Abstract Little research has examined the relevance of peer influences for impacting development of dual systems model constructs and examined protective factors in these relationships among adolescents (Ages: 14-26; ∼86% male). This study examined the relevance of deviant peer association for predicting development of sensation-seeking and impulse control and the moderating role of resistance to peer

Abstract Building on research showing social-emotional benefits from a single live theater performance, this study tests for significant differences in pre to post social-cognitive outcomes among a racially and economically diverse sample of young audiences who attended the same theater performance with or without additional pre- and post-show educational experiences. We extend previous work by experimentally

Abstract 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,

Abstract Four saliva probes were collected per day from 104 children (10 to 35 months old) transitioning from home (T0) to childcare across a four-month period (until T3), resulting in over one thousand cortisol values. Latent Profile Analysis classified three profiles within a regular spectrum of children’s cortisol rhythms and described a fourth hypocortisol stress profile. Further Latent Transition

Abstract Unlike organized activities such as sports and arts, civic activities in adolescence (e.g., volunteering, student government) have been less studied in relation to school success and almost all existing evidence consists of cross-sectional findings. In a longitudinal study, 1035 pupils (64% females, 20% nonwhite, Mage = 14.21 years) from high schools reported their engagement in organized

Abstract This study, using a sample of youth offenders from the Pathways to Desistance Study (N = 1354), examines Greenberger and Sorensen’s model of “psychosocial maturity” as a predictor of legal socialization (legal cynicism and legitimacy) across the adolescent developmental course, as well as the differential importance of this relationship by age. Psychosocial maturity significantly predicted

Abstract How can we help Chinese youth thrive? To begin to address this question, the present study explored the promotive factors (i.e., the individual strengths and environmental assets) that enhance Chinese youths’ healthy development. Interviews were conducted with Chinese adolescents (n = 12), their teachers (n = 12), and their parents (n = 20). Findings highlight six individual strengths, including

Abstract Critical consciousness has received growing attention in developmental science, but most of the work has been conducted in Western liberal democracies. A critical examination is needed to determine whether critical consciousness can be appropriately measured in less democratic societies, where opportunity structures are different from those in Western liberal democracies. To establish the

Abstract This study explored whether Latinx adolescents’ ethnic identity and stressful experiences predicted characteristics of their naturally-occurring mentoring relationships with non-parental adults. Ninth-grade Latinx students completed surveys about ethnic identity, stress exposure, and their natural mentoring relationships during 9th and 10th grade. Youth who showed greater ethnic identity exploration

Abstract This study explores the association between school-level poverty rates and young peoples’ perceptions of student empowerment, drawing on survey and administrative data from a large urban district. Participants included 29,318 diverse youth in grades 6-12 from 211 schools. We used multilevel linear regression models to estimate the relationships between school poverty rates and students’ reports

Abstract Children (N = 114, ages 7–13) witnessed a transgressor steal money from a wallet and then asked them to lie about the theft when interviewed by a novel interviewer. During the interview, children were asked to either describe various experienced events (Narrative Practice Rapport-building condition) or participate in an interactive activity designed to focus on the relational aspects of rapport-building

Abstract Residential summer camps, one of the most popular organized programs for children in the United States, may promote several aspects of positive youth development. These positive outcomes may stem in part from camp counselors, who often forge close relationships with youth, but few studies have examined these relationships. To facilitate this research, we developed a camper-reported camper-counselor

Abstract Socioeconomic disparities in early language are widespread and have long-lasting effects. The aim of this study is to investigate when social gaps in language problems arise and how they change across the first years of schooling. We address this question in two large longitudinal Norwegian datasets: the Behavior Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study (BONDS) and the Norwegian Mother, Father

Abstract Purpose formation often coincides with identity development, but what happens when these processes are disrupted by a cancer diagnosis, as is the case for more than 70,000 US young people each year? How does a cancer diagnosis shape adolescents’ and young adults’ views of their future and their purposes in life? To explore these questions, we conducted interviews with adolescent and young

Abstract Integrating situated expectancy-value and family systems theories, the current study tested the extent to which Latinx adolescents’ 9th-grade school-related science conversations with parents and older siblings/cousins positively predicted their 10th-grade science ability self-concepts and task values. We also tested whether these links were moderated by who primarily initiated the conversations

Abstract This study aimed to examine the unique and joint contributions of behavioral and emotional self-regulation to key but understudied emergent literacy and early social skills, disentangling sex-differentiated paths. The participants were 231 Portuguese preschoolers (50% boys; Mage = 59.5 months; SD = 8.5) enrolled in 47 classrooms. In the first assessment wave, the children’s behavioral self-regulation

Abstract This mixed-methods, longitudinal study utilized survey data from a sample of (primarily) Black and Latinx adolescents’ (n = 643) and qualitative interviews with a subset of adolescents (n = 39) to consider changes in adolescents’ beliefs about poverty and economic inequality throughout high school as well as the sources of their beliefs. Adolescents demonstrated significant, linear growth

Abstract Because finances play an important part in managing the demands of adult social roles, we investigate the formation of financial identity and its association with perceived adult status. Drawing from Marcia’s (1966) operationalization of four identity statuses (i.e., foreclosed, achieved, diffused, moratorium) and adapted to the financial domain, we performed Latent Transition Analysis (LTA)

Abstract Purpose is an indicator of healthy human development and believed by some theorists and educators to be an important outcome of college. The aim of this study was to test the potential for assessing purpose using a person-centered analysis, thereby providing more individual-specific understanding of students’ purpose development, and second by analyzing the association between students’ purpose

Abstract The purpose of this study was to design and validate a measure of adolescent motivations to abstain from sex and alcohol, grounded in self-determination theory, and to examine the roles of controlled and autonomous abstinence motivations in predicting these two risk behaviors. The sample included 799 U.S. adolescents, 15-18 years old. The abstinence motivation measure included 10 items, with

Abstract The effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a prison-based dog training program, in reducing criminal behavior and recidivism was assessed in a quasi-experimental study in twelve correctional facilities in the Netherlands (N = 241). DCD is a program in which incarcerated offenders train a shelter dog bi-weekly for eight weeks. Results demonstrated that DCD (n = 121) did not outperform treatment-as-usual

Abstract The study included 144 Indian children in middle childhood and early adolescence of high and low SES. Based on the cultural-developmental approach, the aims were to test hypotheses about use of the three Ethics of Autonomy, Community and Divinity, and to gain qualitative insights into the children’s indigenous moral concepts. Three findings stood out: 1) Older children employed a rich set

Abstract This study examined the extent to which student perceptions of classroom openness and personal characteristics were associated with civic engagement. Survey data including student perceptions of classroom openness, which indicates perceived levels of social and political discussions in the classroom, and personal characteristics such as gender, science engagement, and English Learner (EL)

Abstract Developmental researchers face considerable challenges regarding maximizing data collection and reducing participant attrition. In this article, we use our experiences implementing our study on the effects of timing of prenatal stress on maternal and infant outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic as a framework to discuss the difficulties and solutions for these challenges, including the development

Abstract The integration of neurodevelopmental perspectives into clinical science has identified irritability as an early dimensional marker of lifespan mental health risk. Elucidating the developmental patterning of irritable behavior is key to differentiating normative variation from risk markers. Accounting for dysregulation and contextual features of irritability is useful for differentiation at

Abstract Research in developed countries has found that paternal involvement has positive and significant effects on early childhood development (ECD). Less is known, however, about the state of paternal involvement and its influence on ECD in rural China. Using data collected in Southern China that included 1,460 children aged 6–42 months and their fathers (as well as their primary caregivers), this

Abstract Researchers have documented positive associations among youth program quality and academic outcomes, primarily based on cross-sectional data. This study examined longitudinal associations among youth-reported program experiences and academic expectations, self-reported grades, and perceived value of school using data from the national evaluation of Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The

Abstract Given that threat appraisal and coping are amenable to intervention, we aimed to identify threat appraisals and coping responses of anxious adolescents, relative to less anxious peers, during induced social stressors. Adolescents (N = 76; Mage = 13.5yrs) completed a clinical interview and five stress tasks. After each task, we measured threat appraisals (state anxiety and social evaluation)

Abstract Can early childhood education (ECE) support the societal language development of children from linguistically diverse backgrounds? This study examined how existing variation in classroom interaction quality (CLASS Pre-K), classroom composition (percentages of children from low-income backgrounds and dual language learners [DLLs]), and duration of attending German ECE were related to language

Abstract Students’ relationships with their teachers are a form of social capital (i.e., relational social capital; RSC). Latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to investigate longitudinal patterns of RSC in a sample of 786 grades 6 (35%), 7 (35%), and 8 (30%) students (48% female, 37% Hispanic, 22% white, 68% low income), and their links to academic motivation and GPA. Three classes of students

Abstract In China, more than 90% of individuals in need are not receiving mental health services, partially because of the scarcity of valid and reliable developmental tools. This project aimed to adapt and validate a parent-completed screening tool, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2), to fill in this gap. First, a national representative sample of 2,830 children

Abstract The aim of the study is to investigate how 2,084 U.S. college-educated young adults (61.9% female, and 69.5% non-Hispanic White) navigated the goal attainment process during the transition to adulthood. Using four-wave data collected across eight years, we examined how financial behaviors (self-regulating behaviors) predicted both depressive symptoms (affective goal attainment evaluations)

Abstract Forensic interviewers are encouraged to elicit a practice narrative from children in order to train them to answer free recall questions with narrative information. Although asking children about their last birthday has been recommended, concerns have been raised that many children will have nothing to report. This study asked 994 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and non-maltreated children to

Abstract A challenge of early adolescence is the “developmental mismatch” between adolescents’ need for autonomy and the lack of opportunities to enact maturity via adult-like roles. We identified ways that young people enact maturity, from a youth perspective via focus groups (N = 41, aged 11–17 years), and used data to develop and test a new measure of enacting maturity (EM) using an online survey

(2022). Using critical media literacy and Youth-Led research to promote the sociopolitical development of black youth: Strategies from our voices. Applied Developmental Science: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 404-408.

Abstract Engagement in afterschool programs is a growing area of interest for both researchers and practitioners. Though there is an emerging body of research investigating this construct, we lack an understanding of how specific dimensions of engagement are endorsed in different ways among subgroups of students. Little is known about the sources and barriers of engagement in afterschool contexts.

Abstract Youth-staff relationships and program activities are important elements in designing high-quality afterschool activities that promote a broad range of outcomes. Using a qualitative approach, Latinx adolescents were interviewed (n = 28, 50% girls) about their experiences in a university-based afterschool math enrichment activity. Findings under the first goal of the study suggest that Latinx

Abstract Gratitude has been previously defined as a tendency to appreciate positives in life, thus conflating gratitude and components of well-being. Accordingly, current measures assessing “gratitude” are primarily based on this conflated conceptualization, and do not adequately assess gratitude as a moral virtue. The Gratitude Assessment Questionnaire (GAQ-C) was developed to assess child virtuous

Abstract Intentional Self-Regulation (ISR)—broadly defined, goal-directed behavior—is an important skill in promoting positive and adaptive development across the life span. The Selection-Optimization-Compensation (SOC) model of ISR describes goal directed behavior among children, adolescents, and adults. This study used an inductive and deductive approach to examine the factor structure of a SOC measure

Abstract There is a lack of feasible and psychometrically sound instruments assessing social-emotional development in young children in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) in two West-African populations. We administered the BITSEA in an interview-based

Abstract This study focused on the development of the Socialization of Lying scale for which exploratory factor analysis demonstrated four empirically interpretable subscales: Parents’ Values and Direct Socialization about Honesty, Encouragement and Modeling of Lying, Consequences for Lying, and The Child’s Problematic Lying. These emergent factors suggest that parents teach and give messages about

Abstract This paper examines the utility of youth participatory action research (YPAR) and critical media literacy as strategies to promote the sociopolitical development (SPD) of Black youth. We use the case example of Our Voices, an afterschool program implemented with Black high school students in which participants analyzed the representation of Black characters in television and developed action

Abstract The current study examined the potential impact of trajectories of perceived stress and social support from parents, friends, romantic partners, and natural mentors (i.e., supportive adults from youths’ everyday lives) throughout underrepresented students’ college careers on their subsequent educational outcomes. Participants were underrepresented college students (n = 340) who were surveyed

Abstract Positive Youth Development (PYD) model is a strength-based perspective of transition to adulthood derived from developmental systems theory. Developmental assets (DAs) framework describes the individual and contextual resources that may promote PYD. This work aims to analyze the associations between internal and external DAs and PYD, as well as examining gender differences, in Spanish youth

Abstract Despite the growing attention to online social comparison, most studies have focused on the psycho-emotional implications of the behavior, leaving the identity implications ambiguous. Given the importance of identity development and the prevalence of social media use among emerging adults going through college transition, this study explored how social comparison on social media predicted

Abstract The goal of this spotlight series was to bring together scholars offering innovative ways of conceptualizing how culture shows up in human development. Here in the Conclusion, we argue that the six papers in this series overlap in their conceptualization of culture as a shared system that involves meanings. With these features in common, the papers then offer us four distinct frameworks for

Abstract At school entry, girls are rated by teachers as more competent on measures of social skills than boys. It is less clear if this higher rating is stable or grows over time. To address this question, multiple group curve of factors models investigated gender-specific growth trajectories across seven waves of measurement in a large, longitudinal sample (N = 1024, NICHD SECCYD). Results showed

Abstract The goal of this spotlight series was to bring together scholars offering innovative ways of conceptualizing how culture shows up in human development. Here in the Conclusion, we argue that the six papers in this series overlap in their conceptualization of culture as a shared system that involves meanings. With these features in common, the papers then offer us four distinct frameworks for

Abstract With growing attention to youth’s efforts to address sexual and gender diversity issues in gender-sexuality alliances (GSAs), there remains limited research on adult advisors. Do advisor characteristics predict their youth members’ advocacy? Among 58 advisors of 38 GSAs, we considered whether advisor attributes predicted greater advocacy by youth in these GSAs (n = 366) over the school year

Abstract An open classroom climate, one where diverse opinions and discussion of social and political issues are welcome, promotes civic development among youth and fosters critical consciousness. Critical consciousness, defined as the capacity to recognize societal inequity along with the motivation and action taken to challenge such inequity and promote positive social change, also engenders civic

Abstract Life-purpose orientations can highly influence people's life paths and well-being. However, existing psychological measurements tend to dismiss the need for assessing the individual’s life purpose orientations, especially in non-Western cultures. This study sought to develop a new measure to assess purpose orientations specific to the Chinese context. We first built the item pool of Chinese

Abstract Positive youth development programs such as those offered by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provide sources of support and opportunities for leadership and character development. Programmatic experts from BSA collaborated with researchers to develop a visual theory of change (pathway model) for youth development in Scouts BSA and for adult volunteer leader development. The pathway model was then

Abstract Patterns of afterschool activities were studied in low-income, ethnically diverse children (n = 1796, M age = 8.7 yrs). Cluster analyses indicated four reliable clusters: (a) regular participation in a high-quality afterschool program, (b) regular participation at the afterschool program combined with other extracurricular activities, (c) unsupervised time afterschool combined with extracurricular

Abstract Critical consciousness represents the analysis and critique of structural inequalities, the motivation and perceived capacity to effect change, and social action to redress inequity. A wave of recent instruments measuring critical consciousness has been rigorously validated. Yet, whether these measures efficiently assess different levels of critical consciousness or contain redundant, or non-informative

Abstract According to bioecological theory, children’s experiences in one developmental setting are meaningful for their adjustment in other settings. In the current study, the quality of children’s relationships with classroom teachers, afterschool program staff, and mothers in 1st grade (n = 137) were examined in relation to their academic, social-emotional, and behavioral adjustment at school in

Abstract In this paper, I propose a conceptualization of culture as a set of processes involving pathways of acting in the world. These cultural processes are: (1) choosing existing pathways or carving out new ones, (2) attaching meanings to and categorizing pathways, and categorizing people according to their movement on pathways, and (3) communicating about shared pathways with each other and with

Abstract Research across multiple fields finds that adult-youth relationships are key influencers of development; however, professional learning about relational practice is limited. This suggests the need for targeted, efficient ways to help adults improve relational practice. We present a randomized controlled trial of Simple Interactions, a strength-based professional development approach during

Abstract Our mixed-method study examined the mental health of Latinx children in migrant farmworker (LMFW) families, assessed whether acculturative stressors contributed to mental health problems, and examined whether family warmth and support counteracted the negative effects of acculturative stressors on mental health. Participants were children aged 6–18 (N = 80, mean age = 11.71, 55% male) participating

(2020). The concept of culture: Introduction to spotlight series on conceptualizing culture. Applied Developmental Science. Ahead of Print.

Questioning traditions and conventions was part of the postmodern order of the 1980s and 1990s. Some social scientists were questioning whether universal laws characterize human functioning and dev...