Attachment--and loss.

This chapter describes positive youth development (PYD) as an emerging arena of applied developmental science. We show how PYD is both rooted in the theoretical traditions of developmental psychology, and fueled by newer emphases on nurturing the potentialities of youth more than addressing their supposed deficits, and on addressing and helping to shape the roles of developmental contexts, especially that of the community, and youth themselves as agents of their own development. We begin with an historical overview and a presentation on major conceptual frameworks, including the framework of developmental assets, which have significantly influenced PYD theory, research, and programs. The following section of the chapter poses seven broad hypotheses that represent the scientific foundation of PYD (e.g., contexts can be intentionally altered to enhance developmental success and changes in the context change the person), and reviews a wide array of studies that lends support to the hypotheses. After demonstrating the general utility of these hypotheses for understanding and promoting positive development in all youth, we review research that illustrates differences in developmental paths and outcomes across youth diversity in gender, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The chapter ends by suggesting those areas of youth development knowledge where the field is relatively strong (e.g., taxonomies of factors that are correlated with positive outcomes), and those areas where significantly more research is needed (e.g., theories of change that articulate how youth, adults, and community systems move toward greater developmental attentiveness). We conclude by posing a number of theoretical questions, research challenges, and applied needs to be addressed if the promise of PYD as both a scientific and applied field is to be fully realized.


Keywords:

community change and youth development;
developmental assets;
positive youth development;
research on youth development

Positive Youth Development: Theory, Research, and Applications†

A positive psychology perspective on school psychology challenges us to think critically about the degree to which schools and schooling processes support children’s optimum adjustment. We argue that schools contribute to a student’s positive adjustment when they function as psychologically healthy environments for development. In this narrative review, we examine contemporary perspectives on positive adjustment in children and propose a developmental-ecological perspective as one theoretical lens through which to view positive school adjustment. We will critique the empirical literature on contextual factors contributing to school satisfaction, one marker of positive school adjustment. Finally, we will make recommendations for practice and research in this area.

/pdf/the-developmental-context-of-school-satisfaction-schools-as-2gki7ntgy8.pdf

The Developmental Context of School Satisfaction: Schools as Psychologically Healthy Environments.

Constructing positive futures: Modeling the relationship between adolescents’ hopeful future expectations and intentional self regulation in predicting positive youth development

The purpose of this longitudinal case study is to describe the educational trajectories of a sample of 152 young women from urban, low-income, single-parent families who participated in the Women in Natural Sciences (WINS) program during high school. Utilizing data drawn from program records, surveys, and interviews, this study also attempts to determine how the program affected the participants' educational and career choices to provide insight into the role informal science education programs play in increasing the participation of women and minorities in science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET)-related fields. Findings revealed 109 participants (93.16%) enrolled in a college program following high school completion. Careers in medical or health-related fields followed by careers in SMET emerged as the highest ranking career paths with 24 students (23.76%) and 21 students (20.79%), respectively, employed in or pursuing careers in these areas. The majority of participants perceived having staff to talk to, the job skills learned, and having the museum as a safe place to go as having influenced their educational and career decisions. These findings reflect the need for continued support of informal science education programs for urban girls and at-risk youth. 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 835-860, 2004 Percentages remain low despite efforts over the past several decades to achieve more equitable numbers of women and minorities in the science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) careers. The discrepancy in SMET careers has been attributed to numerous issues relating to education, psychology, and society. It is impossible to identify one single cause since all issues affecting women's choices whether to participate in SMET careers are complex and interrelated. It is likely that a combination of factors is still deterring young women from choosing a profession that involves science.

A Longitudinal Study of the Educational and Career Trajectories of Female Participants of an Urban Informal Science Education Program

Assessed in the present study were the contributions of variables thought to be related to positive expectations for the future in a sample of inner-city sixth-grade through eighth-grade students. Students completed self-report measures in September and June. At each time point, higher levels of positive expectations for the future were related to lower levels of problem behaviors and peer negative influences and to higher levels of school involvement, internal resources, and social support. In prospective analyses, higher levels of Time 1 problem behaviors and peer negative influences predicted decreases over 9 months in positive expectations for the future; higher levels of family support and problem-solving efficacy predicted increases over 9 months in positive expectations for the future. These findings have implications for further prospective research as well as for designing resilience-promoting prevention programs for at-risk youth.

Predictors of Future Expectations of Inner-City Children:: A 9-Month Prospective Study

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Predictors of Future Expectations of Inner-City Children:: A 9-Month Prospective Study