

Adolescents face increased academic demands and lower structure as they move from high school to college. Good relationships with teachers are considered a crucial factor linked with adaptive academic behavior. However, few longitudinal studies have investigated the association between teacher-student relationships and academic adaptation over time in the higher education context, especially focusing on freshmen and separating the between-person and within-person effects. This study aimed to fill the said gaps based on the developmental-contextual perspective of psychosocial adjustment. Participants were 1578 Chinese freshmen who just transitioned from high school to college (Mage = 18.72 years, SD = 0.92). Data were collected at the 2nd (T1), 4th (T2), and 8th (T3) months upon college entry. Both cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and random intercept, CLPM (RI-CLPM) were used to examine the focal association. Findings of CLPM revealed bidirectional associations between teacher-student relationships and academic adaptation over time. Findings from RI-CLPM suggested that at the between-person level, teacher-student relationships were significantly related to academic adaptation, echoing the results of CLPM. At the within-person level, however, the findings revealed a unidirectional effect, such that the within-person changes in teacher-student relationships at T2 predicted corresponding changes in academic adaptation at T3. Findings of CLPM and RI-CLPM were robust after controlling for T1 covariates. The association between teacher-student relationships and academic adaptation is due mainly to the stable, trait-like difference between individuals and due partly to state-like variations within individuals. Enhancing teacher-student relationships appears a promising avenue to facilitate academic adaptation among college freshmen.

Inattention and impulsivity in children and adolescents: a developmental and contextual framework to understand attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and its variants

: Inattention and impulsivity are common characteristics of children, yet we do not expect young children to sustain attention and inhibit their natural impulses to the same extent as adults. During development, caregivers naturally train their children in these attentional and impulse regulation skills to increase their capacity to delay gratification. However, when elevated or more extreme problems of inattention and/or impulsivity are present in a child, other factors must be considered in order to evaluate specific instances of “inattention” and impulsivity, and to determine whether and how to intervene with a child who appears to manifest such difficulties. In this report, we review the problems of inattention and impulsivity in children within a developmental and ecological perspective. We couple this developmental-contextual perspective with studies of the formal diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its causes, precursors, and treatment, and apply this perspective to the diagnosis of ADHD as well as to intervention approaches—both traditional medical treatments as well as more development-contextual interventions. A developmental-contextual framework to understanding inattention and impulsivity in children and adolescents offers clinicians important therapeutic advantages. Thus, this framework of necessity requires that clinicians consider the impact of family, peer, and school settings on the actual expression and severity of a child’s specific symptoms, and based on that understanding, that they consider possible interventions/modifications of those environments as a means of assisting the child. We also review the role of medication treatments and specific principles of medication prescribing within our developmental-contextual framework.

Manning up while growing up: A developmental-contextual perspective on masculine gender-role socialization in adolescence.

Manning up while growing up: A developmental-contextual perspective on masculine gender-role socialization in adolescence.

"Adolescent psychosocial development: A review of longitudinal models and research," Correction to Meeus (2016).

Reports an error in "Adolescent psychosocial development: A review of longitudinal models and research" by Wim Meeus (Developmental Psychology, 2016[Dec], Vol 52[12], 1969-1993). In the article, several headings were inadvertently set at the wrong level. The headings are presented in the correction, and the online version of the article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-56613-001.) This review used 4 types of longitudinal models (descriptive models, prediction models, developmental sequence models and longitudinal mediation models) to identify regular patterns of psychosocial development in adolescence. Eight patterns of adolescent development were observed across countries: (1) adolescent maturation in multiple developmental domains; (2) heterogeneous continuity of personal relationships; (3) good goes together with good, and bad with bad, across time in adolescence; (4) parents transmit values and behaviors to their adolescent children over time; (5) adolescent psychopathology leads to erosion of personal relationships with parents and peers; (6) adolescent psychopathology prevents adolescent independence from parents; (7) parental interference in personal issues of adolescents has counterproductive effects over time; (8) mood variability and (social and personal) uncertainty are mechanisms that maintain psychopathology in adolescence. Principles of life span developmental psychology are used to discuss adolescent maturation, and a developmental contextual perspective is used to discuss links between the various developmental patterns. Strengths and limitations of the various longitudinal models, and links between longitudinal and experimental research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Adolescent psychosocial development: A review of longitudinal models and research.

This review used 4 types of longitudinal models (descriptive models, prediction models, developmental sequence models and longitudinal mediation models) to identify regular patterns of psychosocial development in adolescence. Eight patterns of adolescent development were observed across countries: (1) adolescent maturation in multiple developmental domains; (2) heterogeneous continuity of personal relationships; (3) good goes together with good, and bad with bad, across time in adolescence; (4) parents transmit values and behaviors to their adolescent children over time; (5) adolescent psychopathology leads to erosion of personal relationships with parents and peers; (6) adolescent psychopathology prevents adolescent independence from parents; (7) parental interference in personal issues of adolescents has counterproductive effects over time; (8) mood variability and (social and personal) uncertainty are mechanisms that maintain psychopathology in adolescence. Principles of life span developmental psychology are used to discuss adolescent maturation, and a developmental contextual perspective is used to discuss links between the various developmental patterns. Strengths and limitations of the various longitudinal models, and links between longitudinal and experimental research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Gender and Emotion Expression: A Developmental Contextual Perspective.

Small but significant gender differences in emotion expressions have been reported for adults, with women showing greater emotional expressivity, especially for positive emotions and internalizing negative emotions such as sadness. But when, developmentally, do these gender differences emerge? And what developmental and contextual factors influence their emergence? This article describes a developmental bio-psycho-social model of gender differences in emotion expression in childhood. Prior empirical research supporting the model, at least with mostly White middle-class U.S. samples of youth, is presented. Limitations to the extant literature and future directions for research on gender and child emotion are suggested.

Same- and Cross-Gender Sexual Harassment Victimization in Middle School: A Developmental-Contextual Perspective

Using a developmental-contextual framework, the present study investigated risk factors for same- and cross-gender sexual harassment victimization in 986 middle school students. Participants completed questionnaires in the fall and spring of the same school year so risk factors could be explored longitudinally. Results revealed that gender differences existed for same- and cross-gender forms of harassment. While girls reported more instances of receiving same- and cross-gender unwanted sexual attention, boys were more likely to report being victims of same-gender gender harassment. Important differences in risk factors also existed. Being bullied in the fall and feeling disconnected from school were risk factors for same-gender victimization but not for cross-gender victimization. Romantic relationship status, which was a significant risk factor for both same- and cross-gender victimization, was qualified by significant gender interactions. Results are explained through a developmental-contextual lens and implications for intervention are discussed.

Bullying: a stepping stone to dating aggression?

Bullying is the use of power and aggression to control and distress another. In this paper, we review research to explore whether the lessons learned in bullying provide a stepping stone to aggressive behavior in dating relationships. We start by considering definitions and a relationship framework with which to understand both bullying and dating aggression. We consider bullying from a developmental-contextual perspective and consider risk factors associated with the typical developmental patterns for bullying and dating aggression, including developmental and sociodemographic, individual attributes, and family, peer group, community, and societal relationship contexts that might lead some children and youths to follow developmental pathways that lead to bullying and dating aggression. We conclude by discussing implications for intervention with a review of evidence-based interventions.

Does Identity Precede Intimacy? Testing Erikson’s Theory on Romantic Development in Emerging Adults of the 21st Century

Erikson stated that healthy identity development during adolescence is a precursor of intimacy in romantic relationships during emerging adulthood. However, from a developmental contextual perspective, there are reasons to question this strict developmental ordering. Using interview and questionnaire data from a longitudinal study on 93 adolescents, the authors tested whether ego development in middle adolescence predicts intimacy in emerging adulthood. Second, the authors examined whether identity achievement at the transition to adulthood mediates this link. Results revealed direct links between early ego development (age 15) and intimacy in romantic relationships (age 25). No paths were found from earlier intimacy to later ego development. No gender differences occurred. Relational identity achievement, an integrative identity construct measured at age 24, fully mediated the association between earlier ego development and later intimacy. This study confirms Erikson’s old ideas on the developmental ordering of identity and intimacy for youngsters in the 21st century. Moreover, it highlights the integrative function of relational identity for later mature intimacy.

A developmental contextual perspective on identity construction in emerging adulthood: Change dynamics in commitment formation and commitment evaluation.

A developmental contextual test of a dual-cycle model of identity formation is presented. In addition to a commitment-formation cycle-represented by Marcia's (1966) classical dimensions of exploration in breadth and commitment making--the model comprises a commitment-evaluation cycle--constituted by 2 additional dimensions of exploration in depth and identification with commitment. In a sample of 402 college students assessed 4 times over 2 years, both dimensions of the commitment-formation cycle and exploration in depth increased across time. Identification with commitment showed a slight decrease across time. Latent growth curve (LGC) modeling analyses indicated that the 2 identity cycles are interwoven in a dynamic interplay that defines identity formation. Contextual influences on identity development were identified through a natural experiment. Commitment evaluation constituted the core identity cycle in the normative-progression group (i.e., students who moved on to the sophomore year). Both commitment formation and commitment evaluation were at work in the reorientation group (i.e., students who repeated their freshman year or changed their major). Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Neural Substrates of Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Electroencephalographic and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence

Research methods based on electroencephalogram (EEG) and anatomical and functional MRI have been used with increasing frequency in the study of childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Both methods are safe and noninvasive, and their results can complement each other because of the good temporal (but relatively poorer spatial) resolution of EEG and the good spatial (but relatively poorer temporal) resolution of MRI. These methods are described, and associated recent research on childhood ADHD is summarized and critically examined. Results of this research support theories of ADHD that focus on a frontal-striatal neurological circuitry substrate, which has been implicated in neuropsychological executive functioning. A number of issues, however, such as the specificity of this finding for ADHD, remain unresolved. We conclude with an overview of advances and issues to be considered in future research on the neural substrates of childhood ADHD and advocate a developmental-contextual perspective on this disorder that acknowledges the reciprocal relations between neural structures and functions.

The Influences of the Family of Origin on Career Development

Based on a developmental contextual perspective advocated by Vondracek, Lerner, and Schulenberg, this article provides a comprehensive review of the research published since 1980related to family of origin influences on career developmentandoccupational choice. Because individuals are most likely to seek assistance with career decisions from family members, it is important that counseling psychologists understand how families can have a positive influence and facilitate career development. Influential family contextual factors are identified within four developmentallevels (i.e., children, adolescents, college students/young adults, and adults). Across the lifespan, both family structure variables (e.g., parents’ occupations) and family process variables (e.g., warmth, support, attachment, autonomy) were found to influence a host of career constructs; however, the process by which families influence career development is complex and is affected by many contextual factors such as race, gender, and age. Based on this comprehensivereview, implicationsfor counselingresearch andpracticeare discussed.

Socio-economic adversity and psychosocial adjustment: a developmental-contextual perspective

The aim of this paper is twofold: firstly to investigate whether the association between childhood and adult psychosocial adjustment can be explained by socio-economic adversity experienced during childhood, and secondly to explore the role of family socio-economic disadvantage and psychological development in explaining adult social inequality in psychological well-being. A developmental-contextual perspective is adopted to analyse the pathways linking childhood experiences to adult functioning in a changing socio-historical context. The study draws on longitudinal data collected for two cohorts of about 30,000 individuals born in Great Britain 12 years apart. Structural equation modelling is used to assess the long-term influence of socio-economic adversity on psychosocial adjustment, and to compare different explanatory models of health inequalities. The results reject a simple selection or social causation argument, suggesting that both dynamics operate in life course development. The effects of social risk cumulate throughout the life course, influencing both behaviour adjustment during childhood and adult psychosocial functioning. It is concluded that the explanation of health differences in adult life must account for the reciprocal interaction between individual behaviour and social circumstances.

A developmental perspective on alcohol use and heavy drinking during adolescence and the transition to young adulthood.

This article offers a developmental perspective on college drinking by focusing on broad developmental themes during adolescence and the transition to young adulthood. A literature review was conducted. The transition to college involves major individual and contextual change in every domain of life; at the same time, heavy drinking and associated problems increase during this transition. A developmental contextual perspective encourages the examination of alcohol use and heavy drinking in relation to normative developmental tasks and transitions and in the context of students' changing lives, focusing on interindividual variation in the course and consequences of drinking and on a wide range of proximal and distal influences. Links between developmental transitions and alcohol use and other health risks are discussed in light of five conceptual models: Overload, Developmental Mismatch, Increased Heterogeneity, Transition Catalyst and Heightened Vulnerability to Chance Events. We review normative developmental transitions of adolescence and young adulthood, focusing on the domains of physical and cognitive development, identity, affiliation and achievement. As shown in a selective review of empirical studies, these transitions offer important vantage points for examining increasing (and decreasing) alcohol and other drug use during adolescence and young adulthood. We conclude with a consideration of research and intervention implications.

Changes in womens' roles: Impact on and social policy implications for the mental health of women and children

In recent years. womens' roles have changed dramatically, prompting researchers to examine the impact of these changes on the development of women and children. In this article, we examine three major changes that women have experienced over the past several decades: increased participation in the paid labor force, changes in domestic labor and child-care patterns, and increased numbers of female-headed single-parent families. For each, we first describe the nature of the changes that have occurred over the last 50 years. We then review research concerning the effects of these changes on the development of women and children. Finally, we discuss the implications for social policy that stem from this research. It is broadly concluded that research informed by a developmental-contextual perspective may contribute importantly to the development of social policies focused on promoting the well-being of women and children.

Psychosocial Development during Adolescence: Progress in Developmental Contextualism

Adams, Gerald R., Montemayor, Raymond, and Gullota, Thomas (Eds.). (1996). Psychosocial Development During Adolescence: Progress in Developmental Contextualism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 322 pages. Paperback ISBN 0-7619-0533-2. This edition of the Advances in Adolescent Development series focuses on the developmental contextual perspective. This edited book has several aims. Given an expanding interest in approaching adolescence from a developmental contextualist frame work, the editor chooses to focus on the work of John Hill and review the history and progress from Hill's pivotal statements in 1973 to the present. We are also provided a comprehensive discussion of developmental tasks in adolescence based on Hill's proposal to explore these tasks from a bio-psychosocial perspective. Finally, the book describes the unfolding research agendas in studying psychosocial development in adolescence from the developmental contextualist perspective outlined by Hill. Psychosocial Development During Adolescence is organized into an introductory chapter on the legacy of John Hill; seven major chapters, each covering one major psychosocial theme in adolescent development, such as autonomy, intimacy, and identity; and a concluding chapter reflecting past and future use of the developmental contextualism perspective on the study of adolescence. The introduction to the legacy of John Hill is valuable for zeroing in on the developmental contextual perspective. Hill advocated the centrality of psychosocial variables in the study of normal development in adolescence. He also identified bio-psychosocial factors (such as puberty, cognition, or self-definition), and contextual factors (such as gender, race-ethnicity, and social class) as important determinants of adolescent behavior. Hill's influence in identifying intimacy, detachment-autonomy, sexuality, achievement, and identity as the main psychosocial themes in adolescent development is evidenced by the vast array of work from the developmental-contextualist perspective that currently dominates the field. The introductory chapters lay the foundation for subsequent chapters by articulating Hill's ecological theory of adolescent development, which focuses on associations between the person and the situation throughout the life course. The editors offer their historical perspective on Hill as one method of addressing the vast complexity of the discipline and the possibility of seeing how various ideas, methodologies, and theories are related. Chapter two begins with a brief discussion on adolescent autonomy, followed by a more comprehensive presentation of the debate over the adaptive value of emotional distance (detachment) from parents during adolescence. The authors also discuss parent-- adolescent relationships in the context of promoting individuality versus maintenance of emotional connection, reviewing numerous studies on the value of opportunities for decision making in the family context. The last section of this chapter considers the restricted legal rights of adolescents in conjunction with the empirical work that calls these self-governing restrictions into question. In Chapter three, the reader is presented with the most compelling topics and recent trends in adolescent sexuality, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual violence. The authors note the struggle that researchers face in attempting to address the topic of sexuality amidst problem-focused agendas and varying social perceptions surrounding adolescent sexual behavior. The presentation of trends in sexual behavior is followed by a review of key findings on sexual development, including sexual identity formation, behavior patterns, and aberrant sexual experiences. A lucid discussion of the differences between trends and developmental sequences helps the reader distinguish between social change and perceptions of sexual deviance in adolescence. Of significance in this chapter, the authors claim that because comparatively little research exists on noncoital behaviors (i. …

The Long Branch of Phase-Environment Fit

Based on the stage-environment fit perspective (Eccles & Midgley), we hypothesized that diabetic adolescents who experience a developmental match would be more likely to experience optimal psychosocial outcomes. Three questions were addressed: Are there links between developmental match and adolescents’psychosocial outcomes, and if so, do such links differ by diabetic status? What are the long-term implications for later psychosocial outcomes of developmental match, and do such links differ by diabetic status? Do adolescents differentially perceive community support as a function of their developmental match and diabetic status? We assessed diabetic and nondiabetic adolescent boys and girls from a larger longitudinal study of chronic illness. Family characteristics were observed in a revealed difference task. Results suggested that even after controlling for psychosocial factors during adolescence, the benefits of developmental match (and the costs of developmental mismatch) could be observed during young adulthood. In addition, preadolescents with diabetes perceived their community as more supportive than any other group of adolescents. Results are discussed within a developmental contextual perspective, with particular attention to the experiences of diabetic adolescents.

The Viability of Career Maturity Theory: A Developmental—Contextual Perspective

The critical role of the timing of person—context interactions is important in the conceptualization of the school‐to‐work transition. It is argued that career maturity, with its focus on the individual and its ties to stage models and notions of age‐appropriateness, gives insufficient attention to the particular contexts of time and culture within which it may be observed. The use of recent advances in developmental theory is suggested as a viable alternative for understanding developmental transitions. Findings from the research literature and from a recent study of young adults from former East Germany and former West Germany are cited in support of this proposal. These findings highlight limitations of the construct of career maturity in showing how individual differences and contextual factors contribute to the school‐to‐work transition in contrasting environments of former East and West Germany.

Timing of School-to-Work Transitions: A Developmental-Contextual Perspective

The critical role of the timing of person-context interactions, a central notion of developmental contextualism, is recognised as important in the conceptualisation of the school-to-work transition. As a result, an expanded framework for understanding this transition is employed in the present study. A stratified sample of young adults from former East and from West Germany participated in a 1991 national survey of youth. Retrospective data concerning life events during childhood and adolescence, and progress through school and occupational training, as well as extensive current information regarding attitudes, values, and occupational status, were analysed through the use of survival analyses. Findings revealed important differences in how individual differences and contextual factors contributed to the school-to-work transition in the contrasting environments of former East and West Germany.