Richard M. Lerner and Colleagues g Institute for Applied Research - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Richard M. Lerner and Colleagues g Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development Tufts University

April 22, 2011 1 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

April 22, 2011 2 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

THE KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSITIVE

• 1. What is positive development?

THE KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (PYD) PERSPECTIVE

p p

• 2. What are the key ideas associated with

the PYD perspective?

• 3. Why is it important to study the links

between PYD, the ecology of human development, and active and engaged development, and active and engaged citizenship?

• 4. What does research tell us about

these links?

• 5. What are the implications of research for

practice and policy?

April 22, 2011 3 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

practice and policy?

What We THOUGHT We Knew About Adolescence

• G. Stanley Hall (1904), of Clark

University, founded the study of adolescence.

• Hall defined adolescence as a period of
• Hall defined adolescence as a period of

universal and inevitable, biologically- based “storm and stress.”

• Therefore, according to Hall, Anna
• Therefore, according to Hall, Anna

Freud, and Erik Erikson, adolescence was a period of crisis and disturbance.

• These ideas resulted in the view that

adolescents were "broken" or in adolescents were "broken" or in danger of becoming "broken."

• For almost all of the 20th century most

research about adolescence was based

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research about adolescence was based

• n this deficit conception of young

people.

What Research TELLS Us About the

As early as the 1960s, research began to show th t th d fi it d l t i f t t

Presumed “Deficits” of Teens

that the deficit model was not in fact true:

• There are problems that occur during adolescence.

BUT there are problems that occur in infancy, childhood, and adulthood as well. ,

• All age periods have challenges, and the fact that

there are life problems in the teenage years does not in and of itself make it a special period.

• The adolescent years may have some age-typical

problems, but so too do all other age periods.

• Adolescents who have an especially stormy decade

p y y also tend to have had a problematic childhood as well.

• The stereotypes of adolescent problems evaporate

in the light of actual research

April 22, 2011 5 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

in the light of actual research.

Research Contradicts the Stereotypes

Most young people do NOT have a stormy

yp

• f the Teenage Years

Most young people do NOT have a stormy

adolescent period.

Although adolescents spend increasingly

more time with peers than with parents more time with peers than with parents, most adolescents still value their relationships with parents enormously.

Most adolescents have core values (e.g.,

about the importance of education in one’s life, about social justice, and about spirituality) that are consistent with those spirituality) that are consistent with those

• f their parents.

Most adolescents select friends who share

h l

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these core values.

But the Deficit Models Do Not Die.

Into much of the 1990s most

They don’t even seem to fade aw ay…

research continued to use Hall’s deficit model to study adolescence.

Literally hundreds of millions of Literally hundreds of millions of

dollars continue to be spent each year in the United States to reduce the problems “caused” by the alleged deficits of adolescents alleged deficits of adolescents.

These problems include

• Alcohol use and abuse

Unsafe se and teenage pregnanc

• Unsafe sex and teenage pregnancy
• School failure and drop out
• Crime and delinquency
• Depression and self-harming behaviors.

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KLS1

Slide 7 KLS1 "and abroad"...?

Kristina L Schmid, 2/23/2011

The Birth of a New Phase in the Scientific Study of Adolescence

In the 1990s a new vision of the teen years emerged

from biology and developmental science. Thi i th P iti Y th D l t (PYD)

This is the Positive Youth Development (PYD)

perspective.

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Defining Features of Developmental Defining Features of Developmental

A

A relational metamodel

Systems Theories Systems Theories

The integration of levels of organization Developmental regulation across ontogeny involves

mutually influential individual context relations

Integrated actions, individual context relations, are

the basic unit of analysis within human development

Temporality and plasticity in human development

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Defining Features of Developmental Defining Features of Developmental

Plasticity is relative

Systems Theories Systems Theories (Continued)

Plasticity is relative Intraindividual change, interindividual differences in

i t i di id l h d th f d t l b t ti intraindividual change, and the fundamental substantive significance of diversity

Optimism, the application of developmental science, and

the promotion of positive human development

Multidisciplinarity and the need for change-sensitive

methodologies

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Foundations of the PYD Perspective

Derived from a developmental science approach to

description, explanation, and optimization that is informed description, explanation, and optimization that is informed by developmental systems models

• Derived from evolutionary biological (e.g., Gould,

y g ( g , , Lewontin) and comparative psychological (e.g., Schneirla, Tobach, Gottlieb, Greenberg, Suomi) theory and data about plasticity and adaptive developmental regulations about plasticity and adaptive developmental regulations (mutually beneficial individual context relations

Derived from formal (reviews of evaluation research; by

( ; y Blum and by Roth & Brooks-Gunn) ) and informal (practitioner report) assessments of the efficacy of youth development programs

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development programs

The PYD Perspective:

1.

Because of the potential to change,

Six Core Concepts

p g , all youth have strengths.

2.

All contexts have strengths as well. These strengths are resources that may be used to promote positive youth development.

3.

These resources are termed “developmental assets”. They are the “social nutrients” needed for the social nutrients” needed for healthy development.

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The PYD Perspective:

4.

These assets are found in families, schools faith institutions youth serving

Six Core Concepts

schools, faith institutions, youth serving

• rganizations, and the community more

generally.

5.

If the strengths of youth are combined with ecological developmental assets, then positive, healthy development may

• ccur.

6.

We should be optimistic that it is in our i i d l power to promote positive development among ALL youth and to create more asset-rich settings supporting such development among ALL youth

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development among ALL youth.

Three Key Hypotheses of the PYD

Hypothesis 1: PYD is constituted by “Five Cs”:

Perspective

yp y The “Five Cs”

Competence Confidence

Contribution

Character Connection Caring Caring

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Three Key Hypotheses of the PYD

Hypothesis 2: Across adolescence, PYD

Perspective

yp ,

• ccurs when the strengths of young people are

aligned with resources for healthy development development

These resources are called “developmental assets”

• Families
• Schools
• Communities

April 22, 2011 15 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

Three Key Hypotheses of the PYD

Hypothesis 3: Youth Development (YD)

Perspective

programs constitute key developmental assets promoting PYD.

YD programs are marked by the presence

• f the “Big 3”:
• f the Big 3 :

1. Sustained, positive adult- youth relations 2 Skill b ildi ti iti 2. Skill building activities 3. Youth participation and leadership.

April 22, 2011 16 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

THE 4-H STUDY OF POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

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WITH GRATITUDE TO: WITH GRATITUDE TO:

Don Floyd, President and CEO of the Don Floyd, President and CEO of the

National 4-H Council

The Altria Corporation

THEIR VISION VALUES LEADERSHIP THEIR VISION, VALUES, LEADERSHIP, AND SUPPORT CREATED THE FIELD OF PYD OF PYD

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J if A J li V L Jennifer Agans Miriam R. Arbeit Edmond Bowers Jacqueline V. Lerner Jarrett Lerner Richard M. Lerner Michelle Boyd Paul Chase Kristen Fay Alicia Doyle Lynch Christopher Napolitano Marie Pelletier Bice Sonia Isaac Koshy Heidi Johnson Megan Kiely Mueller Dee Pratti Kristina Schmid Amy E. A. Warren Selva Lewin-Bizan Michelle Weiner

April 22, 2011 19 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

CHALLENGES IN CONDUCTING THE 4-H CHALLENGES IN CONDUCTING THE 4 H STUDY OF POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (PYD)

To learn how PYD develops and the impacts of this d l t th d i t h d t development on youth and society, we had to:

.

• Conduct a national study of American youth
• Define and measure PYD
• Define and measure the variables that promote PYD
• Define and measure the outcomes of PYD
• Define and measure the outcomes of PYD
• Describe and explain the course of PYD

April 22, 2011 20 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

DESIGN OF THE 4 H STUDY

To date, we have sampled about 7,000 youth and

DESIGN OF THE 4-H STUDY

3,500 parents from 41 states

.

The 4-H Study is a cohort-sequential longitudinal

y q g investigation:

• Youth were first surveyed in 5th Grade
• New students are added each year
• New students are added each year
• We also are studying these new students longitudinally
• Therefore, the sample size increases across the study

The participants are currently in 12th Grade

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Compete Competence ce

Individual St th

Contr Contribu buti tion

• n

PYD

Confidence Confidence Conne Connection ction

Strengths

PYD

Reduced Reduced

Character Character Caring Caring

Ecological Assets

Reduced Reduced Risk Risk Behavior Behavior

April 22, 2011 22 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

MEASUREMENT IN THE STUDY MEASUREMENT IN THE STUDY OF PYD

.

The Five Cs of PYD* Youth Strengths

• Intentional Self Regulation: The “SOC” Model**
• School Engagement*
• Hope for a Positive Future*

Ecological Assets

• Individuals, Institutions, Youth-Adult Collaborations, Access*

Contribution: Active and Engaged Citizenship* Contribution: Active and Engaged Citizenship Risk/Problem Behaviors

* Developed by IARYD researchers

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Developed by IARYD researchers **Adapted and developed by IARYD researchers

.

Com Competence etence

PYD

Confidence Confidence Connection Connection Character Character Caring Caring

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• Selection:
• Selecting, prioritizing, and managing goals [S]
• Optimization

Developing strategies employing executive functioning and

• Developing strategies, employing executive functioning, and

recruiting or allocating resources to reach one’s goals [O]

• Compensation:

p

• Adjusting effectively in the face of failure of one’s strategies
• r encountering blocked or lost goals [C]

.

This is the SOC model: SOC scores positively predict both PYD and Contribution and negatively predict Risk/Problem behaviors within and across grades

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Hopefulness about the future is measured by youth’s Hopefulness about the future is measured by youth s

expectations for positive future outcomes, including:

• Being respected in the community

H i j b lik d i

• Having a job you like doing
• Going to college

Within and across grades, Hopeful Future scores are

associated with:

• High SOC scores

High SOC scores

• High PYD and contribution
• Low risk behaviors and depressive symptoms

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• Behavioral school engagement
• Behavioral school engagement
• Come to class prepared, complete homework, work hard at school
• Emotional school engagement
• Care about and feel part of school
• Cognitive school engagement
• Think school is useful and important for future success
• With and across grades, School Engagement is

associated with: associated with:

• Better self-reported grades
• Lower involvement in delinquency and substance use
• Predicted by SOC scores

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• Predicted by SOC scores

KEY ECOLOGICAL ASSETS

Individuals

PROMOTING PYD

• Parents, mentors, teachers, coaches, faith leaders

Institutions

• Out-of-school-time programs parks libraries

Out of school time programs, parks, libraries

Collective Action

• Youth-adult collaboration and partnerships in valued family,

school and community activities school, and community activities

Access

• Transportation, safety, extended hours

.

In each setting and within and across grades, INDIVIDUALS are always the most important asset in predicting PYD and Contribution

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Contribution

OUTCOMES OF PYD: THE

Contribution involves

CONSTITUTION OF CONTRIBUTION

Contribution involves Active and Engaged Citizenship (AEC):

Ci i d t Civic duty Civic skills Neighborhood social connection Civic participation p p

.

Within and across grades, AEC is predicted by SOC, Hope and PYD

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Hope, and PYD

OUTCOMES OF PYD:

E t li i bl

LOWERED RISK/PROBLEM BEHAVIORS

Externalizing problems:

• Bullying
• Substance use

Substance use

• Delinquency

Internali ing problems

Internalizing problems:

• Depression

SOC, Hope and PYD are negatively related to Risk/Problem Behaviors within and across grades

April 22, 2011 30 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner

TESTING THE PYD MODEL:

TRAJECTORIES OF PYD, CONTRIBUTION, AND RISK/PROBLEM BEHAVIORS

There are diverse pathways youth travel

across adolescence

There are also diverse combinations of

positive and problematic trajectories positive and problematic trajectories

The strengths of youth and their ecological

assets place youth on the most favorable trajectories

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POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

100

PYD Trajectories Grades 5-10

POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

80 28.3% 39.1% 60 D Score Decreasing 6.2% 26.5% 20 40 PYD Increasing to stable moderate Increasing/decreasing 6.2% 20 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increasing to stable high

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5 6 7 8 9 10 Grade

CONTRIBUTION

13.5% 13.5%

CONTRIBUTION

Contribution Trajectories Grades 5-10

80 100 7% 60 tion Score 7% 52 6% 26.9% 40 Contribut Stable low Increasing to stable moderate 13.5% 52.6% 20 5 6 7 8 9 10 Increasing to stable high High increasing

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5 6 7 8 9 10 Grade

RISK BEHAVIORS

13.5% 13.5%

RISK BEHAVIORS (SUBSTANCE USE AND DELINQUENCY)

Risk Behavior Trajectories Grades 5-10

25 30

Risk Behavior Trajectories Grades 5-10

Stable very low 15 20 ehavior Score Stable low Early increasing/decreasing 10 15 Risk Be Increasing Late increasing/decreasing 5.4% 13% 4% 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 29.8% 47.7%

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Grade

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

13.5% 13.5%

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

Depressive Symptoms Trajectories Grades 5-10

50 60

p y p j

Stable low 30 40 D Score Stable moderate Increasing to stable high 6% 20 30 CESD 23% 10 5 6 7 8 9 10 G d 71%

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Grade

HOW DO WE PROMOTE PYD AND AEC? HOW DO WE PROMOTE PYD AND AEC?

School- and Community-based YD Programs (Marked by the “Big 3” Program Characteristics) influence PYD and Civic Behaviors

Youth leadership

Civic Behaviors

Community- Based Youth

Sustained youth-

PYD

Based Youth Development Programs

adult partnerships

Civic

Skill-building activities

Civic Contributions

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IMPLICATIONS OF THE 4-H STUDY FOR ENHANCING THE PYD CIVIL SOCIETY RELATIONSHIP

P ti P li Practice Policy Research & Evaluation

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ANSWERING THE “REALLY BIG” QUESTION

What actions predicated on the “Big Three”…

ANSWERING THE REALLY BIG QUESTION ABOUT PYD AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

p g

• of what duration…
• with what youth…
• in what communities…
• at what points in adolescence…
• will result in what features of positive youth development and

youth contributions to self, family, community, and civil society? y y y y

Or, more simply:

How do we use youth development programs to foster mutually How do we use youth development programs to foster mutually

beneficial relations between healthy youth and a nation marked by social justice, democracy, and liberty?

April 22, 2011 38 University of Virginia Richard M. Lerner