Positive Youth Development Constructs Research Articles

Protective Factors in the Context of Childhood Bereavement: Youth Gratitude, Future Orientation, and Purpose in Life.

The objective of the study was to examine potential associations between positive youth development constructs (gratitude, future orientation, purpose in life) and psychological functioning (posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, maladaptive grief reactions) among bereaved youth and test whether these associations vary by age. A diverse sample of 197 clinic-referred bereaved youth (56.2% female; M = 12.36, SD = 3.18; 36.1% Hispanic, 23.7% White, 20.1% Black, 11.9% Multiracial, and 8.2% another race/ethnicity) completed self-report measures of psychological functioning and positive youth development constructs. Linear regression models indicated that gratitude and purpose were associated with lower posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms among bereaved youth. Future orientation was associated with higher posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results were consistent across age. If replicated longitudinally, gratitude and purpose may be important protective factors against negative mental health outcomes in the aftermath of losing a loved one.

How Does Religious Faith Impact Positive Youth Outcomes

This study investigates the protective aspects of religiosity in young adolescents and explores the potential processes involved. Specifically, we examine the influence of three measures of religiosity—religious salience, intrinsic religiosity, and daily religious experiences—on delinquency and anxiety. The study sample consists of 636 families located in the state of Utah. Additionally, we explore how positive youth development (PYD) constructs may mediate the relationship between religiosity and adolescent outcomes. The findings indicate that religious salience and daily religious experiences are directly and indirectly associated with lower levels of delinquency and anxiety. Furthermore, two PYD constructs—character and connectivity—serve as mediators between religious salience, daily religious experiences, and these outcomes. These findings are discussed within the framework of Bronfenbrenner’s PPCT model of bioecological theory.

Centering marginalized positive youth development constructs: examining perspectives and experiences of racially, ethnically, and gender minoritized practitioners and youth

ABSTRACT Positive youth development (PYD) measurement tools are influenced by the social positionalities, ideologies, and interests of those who create them. Historically, racial, ethnic, and gender-minoritized practitioners and youth program participants have been excluded from the development and testing of PYD measures. In particular, they have been excluded from the conceptual work of defining and operationalizing central PYD constructs, from which PYD measurement and implementation are rooted. Furthermore, the existing constructs are subjective qualities, characteristics, and normative behaviors. The role and impact of power, privilege, and oppression on PYD are often missing from PYD constructs, yet they play an important role in PYD practice with racially, ethnically, and gender-diverse youth. This paper aims to center the knowledge and experiences of marginalized youth practitioners and youth in the conceptualization of PYD constructs. A multiple qualitative case study design and a purposive, convenience sampling approach were used to identify programs within a publicly funded, county-wide initiative in the pacific northwest that serves Black, Indigenous, or person of color, immigrant or refugee, and/or trans- or non-binary youth. The inductive analysis identified three key constructs: racial and social identity development, socio-emotional development, and youth-centered program environment. Participants emphasized communitarian understandings of identity development, a clear articulation of social justice principles across constructs, and emphasized relational practices and environmental factors over youth characteristics. We outline results in detail and discuss how youth and adult service providers’ perspectives can help inform a more empowering and relevant model for evaluating PYD interventions.

Toward an Integrative Paradigm of Positive Youth Development: Implications for Research, Practice, and Policy

Positive youth development (PYD) has gained considerable traction among researchers and practitioners in promoting adolescent well-being and mental health. Several models have also been proposed in conceptualizing and measuring PYD, almost all of which were developed in individualistic and Western contexts. The abundance of overlapping PYD indicators from different models poses a challenge in further expanding the applicability of PYD in diverse cultural settings. Based on a review of major PYD paradigms (i.e., five/six/seven Cs model, 15 PYD constructs, and the 40 developmental assets framework), we propose an integrative paradigm of PYD, which organizes the different indicators of adolescent thriving into three clusters: (a) intrapersonal-immediate, (b) interpersonal-proximal, and (c) ecological-distal indicators. Building on prior empirically supported models of PYD, this paradigm aims to provide a common and unifying taxonomy among developmental scientists in conceptualizing and measuring adolescent thriving without neglecting the specificity of adolescent development in various ecologies. Future directions for PYD researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to advance the field are discussed.

Psychometric validity and measurement invariance of positive youth development in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring (Five Cs) model using the Positive Youth Development (PYD) survey’s short (34 items) and very short versions (17 items). We also tested its criterion-related validity with life satisfaction, flourishing, transcendence, perceived societal and school statuses, and COVID-19 anxiety. In the Philippines, 1,116 senior high school students completed this survey (age: M = 17.61 years; SD = 0.91). The results support the bi-factor model for both formats, which showed varying levels of measurement invariance across gender, SES, and school type. Controlling for the general PYD construct, character and caring (i.e., socio-emotional Cs) showed negative latent factor correlations with competence and confidence (i.e., efficacy-related Cs). Almost all PYD dimensions exhibited expected associations with the criterion-related measures. As the very short version showed low reliability for competence and character, our results support using the 34-item short scale to measure the general and individual dimensions of adolescent thriving.

Conceptualizing and measuring positive youth development in sport: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Despite the pervasive belief that sport can serve as a vital context for positive youth development (PYD), the associated empirical evidence to support these claims is less compelling. To advance the field, the purpose of this scoping review was to better understand how sport-based PYD researchers conceptualize PYD, and both operationally define and measure PYD outcomes. A final sample of 78 non-experimental, quantitative research articles involving 90,665 youth (M age = 14.16 years) met inclusion criteria. Results revealed a wide and inconsistent array of (a) conceptual models and definitions for PYD, (b) constructs used to operationalize PYD, and (c) measures used to assess these PYD constructs. Only 38 of the studies (48%) explicitly conceptualized PYD using a formal definition and/or framework and there were a total of 243 unique operational definitions to represent PYD through sport (assessed a total of 632 times). In light of these findings, we offer a set of recommendations with the intent to strengthen future quantitative, sport-based PYD research. We believe that adherence to these guidelines carries the potential to enhance future theoretical and practical contributions, and help to better understand sport as a vehicle for positive development for youth.

<p>Positive youth development: current perspectives</p>

This review outlines the current perspectives on positive youth development (PYD). Besides presenting the diverse theoretical roots contributing to PYD approaches, this review also introduces several PYD perspectives, including Benson’s 40 developmental assets, Lerner’s 5Cs and 6Cs conceptions, Catalano’s 15 PYD constructs, social-emotional learning (SEL) and the “being” perspective (character and spirituality). A comparison of the different PYD models in terms of theoretical orientation, the role of community, spirituality, character/morality, thriving, “being” versus “doing” and origin is also presented. The review suggests three future research directions, including the development of spirituality and character approaches to PYD, differentiating the role of “being” versus “doing” in PYD and construction of PYD models as well as conducting related research in non-Western contexts.

Girls on the Run: Impact of a Physical Activity Youth Development Program on Psychosocial and Behavioral Outcomes.

Girls on the Run is an after-school physical activity-based positive youth development program designed to enhance girls' social, psychological, and physical development. We evaluated the effectiveness of the program by employing a longitudinal design and mixed methods. Girls (N = 203; aged 8-11y) completed survey measures of positive youth development constructs (competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring), physical activity, and sedentary behavior prior to, at the end of, and 3 months after the season. Subsamples of girls, coaches, caregivers, and school personnel participated in focus groups. Coaches completed information about their team's community impact project and number of girls who completed the season-ending 5k. The full sample improved in confidence and connection, whereas girls who started below the preseason average showed the greatest gains from preseason to postseason on all measures, and scores were maintained or continued to improve at follow-up. All stakeholders in focus groups corroborated evidence of season-long improvement in social and emotional behaviors and health outcomes. Involvement in the community impact project contributed to girls' growth in character and empathy skills. Findings provide empirical evidence that Girls on the Run is effective in promoting positive youth development, including season-long and lasting change in competence, confidence, connection, character, caring, and physical activity, especially among girls who exhibited lower preseason scores than their peers.

Adolescent Drug Abuse in Hong Kong: Prevalence, Psychosocial Correlates, and Prevention

PurposeHong Kong has devised strategies to tackle the problem of psychoactive drug abuse in adolescents since the mid-1990s. This paper sought to find out whether previous research and prevention work has made use of concepts and ideas that are akin to the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. The prospect of adopting PYD in Hong Kong's drug prevention system was explored. MethodsData from an official database and from school surveys were presented to show the increasing prevalence of psychoactive drug abuse in the past two decades. Major research findings pertaining to psychosocial factors in adolescent drug abuse were reviewed, aiming to capture the compatibility of these research findings with the PYD framework. Lastly, the possibility of integrating PYD into existing prevention programs was discussed. ConclusionsPrevious research on psychosocial factors has covered a variety of PYD elements, and one particular effort had been made to specifically apply PYD constructs in a longitudinal study of PYD and adolescent problem behavior. It was suggested that PYD researchers should join hands with service professionals to consolidate and finetune the PYD approach for school-based prevention programs for students, and for tertiary prevention programs for clients in treatment modalities.

Evaluating the Effects of the Teen Outreach Program on Positive Youth Development Constructs

Introduction: The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is a positive youth development (PYD) program that seeks to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, school dropout, and course failure. As TOP has not been evaluated for its impact on PYD constructs, our purpose was to assess this potential.

Spirituality as a key positive youth development construct for university students

AbstractThe curriculum of a lecture about spirituality in the course entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” developed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is introduced in this paper. With reference to the basic tenets of outcome-based learning, the intended learning outcomes and the curriculum structure are illustrated. The following topics related to the construct of spirituality are included in this paper: definition and basic concepts of spirituality, theories of spirituality, antecedents of spirituality, spirituality and adolescent developmental outcomes, spirituality and leadership, and ways to promote spiritual leadership. Topics for reflections are also presented at the end of the paper.

Cognitive competence: a key positive youth development construct for university students

AbstractCognitive competence is an important quality for effective leaders. To help university students understand the importance of cognitive competence and develop this quality, a lecture on cognitive competence is designed and incorporated in a general education subject entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders”. The present paper reviews the basic concepts and theories of cognitive competence and outlines its linkages with positive youth development and effective leadership. The objectives, intended learning outcomes for students, lecture outline, and related materials of the lecture on cognitive competence are introduced. Some teaching and learning issues in relation to this lecture are also discussed.

Positive Youth Development Interventions Impacting the Sexual Health of Young Minority Adolescents: A Systematic Review

A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the utility of Positive Youth Development (PYD) concepts in promoting positive sexual health behaviors in young minority adolescents ( n = 12 studies). Interventions reported significant associations between PYD-focused interventions and ever having sex, sexual partners in the last 30 days, using protection at the last sexual encounter, and decreased pregnancy rates. Outcomes were reviewed by age, gender, PYD constructs, cultural tailoring of interventions, and retention rates. Few interventions focused exclusively on young minority adolescents. PYD can be an effective tool in promoting sexual health in younger minority adolescents, but additional research is needed to determine beneficial strategies for this age group and timing of interventions. Recommendations for future studies include additional guidance on operationalization of PYD concepts, effective cultural tailoring methods, dosage of intervention components, and de-linking minority status from socioeconomic status (SES) and high-risk behaviors.

Development and Validation of a Positive Youth Development Measure

Objective: Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a resilience-based framework that accentuates positive traits in youth. PYD constructs are characteristics that are hypothesized to promote healthy development. However, measures to assess PYD constructs are lacking. Methods: An instrument was created to assess PYD. One hundred and forty youth between the age of 7 and 18 ( M = 11.6) completed the measure over five time points. Data were then analyzed using psychometric analysis techniques. Results: Findings suggest that the instrument is a reliable measure of PYD. The scale shows good reliability, with an overall Cronbach’s α of 92. Conclusions: The Bridge-PYD may be a useful tool for program evaluation and the assessment of theoretical constructs in the PYD models.

Developmental outcomes of economically disadvantaged adolescents in Hong Kong: a replication

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between economic disadvantage and adolescent and developmental outcomes as well as perceived family qualities in 3580 Secondary 2 students in Hong Kong. Developmental outcomes include positive youth development constructs, problem behavior and drug taking behavior, whereas perceived family qualities include perceived family interaction and parental parenting. Generally speaking, poor and non-poor adolescents differ in terms of overall positive youth development and family life quality. Although adolescents experiencing poverty do not display significant differences from non-poor adolescents in terms of risk behavior and psychosocial competencies, adolescents with economic disadvantage show lower levels of positive identity, family interaction, and perceived paternal parenting than do those without economic disadvantage.

Second piloting of a leadership and intrapersonal development subject at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Abstract At The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a course subject entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders,” which focuses on positive youth development constructs, was developed for the students admitted under the New Undergraduate Curriculum in the 2012/13 academic year. It fulfills the requirement of “Leadership and Intrapersonal Development” under the General University Requirements. The subject was first piloted in the 2010/11 academic year with very positive evaluation results. To refine the subject and to accumulate more experience, the subject was offered again in the first term of 2011/12 academic year. The course content, evaluation strategies, and some initial findings based on the second piloting exercise are presented in this paper. Consistent with the first piloting exercise, evaluation findings based on different strategies generally showed that the subject promoted the holistic development of the enrolled students.

Confucian virtues and Chinese adolescent development: a conceptual review

Despite the fact that different Chinese communities have already undergone industrialization and urbanization, Confucian virtues are still regarded as developmental ideals in Chinese culture. Unfortunately, while Confucian virtues are commonly discussed under Chinese philosophies, they are rarely examined in the context of developmental research. In this paper, several key Confucian virtues are discussed, including loyalty ("zhong"), filial piety ("xiao"), benevolence ("ren"), affection ("ai"), trustworthiness ("xin"), righteousness ("yi"), harmony ("he"), peace ("ping"), propriety ("li"), wisdom ("zhi"), integrity ("lian") and shame ("chi"). These Chinese traditional virtues are also linked to the concepts of character strengths and positive youth development constructs highlighted in Western culture. It is argued that Confucian virtues provide an indigenous conceptual framework to understand character strengths and positive youth development in Chinese culture. Furthermore, when service leadership is considered in Chinese contexts, these virtues should be regarded as important cornerstones.

Emotional Competence as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

The concept of emotional competence as a positive youth development construct is reviewed in this paper. Differences between emotional intelligence and emotional competence are discussed and an operational definition is adopted. Assessment methods of emotional competence with an emphasis on its quantitative nature are introduced. In the discussion of theories of emotional competence, the functionalist and developmental perspectives and the relationships with positive youth development are highlighted. Possible antecedents, especially the influence of early child-caregiver, and expected outcomes of emotional competence are examined. Practical ways to promote emotional competence among adolescents, particularly the role of parents and teachers, and the future direction of research are also discussed.

Bonding as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

The concept of bonding as a positive youth development construct is reviewed in this paper. The goals are fourfold. First, theoretical perspectives of bonding are delineated. Secondly, the relationships among bonding to caregivers, friends, romantic partners, as well as teachers, and adolescents' positive developmental outcomes are reviewed. Thirdly, with theoretical and empirical support, a discussion on how to promote bonding among adolescents is offered. Finally, a critical review on the cultural issues of bonding is provided.

Cognitive Competence as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

This paper focuses on discussing critical thinking and creative thinking as the core cognitive competence. It reviews and compares several theories of thinking, highlights the features of critical thinking and creative thinking, and delineates their interrelationships. It discusses cognitive competence as a positive youth development construct by linking its relationships with adolescent development and its contributions to adolescents' learning and wellbeing. Critical thinking and creative thinking are translated into self-regulated cognitive skills for adolescents to master and capitalize on, so as to facilitate knowledge construction, task completion, problem solving, and decision making. Ways of fostering these thinking skills, cognitive competence, and ultimately positive youth development are discussed.