This study examined the development of prosocial charity donations and neural activity in the ventral striatum when gaining rewards for self and for charity. Participants 10–22 years (95% European heritage) participated in three annual behavioral-fMRI waves (T1: n = 160, T2: n = 167, T3: n = 175). Behaviorally, donations to charity as measured with an economic Dictator Game increased with age. Perspective

Using network analysis, this study investigated how family communication patterns (Conversation and Conformity) were related to and predictive of adolescent overall depression severity and specific symptoms. A community sample of adolescents (10–17 years, n = 1327) completed the Children's Depression Inventory and the Revised Family Communication Pattern Instrument. Depressive symptoms were also re-assessed

Mind wandering refers to task-unrelated thoughts that can interfere with ongoing tasks and could be sleep-driven across childhood. The present study investigated the mechanisms of the association between early adolescents' sleep and mind wandering with emotional symptoms and executive function as potential mediators. A total of 257 early adolescents (baseline aged 9–13 years old; 131 boys) completed

Acculturative stress has demonstrated significant negative relationships with Latinx students' academic outcomes. Framed through interpersonal contact theory, we examined the moderating roles of school ethnic representation (proportion of same-ethnic peers) and school ethnic diversity (proportion of different ethnic groups in student body) in the relationship between acculturative stress and both academic

Adolescence is a peak period for risk-taking, but research has largely overlooked positive manifestations of adolescent risk-taking due to ambiguity regarding operationalization and measurement of positive risk-taking. We address this limitation using a mixed-methods approach. We elicited free responses from contemporary college students (N = 74, Mage = 20.1 years) describing a time they took a risk

Positive youth development (PYD) models are widespread, but the empirical evidence for them is primarily nomothetic (i.e., investigations of universal patterns). Contemporary developmental theory suggests that concepts and processes within PYD models should also be explored with respect to specificity. This study demonstrates how the Five Cs Model, a predominant PYD model, can be advanced using group-differential

This study examined development of emotional support competence within close friendships across adolescence. A sample of 184 adolescents (53% girls, 47% boys; 58% White, 29% Black, 14% other identity groups) participated in seven waves of multimethod assessments with their best friends and romantic partners from age 13 to 24. Latent change score models identified coupled predictions over time from

Our study contextualized empirical factors influencing adolescent behaviors. An assessment using focus group discussion (FGD) was done with randomly selected adolescents in primary schools in Northern Uganda to explore the influence of child poverty and parenting among other factors on adolescents' behaviors. A semi-structured interview guide and in-depth interviews were also conducted for parents/guardians

The secondary school transition is an important moment in adolescents' lives. Taking a prospective approach, the present study examined whether educational identity regarding a secondary school choice and own and parental expectations during the last year of primary school predicted post-transition school and psychological adjustment in Dutch adolescents (N = 314, Mage = 11.58). Additionally, the study

Using a three-wave prospective longitudinal design spanning 3 years, we assessed alcohol use likelihood trajectories and their correlates among a community sample of Latino immigrant adolescents in the emerging immigrant context of Western Oregon. Results from growth mixture modeling revealed two distinct classes: lower risk youth who reported little likelihood of alcohol use but whose trajectory was

Self-disclosure is a crucial part of developing close interpersonal relationships during adolescence. In particular, sharing information with a greater depth of intimacy is thought to strengthen social bonds and thus support mental health. The current study investigated the value for different depths of self-disclosures to close others (mothers and best friends) during adolescence and its association

The current study explored the relationships between three components of gender identity, peer support, math anxiety, and math outcomes in a sample of middle school students (N = 295). Separate path analyses were conducted for girls and boys. For boys, gender contentedness was related to higher math grades through a reduction in evaluation math anxiety. For girls, felt pressure was related to a reduction

Adolescents' antisocial behavior and negative conflict management styles are each associated with adverse romantic relationship outcomes, yet little research exists on their associations. We investigated whether adolescents' antisocial behavior was associated with conflict management styles, and whether it predicted breakup 3 months later. In total, 91 adolescent couples (Mage = 16.43, SD = 0.99; 41

This study explored adolescents' experiences of being under pressure to sext (sending nude images), offering insights into what situations adolescents view as pressuring, how adolescents react to the pressure, and what counter-strategies they use. Written statements from 225 adolescents (age 13–16 years, M = 14.4 years, SD = 0.93) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated a range of

This study examined the developmental changes of familism values across adolescence among Latinx adolescents from an emerging immigrant community, and how changes in parental warmth were associated with changes in familism values. The sample included 547 Latinx adolescents. Multilevel model results indicated that familism values showed a linear decline from 6th to 10th grade. Between-person analyses

Many have called for school-based student programs that teach skills related to self-care and caring for others. Here, such a program for peer-nominated adolescents was developed and piloted virtually at one high school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of a longitudinal, quasi-experimental evaluation of the program showed high-quality program implementation and promising program impacts. Effect

Research shows comorbidity between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and externalizing problems among polyvictimized youth. However, the impact of polyvictimization on the longitudinal co-development of PTSS and distinct forms of externalizing problems remains unclear. Growth trajectory modeling was used to address this gap. At ages 8, 12, and 16, polyvictimization was measured using youth, caregiver

This study contributes to efforts already underway to attend to the reproduction of white supremacy and the ways whiteness manifests across contexts. We examine whiteness and white racial identity development among incarcerated youth, both a group and place not often studied in relation to these two concepts. Using critical ethnographic methods, we explore how processes of white identity development

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a challenging time marked by rapid changes in relational connections, housing status, and academic or work trajectories. We emphasize how structural inequality shapes racially minoritized youth behaviors and center the potential for resistance, arguing that a resistance lens allows us to deepen our understanding of the transition to adulthood for racially

Racism is as ubiquitous as the air we breathe and the water we drink. This special section highlights burgeoning research examining White youth’s development in a racist society. This research is urgent given the current political context in the United States. Although promising, developmental science needs to catch up with the groundbreaking research being conducted on Whiteness in other disciplines

This special section situates White racial socialization (WRS) in its rightful place—in the context of White supremacy. The first article offers a conceptual framework to guide research on White adolescents’ racial identity development in this context. The second employs a critical ethnographic approach to explore White racial identity development among incarcerated White adolescents. Additional studies

Studying white racial learning processes responsibly, accurately, and effectively requires scholars to build on existing empirical and theoretical work on race, racism, and whiteness across disciplines; embrace creative youth-centered qualitative methods; and remain focused on the larger purpose of this work—dismantling systems of racism and oppression. This comment explores these themes in relation

Why do so many adolescents cheat despite judging that cheating is wrong? Two studies tested a new model of cheating in high school. In Study 1, 85 high schoolers in the Western U.S. reported their perceptions, evaluations, and motivations surrounding their own and hypothetical cheating. In Study 2, 83 teachers reported their views about cheating; we also analyzed course syllabi. About half of the adolescents

This special section focuses on resistance and activism among youth of color, and is the last installment of a four-part special series on “Dismantling Systems of Racism and Oppression during Adolescence.” Using diverse methods, nine papers and two commentaries shed important light on youth of color’s resistance to racism and other forms of oppression and identify factors that inform the development

Research viewed exclusively through the lenses of adults, even good-meaning adults, in some respects can strip young people of their agency to create knowledge about their world and their conditions. Given this reality, this commentary departs from traditional forms of research about adolescents to make spaces for Black male adolescents and young men to make sense of, and highlight their own connection

This study examines the reciprocal relationship between critical action and ethnic–racial identity (ERI) exploration in Black college students using a longitudinal cross-lagged model. Participants were Black students (N = 237; Mage = 18.2; 74% female) from a longitudinal study of college transition. Analyses examined the temporal ordering and directionality of associations between critical action and

The religious similarity of adolescents and their friends can arise from selection or influence. Prior studies were limited because of confounds that arose from the ethnic and religious heterogeneity of the samples and the use of cross-sectional designs. SIENA was used in this two-year longitudinal study of 825 Indonesian Muslim high school students (445 girls; mean age = 16.5 years) to assess peer

The present study examined whether declines in religiousness across adolescence precede religious deidentification in young adulthood. Data came from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Participants were religiously affiliated for the first three waves of the longitudinal study (N = 1144). Latent growth curve models found significant declines across adolescence in church attendance, prayer, scripture

This mixed-methods study examined how adolescents understand and evaluate different ways to address intergroup harms in schools. In individual interviews, 77 adolescents (M age = 16.49 years; 39 girls, 38 boys) in Bogotá, Colombia, responded to hypothetical vignettes wherein a rival group at school engaged in a transgression against their group. Adolescents reported that students who were harmed should

Research has examined racial socialization practices within families of color, but less is known regarding what White parents teach their children about race and/or racism. To explore White racial socialization processes, we interviewed 30 White parents of White children ages 7–17 years living in the Midwest. Using thematic analysis, we identified 22 themes organized into four domains: Content of conversations

This study aimed to examine changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before to during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of 1,339 adolescents (9–18 years old, 59% female) from three countries. We also examined if age, race/ethnicity, disease burden, or strictness of government restrictions moderated change in symptoms. Data from 12 longitudinal studies (10 U.S., 1 Netherlands

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families have experienced unprecedented financial and social disruptions. We studied the impact of preexisting psychosocial factors and pandemic-related financial and social disruptions in relation to family well-being among N = 4091 adolescents and parents during early summer 2020, participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study. Poorer family well-being

In a study of conflict recovery and adolescent dating aggression, 14- to 18-year-old couples (N = 209 dyads) participated in a 1-hr observational assessment. Negative behavior was observed during conflict-evoking “hot” tasks and in a “cooldown” task. Physical and psychological dating aggression were assessed via questionnaires. Negative behavior measured in the cooldown task was not associated with

Little is known about how different school racial climate experiences influence the critical reflection and subsequent critical action behaviors of racially minoritized youth. Therefore, the current study examined how critical reflection mediated the relationship between school racial climate profiles and critical action behaviors. Participants were 559 Black and Latinx adolescents, aged 13–17 who

Though there is substantial research on racial socialization in families of color, there is less on such socialization in white families. To investigate racial socialization in white families, the current study analyzed mixed-methods data from 46 mother-adolescent dyads. Though white parents and their adolescent children largely claimed to not talk about race, they in fact communicated about and around

The sociopolitical context for immigrant-origin (I-O) youth's civic development in the U.S. has dramatically shifted in the years following the 2016 election (e.g., heightened xenophobia). I-O children comprise 26% of young people in the U.S. and include those born outside the U.S. (first generation) and those with at least one parent born outside the U.S. (second generation). Using a qualitative approach

The Affect Regulation Checklist (ARC) was designed to capture affect dysregulation, suppression, and reflection. Importantly, affect dysregulation has been established as a transdiagnostic mechanism underpinning many forms of psychopathology. We tested the ARC psychometric properties across clinical and community samples and through both parent-report and youth self-report information. Clinical sample:

The Internet has become a ubiquitous central element in the lives of adolescents. In this conceptual paper, we focus on digital white racial socialization (D-WRS), arguing: (1) for an expanded conceptualization of WRS as doings, and (2) that social media may be changing processes of WRS through an extension of traditional settings and through the creation of unique social contexts. We highlight the

The racial socialization (RS) strategies used by White parents have received limited empirical attention. Thus, the current study examined the frequency and content of White parents’ RS messages to their White children during an observed parent–child discussion task on discrimination when youth were 14 years old. Participants were 243 White caregivers and their adolescent children (47.7% female). Overall

This study presents a thematic analysis of socialization messages about race and racism in White parents’ reports of their discussions with adolescents about current events involving racism (e.g., police brutality toward Black Americans). Two samples of White parents of primarily White adolescents ages 14–17 were recruited online in September 2019 (Study 1, N = 123) and June 2020 (Study 2, N = 104)

The racial socialization (RS) strategies used by White parents have received limited empirical attention. Thus, the current study examined the frequency and content of White parents' RS messages to their White children during an observed parent-child discussion task on discrimination when youth were 14 years old. Participants were 243 White caregivers and their adolescent children (47.7% female). Overall

The issue's collection of 17 papers apply a wide range of developmental, contextual, intersectional, and critical perspectives (and their combinations) to promote understanding on how oppressive systems intersect and overlap in detrimental ways for BIPOC youth development. Innovative conceptual models and a variety of methodological techniques advance our understanding of the lived experiences of BIPOC

The issue's collection of 17 papers apply a wide range of developmental, contextual, intersectional, and critical perspectives (and their combinations) to promote understanding on how oppressive systems intersect and overlap in detrimental ways for BIPOC youth development. Innovative conceptual models and a variety of methodological techniques advance our understanding of the lived experiences of BIPOC

Using my personal story, I reflect on the history of the field of child development from the 1970’s to the present. I recount how far have we come…but also, how far we still have to go on creating a literature where contextual forces, such as racism and other sources of oppression are considered at the core rather than the perifery of research with minoritized BILPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People

This study used nationally representative longitudinal data in South Korea to examine how joint changes in adolescents' (N = 7324; Mage ≈ 11 years) cooperative and competitive attitudes from sixth to ninth grade relate to mental health and achievement in 10th grade. The parallel process model showed that both cooperative and competitive attitudes declined over time. Higher cooperative attitudes at

This study used nationally representative longitudinal data in South Korea to examine how joint changes in adolescents' (N = 7324; Mage  ≈ 11 years) cooperative and competitive attitudes from sixth to ninth grade relate to mental health and achievement in 10th grade. The parallel process model showed that both cooperative and competitive attitudes declined over time. Higher cooperative attitudes at

Every day that people of color are hyper-surveilled, harmed, threatened, diminished, dehumanized, and disenfranchised is a day absent of racial justice. In my view, this special section illuminates two critically important truths of oppression: First, it shows up physically, psychologically, and socially (e.g., the sequelae of racism), and second, the locus of the cause of the oppression is in institutions

There is an increasing use of daily methods (e.g., daily diaries, experience sampling method) by research investigating the roles of oppression, racism, and discrimination on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) youth adjustment. This commentary discusses several promising directions in which daily methods can help (1) understand adolescents’ oppression-related experiences in everyday life

As developmental scholars increasingly study ethnic and racial identity among white youth, careful reflection is needed regarding its framing, implementation, and interpretation. In this three-part conceptual paper, we offer a foundation for such reflection. First, we discuss the sociocultural context of white supremacy that shapes U.S. society, psychology, and adolescent development, and situate the

Little research has focused on how adolescents are faring with the national context of exclusion. Growing evidence suggests that exclusionary efforts signal messages of who belongs (and who does not) in the United States. This study draws from a risk and resilience model to understand how Latinx immigrant-origin adolescents react and adapt to social exclusion. A total of 41 adolescents between the

The current study aims to examine the associations between neighborhood safety, racial-ethnic discrimination, and depressive symptoms, as well as explore social support as a protective factor using the Minority Stress Model for three different BIPOC groups (i.e. African American, Puerto Rican, and Dominican). African American and Latino youth living in urban environments often encounter multiple stressors

The current study aims to examine the associations between neighborhood safety, racial-ethnic discrimination, and depressive symptoms, as well as explore social support as a protective factor using the Minority Stress Model for three different BIPOC groups (i.e. African American, Puerto Rican, and Dominican). African American and Latino youth living in urban environments often encounter multiple stressors

This study examined how ethnic identity relates to large-scale brain networks implicated in social interactions, social cognition, self-definition, and cognitive control. Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME) was used to create sparse, person-specific networks among the default mode and frontoparietal resting-state networks in a diverse sample of 104 youths aged 17–21. Links between neural

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

Black youth experience racial discrimination at higher rates than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. To identify how racism can simultaneously serve as a risk factor for adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposure, a discrete type of ACE, and a post-ACE mental health risk factor among Black youth, Bernard and colleagues (2021) proposed the culturally informed ACEs (C-ACE) model. While

Black youth experience racial discrimination at higher rates than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. To identify how racism can simultaneously serve as a risk factor for adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposure, a discrete type of ACE, and a post-ACE mental health risk factor among Black youth, Bernard and colleagues (2021) proposed the culturally informed ACEs (C-ACE) model. While

Encounters with racial discrimination occur from various sources and contexts for Latinx youth. From a historical context, Latinx have long experienced anti-immigrant sentiment and have been treated as perpetual foreigners. This study centers the voices of U.S.-born Latinx youth and explores their experiences of discrimination in 83 in-depth interviews (15–25 years, x ~ age = 21.27, SD = 2.10; 58%

Encounters with racial discrimination occur from various sources and contexts for Latinx youth. From a historical context, Latinx have long experienced anti-immigrant sentiment and have been treated as perpetual foreigners. This study centers the voices of U.S.-born Latinx youth and explores their experiences of discrimination in 83 in-depth interviews (15-25 years, x ~ age  = 21.27, SD = 2.10; 58%

This study examined how ethnic identity relates to large-scale brain networks implicated in social interactions, social cognition, self-definition, and cognitive control. Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME) was used to create sparse, person-specific networks among the default mode and frontoparietal resting-state networks in a diverse sample of 104 youths aged 17-21. Links between neural

In this 14-day study, we tested whether Latinx adolescents’ (Mage = 12.76 years, 52% female; 52% U.S. born; N = 21) and parents’ (95% female; 24% U.S. born) daily discrimination experiences were associated with their own and other’s daily affective states. Results indicated that on days when adolescents reported discrimination, they reported higher negative affect and marginally lower positive affect