Mentoring Relationship Quality Research Articles

Predictors of mentoring relationship quality in a college peer mentoring program: associations with mentors’ and mentees’ perceptions of family relationships

PurposePeer mentoring programs in higher education settings support incoming students in their transition and adaptation to college life. Mentoring program evaluation research primarily focuses on student outcomes and documents mentoring relationship quality (MRQ) as an important component of programs that facilitate change. The current study examines MRQ in a college peer mentoring program and explores its association with mentors’ and mentees’ perceptions of family relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe sample included 629 first-year students (Mage = 18.4 and 54.2% female) and 88 mentors (Mage = 20.6 and 65.9% female). Each mentor was matched with eight to 10 incoming students in the same department. Dyadic data were collected prior to the program (pre-test) and at the end of the fall semester (mid-program) and spring semester (post-test). At pre-test assessment, mentors and mentees rated their family relationships, perceived trust, loyalty, and fairness in their families. At follow-up assessments, mentees reported their MRQ, mentoring duration, and mentoring activities.FindingsA multilevel modeling analysis revealed that mentees’ and mentors’ perceptions of loyalty in their families predicted higher levels of MRQ at the end of the program. However, mentors’ perceived trust in their families was negatively associated with MRQ.Originality/valueThis study adds to the youth mentoring literature by focusing on family-of-origin experiences of both mentors and mentees from a dyadic and relational perspective. These findings have implications for future research and the practice of formal mentoring programs in college settings.

Amplifying similarity to promote college STEM instructor–student mentoring relationship quality: a cluster randomized trial

IntroductionDespite numerous (co)curricular efforts, diversifying the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) research workforce remains challenging and large segments of the U.S. population continue to be underrepresented. Promoting instructor–student mentoring relationship quality is a potentially important mechanism to support biomedical workforce diversity, as relationship quality has been positively associated with learning and persistence. We tested the impact of a “Creating Birds of a Feather” (CBoaF) intervention designed to promote perceptions of shared similarities (psychological similarity), which in turn should promote instructor-student mentoring relationship quality.MethodsThis pretest-posttest cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with a large and diverse sample of instructors (J = 15) and the undergraduates (N = 567) enrolled in biological course-based undergraduate research experience courses at 13 universities across the U.S.ResultsMultilevel modeling results indicated that the intervention effect on undergraduates’ perceptions of psychological similarity was moderated by pretest psychological similarity. That is, among classes with low levels of similarity at pretest, the intervention group developed stronger perceptions of posttest psychological similarity than the control group, but there were no between group differences in classes with high levels of similarity at pretest. Furthermore, the intervention exhibited a positive indirect effect on posttest instructor–student mentoring relationship quality through posttest psychological similarity.DiscussionThese findings highlight the potential of the CBoaF intervention to enhance undergraduate perceptions of instructor-student psychological similarity, subsequently leading to improved instructor-student mentoring relationship quality. These insights have significant implications for initiatives that aim to promote diversity and inclusion in the STEM research workforce by emphasizing the cultivation of psychological similarity between students and instructors.

Do program practices matter for mentors?: How implementation of empirically supported program practices is associated with youth mentoring relationship quality.

This study investigates how the implementation of program-level practices by formal youth mentoring programs is associated with the quality of youth mentoring relationships as contexts for youth development and also examines whether this connection is mediated by the mentor-staff working alliance. Using data from mentors (n = 542) participating in multiple programs (n = 55), multilevel path models examined hypothesized direct and mediated effects. Parallel analyses were conducted with assessments of program practices from staff (n = 219). Greater exposure to program practices was associated with higher ratings of mentoring relationship satisfaction, commitment, and security and lower mentor-youth relationship negativity. The mentor-staff working alliance either partially or fully mediated these associations. Staff-reported practices predicted mentoring relationship satisfaction and commitment without mediation by the working alliance. This study suggests program practices contribute to stronger youth mentoring relationships. The findings also highlight the mentor-staff working alliance in supporting the development of positive mentoring relationships.

Mentoring and depressive symptoms of youth: Examining prospective and interactive associations with mentoring relationship quality.

A significant body of research has demonstrated that mentoring relationships support positive youth development. The quality of the mentoring relationship has been identified as a predictor of positive youth outcomes. However, limited research has examined how engagement in a mentoring program may be related to youth depressive symptoms specifically. The current study utilized a sample of 2003 youth participating in mentoring programs across the country (Mage = 12.32, SD = 1.42, 55.1% female) from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds (39.1% Black, 23.6% White, 22.1% Hispanic, 3.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, .4% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.8% other, and 9.7% Multi-Ethnic) to investigate associations between youth depressive symptoms and mentoring relationship quality. Results revealed that: (1) mean depressive symptoms decreased after participation in a mentoring program; (2) several, but not all, relationship quality indicators predicted change in depressive symptoms; (3) baseline levels of depressive symptoms negatively predicted indicators of relationship quality; and (4) associations between several relationship quality indicators and follow-up depressive symptoms differed by baseline levels of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential benefits of mentoring programs to youth and the need to provide mentors with support around building relationships with youth, especially those experiencing depressive symptoms.

“It is not necessary to organize a trip to the moon”: a mixed method study with mentors in the Italian Mentor-UP program during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study used a mixed methods approach to explore the experience of mentors involved in the Mentor-UP program during the COVID-19 pandemic in Padova, Italy. In Study 1, a total of 53 mentors completed an online questionnaire at the end of the program. Results of the path analysis showed that mentors’ perceived support from the program staff was associated with lower levels of psycho-physical burnout, which in turn was negatively associated with online communication frequency, and the latter was positively associated with mentoring relationship quality. Study 2 analyzed in more detail the mentor-mentee relationships during the pandemic and specifically how COVID-19 may have affected the program. Two online focus groups were conducted and transcripts analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated that online mentoring interactions, although different from face-to-face, were valuable and allowed the establishment of supportive relationships for youth. Findings suggest program staff should provide constant support to mentors.

The Roles of Cultural Mistrust and Mentoring in Latinx Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward School

Using the frameworks of Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and an integrative model of developmental competencies, this study examined the roles of cultural mistrust toward education and natural mentoring relationship quality in the academic outcomes of Latinx adolescents. Participants were 294 Latinx students (52.9% female; mean age 15 years in 9th grade; 21% first‐generation, 63% second‐generation, and 6% third‐generation immigrants) who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grades. The negative effect of cultural mistrust on educational aspirations was greater for students who had poorer quality mentoring relationships. This study addresses gaps in the literature related to cultural mistrust as a coping strategy and discusses the ways in which mentors can serve a protective role.

A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Role of Youth Emotion Regulation in Mentoring Relationships.

Youth mentoring programs have grown in popularity, both within the United States (U.S.) and abroad, as an intervention to support youth with common behavioral and emotional difficulties. However, it is unclear whether certain dimensions of youth risk may diminish the positive impact of formalized mentoring relationships. The current study therefore examined whether youth emotion regulation, a transdiagnostic risk factor for both externalizing and internalizing behavioral difficulties, predicted mentoring relationship quality and the likelihood of early match closure. Participants included 1,298 randomized mentor-youth dyads from two nationwide mentoring programs, one with chapters across the U.S. (youth: 56% female; 37% White), and another with chapters across Mexico (youth: 49% female; 100% non-Indigenous). At baseline, youth completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA). At program completion, youth and mentors completed measures of mentoring relationship quality. Multigroup structural equation models of youth outcomes revealed thatgreater youthuse of cognitive reappraisal predicted better mentoring relationship quality in both countries when co-varying for sex, and that this relationship was stronger for mentor-youth pairs in the U.S. compared to those in Mexico. These findings have important implications for understanding the ways in which youth characteristics might shape the quality and impact of mentoring relationships across different cultural settings.

Strategies for monitoring mentoring relationship quality to predict early program dropout.

We examined data from a nationally implemented mentoring program over a 4‐year period, to identify demographic and relationship characteristics associated with premature termination. Data were drawn from a sample of 82,224 mentor and mentees. We found matches who reported shared racial or ethnic identities were associated with lower likelihood of premature termination as was mentee's positive feelings of the relationship. We also found that, if data were used as a screening tool, the data were suboptimal for accuracy classifying premature closure with sensitivity and specificity values equal to 0.43 and 0.75. As programs and policymakers consider ways to improve the impact of mentoring programs, these results suggest programs consider the types of data being collected to improve impact of care.

Social Validity and Preliminary Outcomes of a Mentoring Intervention for Adolescents and Adults With Autism

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are vulnerable to declines in social connections and an increase in depression, anxiety, and other co-occurring conditions. This study introduces a novel intervention that matches adolescents and adults with ASD in one-to-one mentoring relationships in an afterschool setting and examines its social validity. In this single-group, mixed-method pilot study, participants were seven adolescent mentees (14–18 years old; 100% male), seven adult mentors (19–33 years old; 71% male), and eight parents of mentees. A combination of project-specific and standardized assessments was used to describe the participants’ perceptions of the program and to assess well-being, self-concept, and social-emotional and behavioral outcomes. Results showed high uptake, program satisfaction, positive ratings of mentoring relationship quality, and desirable pre- to post-test change on several targeted outcomes. This study provides preliminary evidence to support the applicability and utility of a mentoring program for adolescents with ASD by adults with ASD.

What and how do mentors learn? The role of relationship quality and mentoring self‐efficacy in mentor learning

AbstractDrawing on the relational mentoring perspective and social cognitive theory, the purpose of this study is to understand how mentoring relationship quality relates to mentor knowledge acquisition and to refine and identify the types of knowledge mentors gain from their mentoring relationships. We hypothesize that relationship quality positively relates to mentor knowledge acquisition (mentoring‐specific, relational, and self‐knowledge) through career and psychosocial mentoring self‐efficacy. We tested our model and research questions in a mixed methods study of 199 professor mentors. Our qualitative results provided a more in‐depth understanding of what mentors learn from their mentoring relationships with respect to mentoring‐specific knowledge, relational knowledge, and self‐knowledge. Furthermore, we identified occupational‐specific knowledge as an additional type of mentor knowledge acquisition. In our quantitative analysis, contrary to our hypothesis, we found that career mentoring self‐efficacy mediated a negative relationship between relationship quality and mentoring‐specific knowledge acquisition. Further, relationship quality had a direct, negative, effect on relational knowledge acquisition. Finally, career and psychosocial mentoring self‐efficacy positively related to occupational‐specific knowledge acquisition and together mediated the relation between relationship quality and occupational‐specific knowledge acquisition. From our post hoc analysis, we found that behavioral change intentions mediated the negative relationships between relationship quality and mentoring‐specific, relational, and self‐knowledge. Our study contributes to the mentoring literature by focusing on the mentor's learning and provides practical implications for how organizations can better foster effective mentoring outcomes.

Youth Mentoring Relationships and College Social and Academic Functioning: The Role of Mentoring Relationship Quality, Duration, and Type.

The aim of the present study was to examine how college students' retrospective reports of youth-mentoring experiences were associated with current sense of belonging and community, academic motivation, and college self-efficacy, and to determine hows these outcomes vary as a function of mentoring relationship quality, duration, and type (e.g., natural versus program-sponsored). Analyses were conducted in Mplus 8.0 on a sample of 400 college students. Our findings suggest that most college students endorse a mentoring relationship. We found that having a mentor was associated with increased college self-efficacy. Among those with a youth mentor, relationship quality was positively associated with sense of belonging and college self-efficacy while duration of the mentoring relationship and relationship type were not associated with college-related outcomes. Further analyses were conducted to assess how the associations between relationship quality and the college-related outcomes varied as a function of mentoring duration and type. Relationship quality was uniquely associated with these college-related outcomes over and above student gender, race, and first-generation status. Our findings suggest it may be important to prioritize the enhancement of mentor relationship quality as a mechanism to affect change in academic-related outcomes.

Predicting Contribution in High Achieving Black and Latinx Youth: The Role of Critical Reflection, Hope, and Mentoring.

Contemporary approaches to adolescent development are framed by positive youth development models. A key outcome of these models is that healthy and positively developing youth are more likely to contribute to their family, schools, and communities. However, little work on contribution and its antecedents has been conducted with youth of color. As high achieving youth of color often become leaders in their communities, it is important to consider malleable predictors of contribution within this population. Therefore, through a cross-sectional design, we examined the relations between youth critical reflection, hopeful future expectations, and mentoring relationship quality and youth contribution in a sample of 177 youth of color (60% Black, 40% Latinx) attending an afterschool college preparation program at six sites around the U.S. Results indicated that youth critical reflection, hopeful future expectations, and mentoring relationship quality significantly predicted contribution. Exploratory analyses suggested that these relations were significant for Black youth but not Latinx youth. Implications of these findings for future scholarship are discussed.

Mentees and their mothers: The association between maternal relationship difficulties and targeted outcomes of mentoring.

Maternal relationship characteristics have been found to impact academic and behavioral outcomes for youth. However, less is known about how and through what mechanisms these characteristics impact outcomes for mentored youth. In this study, we examined if mentoring relationship quality mediated the relations between maternal relationship characteristics and academic and behavioral outcomes targeted by mentoring programs. Data were drawn from 205 participants who participated in a mentoring program that pairs adolescent girls with college women mentors for 1 year of mentoring. Mentoring relationship quality was the hypothesized mechanism of change and was included in the analysis as a mediator. Results revealed that maternal relationship characteristics (i.e., maternal quality communication/trust and maternal alienation) were directly related to academic and behavioral outcomes of mentoring. The relationship between maternal relationship characteristics and behavioral outcomes was mediated by mentoring relationship quality. Results suggested that girls with stronger maternal quality communication and trust as well as girls who felt more alienated from their mothers may benefit more from mentoring. Results can be used to inform mentor training to include a focus on relationship development with girls experiencing a variety of relational difficulties with their mothers to help improve targeted mentoring outcomes.

Generativity at work: A meta-analysis

Generativity entails both the motive and the behavior to support and guide younger people and to benefit “future generations.” Given its relevance for work and career outcomes, research on generativity in the work context has accumulated over the last three decades. To synthesize this work, we developed a conceptual model based on generativity, lifespan, resource, and motivation theories and conducted a meta-analysis (k = 48, N = 15,356). The results show that the generativity motive is positively related to person-related (e.g., age, tenure, agency and communion, work centrality) and context-related antecedents (e.g., challenging job demands, job autonomy). Moreover, the generativity motive is positively associated with motivational (i.e., work motivation, occupational self-efficacy), well-being (e.g., positive affect, job satisfaction, self-esteem), and career-related outcomes (e.g., mentoring relationship quality, career satisfaction). The fewer studies on generative behavior largely show a similar pattern. Overall, the findings (1) improve understanding of the nomological network of both the generativity motive and generative behavior at work, (2) point to the importance of generativity for favorable work outcomes, and (3) highlight that future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms and boundary conditions of effects of generativity at work.

Programme and school predictors of mentoring relationship quality and the role of mentors' satisfaction in volunteer retention

AbstractThe quality of the mentor–mentee relationship is considered the key mechanism of change in mentoring programmes, and volunteer mentor retention is crucial to improving delivery and outcomes. Combining theoretical frameworks on mentoring programmes and volunteerism, this study aimed to examine: (a) programme and school predictors of mentoring relationship closeness and (b) the relations between mentor‐reported relationship closeness, satisfaction with the relationship as a measure of subjective evaluations of their work and expressed intention to continue mentoring in the future. Volunteer mentors (N = 103, mean age = 65 years, 75% female) from a school‐based mentoring programme in Italy completed a survey. Results of path analyses revealed that relationship closeness was associated in a positive manner with perceptions of the adequacy of the mentoring session setting, and programme support, but not teacher support. In addition, mentors' satisfaction partially mediated the connection between relationship closeness and intention to remain in the programme. Implications for practice are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

The role of service-learning experiences in promoting flourishing among college-student youth mentors

ABSTRACT Service-learning experiences may uniquely promote flourishing (i.e. having meaning in life, social connections, and a positive outlook) for college students. To examine whether specific relational experiences within service-learning were associated with flourishing, we used data from a program where university students (N= 274; 21.2% first-generation) served as mentors to youth (ages 10–18) with prior exposure to adversity. We examined three experiences: opportunities to belong, supportive relationships, and the quality of the mentoring relationship. After controlling for baseline flourishing and age, results showed positive relationships between mentoring relationship quality and supportive relationships and post-intervention flourishing. Opportunities to belong was not associated with flourishing in the full sample. However, first-generation status moderated the relationship between opportunities to belong and flourishing, such that belonging was marginally predictive of post-intervention flourishing for first-generation students. Implications for university personnel and clinicians working with college students are discussed.

A qualitative exploration of mentoring relationship development for girls experiencing maternal relationship difficulties

• Maternal relationship issues impact discussion of mentoring relationships. • Trust/first impressions vital for mentees with maternal trust/communication issues. • Support with maternal relationships benefits mentees with maternal alienation. Results of a prior study of 205 middle school girls in the Young Women Leaders Program, a mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with college women, revealed that better quality maternal communication/trust as well as higher levels of maternal alienation were associated with stronger mentoring relationship quality for early adolescent girls. These results suggest that for early adolescent girls there is a distinction between foundational maternal relationship challenges and relationship challenges that are developmentally situated. Based on these results, the current study examines post-program interviews for a sub-sample of the five mentees with the highest and lowest scores for maternal communication/trust and maternal alienation as well as their mentors to gain an understanding of how relationship issues impact mentoring relationship development. Results indicate that for girls experiencing maternal communication and trust issues, first impressions and trust are very important to relationship development. Additionally, mentors of girls with communication and trust issues tended to have difficulty developing a relationship with their mentees’ families. For girls experiencing maternal alienation, mentors commonly served as a bridge between mentees and their mothers and helped mentees navigate difficult conversations with their mothers. Additionally, mentors in this group developed strong relationships with their mentees’ families. Findings contribute to the literature on mentoring relationship development and help to inform programs regarding training for mentors.

Culturally relevant strengths and positive development in high achieving youth of color

Critical reflection and spirituality have been linked to the positive development of high achieving youth of color; however, little research has explored how these strengths function in predicting positive youth development (PYD) across adolescence. In addition, scant research has considered how contextual resources such as mentoring might moderate the impact of these strengths. We examined the relations among these constructs and the five Cs of PYD (competence, confidence, character, caring, and connection) in a sample of 215 youth of color (61.5% female) attending an afterschool college preparation program at six sites around the U.S. Spirituality was the most consistent predictor of PYD outcomes with younger youth benefitting more from greater spirituality. Older youth, however, exhibited greater relations between critical reflection and mentoring with PYD outcomes. When youth reported low levels of mentoring relationship quality, higher critical reflection served as a protective factor for global PYD, character, and connection. Implications for practice are discussed.

Does Organizing Mentor-Mentee Matches into Small Groups Enhance Treatment Effects in a Site-Based Mentoring Program for Adolescents? Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Formal youth mentoring is an effective intervention strategy for healthy development during adolescence. Modest and varied effects across programs, however, demonstrate a need to identify factors that can reliably improve outcomes for mentored youth. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to test the relative impact of embedding mentee-mentor matches in small groups on youth outcomes and to examine whether this effect was mediated by the quality of the program setting and mentoring relationship quality. Participants included 676 adolescents (Mage = 14.21, range = 11-18; 41.6% female) enrolled in Campus Connections, a site-based youth mentoring program. Most measured outcomes in both conditions (i.e., mentoring groups and a control condition in which pairs were not embedded in a group) were significantly better at post-intervention as compared to pre-intervention. The hypothesis that mentoring groups would have stronger impact, however, was not supported. The results imply that organizing mentor-mentee matches in small groups offer no advantage or disadvantage and that youth may be able to garner benefit from both structures.

Developing natural mentoring relationships among Latinx youth: the roles of trust in adults and stressors

Mentoring is one avenue to support Latinx adolescents in their positive development. The current study examined the roles of stressors and interpersonal trust toward adults in the formation and quality (instrumental and relational) of natural mentoring relationships. Participants were 347 Latinx adolescents who were surveyed in the 9th and 10th grades. Analyses demonstrated that more trust toward adults in 9th grade was not significantly associated with the formation of a new mentoring relationship in 10th grade but was associated with higher instrumental and relational mentoring quality in 10th grade. Furthermore, reporting more life stressors in 9th grade significantly predicted the formation of new mentoring relationships but lower relational quality in 10th grade. This study fills gaps in the literature on youth and environmental characteristics that predict the development of new natural mentoring relationships over time in a Latinx sample. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.