Abstract
The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD) explored the foundations and implications of thriving across much of the second decade of life. In this chapter, we describe the theory framing this study, present additional research on PYD, and present the details of the method used in the study. In addition, we provide an overview of the chapters in this book and discuss the ways in which the chapters illustrate different facets of the thriving process. Finally, we point to how the book offers directions for future research and for applications aimed at improving the life chances of diverse adolescents.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alberts, A. E., Christiansen, E. D., Chase, P., Naudeau, S., Phelps, E., & Lerner, R. M. (2006). Qualitative and quantitative assessments of thriving and contribution in early adolescence: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Journal of Youth Development, 1(2), 22–34.
Bebiroglu, N., Geldhof, G. J., Pinderhughes, E. E., Phelps, E., & Lerner, R. M. (2013). From family to society: The role of perceived parenting behaviors in promoting youth civic engagement. Parenting: Science and Practice, 13(3), 153–168.
Benson, P. L., Scales, P. C., Hamilton, S. F., & Sesma, A. (2006). Positive youth development: Theory, research, and applications. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Benson, P. L., Scales, P. C., & Syvertsen, A. K. (2011). The contribution of the developmental assets framework to positive youth development theory and practice. In R. M. Lerner, J. V. Lerner, & J. B. Benson (Eds.), Advances in child development and behavior (Vol. 41, pp. 195–228).
Bowers, E. P., Geldhof, G. J., Johnson, S. K., Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2014). Thriving across the adolescent years: A view of the issues. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(6), 859–868.
Bowers, E. P., Gestsdóttir, S., Geldhof, J., Nikitin, J., von Eye, A., & Lerner, R. M. (2011). Developmental trajectories of intentional self regulation in adolescence: The role of parenting and implications for positive and problematic outcomes among diverse youth. Journal of Adolescence, 34(6), 1193–1206.
Boyd, M. J., & Dobrow, J. (2011). Media literacy and positive youth development. In R. M. Lerner, J. V. Lerner, & J. B. Benson (Eds.), Advances in child development and behavior: Positive youth development: Research and applications for promoting thriving in adolescence (pp. 251–271). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Brandtstädter, J. (1998). Action perspectives on human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models of human development (5th ed., pp. 807–863). New York: Wiley.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.) & R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 793–828). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Catalano, R. S., Berglund, L. M., Ryan, J. A. M., Lonczak, H. S., & Hawkins, J. D. (2004). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 594(1), 98–124.
Catalano, R. P., Hawkins, J. D., Berglund, M. L., Pollard, J. A., & Arthur, M. W. (2002). Prevention science and positive youth development: Competitive or cooperative frameworks? Journal of Adolescent Health, 31, 230–239.
Damon, W. (2004). What is positive youth development? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591, 13–24.
Damon, W. (2008). The path to purpose: Helping our children find their calling in life. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Eccles, J. S. (2004). Schools, academic motivation, and stage-environment fit. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 125–153). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Eccles, J., & Gootman, J. (Eds.). (2002). Community programs to promote youth development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Flay, B. R., & Allred, C. G. (2003). Long term effects of the Positive Action program. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27(1), S6–S21.
Freund, A. M., & Baltes, P. B. (2002). Life-management strategies of selection, optimization and compensation: Measurement by self-report and construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 642–662.
Geldhof, G. J., Bowers, E. P., & Lerner, R. M. (2013). Special section introduction: Thriving in context: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(1), 1–5.
Gestsdóttir, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2007). Intentional self-regulation and positive youth development in early adolescence: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Developmental Psychology, 43(2), 508–521.
Hamilton, S. F. (1999). A three-part definition of youth development. Unpublished manuscript, Cornell University College of Human Ecology, Ithaca, NY
Hamilton, S. F., & Hamilton, M. A. (2009). The transition to adulthood: Challenges of poverty and structural lag. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology: Vol. 2. Contextual influences on adolescent development (3rd ed., pp. 492–526). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Jelicic, H., Bobek, D., Phelps, E. D., Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2007). Using positive youth development to predict contribution and risk behaviors in early adolescence: Findings from the first two waves of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31(3), 263–273.
King, P. E., Dowling, E. M., Mueller, R. A., White, K., Schultz, W., Osborn, P., et al. (2005). Thriving in adolescence: The voices of youth-serving practitioners, parents, and early and late adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 94–112.
Kurtines, W. M., Ferrer-Wreder, L., Berman, S. L., Cass Lorente, C., Briones, E., Montgomery, M. J., et al. (2008). Promoting positive youth development: The Miami Youth Development Project (YDP). Journal of Adolescent Research, 23, 256–267.
Larson, R. W. (2000). Toward a psychology of positive youth development. American Psychologist, 55(1), 170–183.
Laursen, C., & Collins, W. A. (2009). Parent-child relationships during adolescence. In R. M. Lerner, L. Steinberg, R. M. Lerner, & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology, Vol 2: Contextual influences on adolescent development (3rd ed., pp. 3–42). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Lerner, R. M. (2004). Liberty: Thriving and civic engagement among America’s youth. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lerner, R. M. (2006). Developmental science, developmental systems, and contemporary theories of human development. In R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.) & W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 1–17). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Lerner, R. M. (2012). Essay review: Developmental science: Past, present, and future. International Journal of Developmental Science, 6(1–2), 29–36.
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Almerigi, J., Theokas, C., Phelps, E., Gestsdottir, S., et al. (2005). Positive youth development, participation in community youth development programs, and community contributions of fifth grade adolescents: Findings from the first wave of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 17–71.
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Bowers, E. P., & Geldhof, G. J. (2015) Positive youth development and relational developmental systems. In W. F. Overton & P. C. Molenaar (Eds.), Theory and method. Volume 1 of the Handbook of child psychology and developmental science (7th ed., pp. 607–651). Editor-in-chief: R. M. Lerner. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., von Eye, A., Bowers, E. P., & Lewin-Bizan, S. (2011). Individual and contextual bases of thriving in adolescence: A view of the issues. Journal of Adolescence, 34(6), 1107–1114.
Lerner, R. M., von Eye, A., Lerner, J. V., Lewin-Bizan, S., & Bowers, E. P. (2010). Special issue introduction: The meaning and measurement of thriving: A view of the issues. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(7), 707–719.
Lerner, R. M., von Eye, A., Lerner, J. V., & Lewin-Bizan, S. (2009). Exploring the foundations and functions of adolescent thriving within the 4-H Study of positive youth development: A view of the issues. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(5), 567–570.
Lewin-Bizan, S., Bowers, E. P., & Lerner, R. M. (2010). One good thing leads to another: Cascades of positive youth development among American adolescents. Development and Psychopathology, 22(4), 759–770.
Li, Y., & Lerner, R. M. (2011). Developmental trajectories of school engagement across adolescence: Implications for academic achievement, substance use, depression, and delinquency. Developmental Psychology, 47, 233–4710.
Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227–238.
Overton, W. F. (2015). Process and relational developmental systems. In W. F. Overton & P. C. Molenaar (Eds.), Theory and method. Volume 1 of the Handbook of child psychology and developmental science (7th ed., pp. 9–62). Editor-in-chief: R. M. Lerner. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Rhodes, J. E., & Lowe, S. R. (2009). Mentoring in adolescence. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology: Vol. 2. Contextual influences on adolescent development (3rd ed., pp. 152–190). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003a). What is a youth development program? Identification and defining principles. In F. Jacobs, D. Wertlieb, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Enhancing the life chances of youth and families: Public service systems and public policy perspectives: Vol. 2 Handbook of applied developmental science: Promoting positive child, adolescent, and family development through research, policies, and programs (pp. 197–223). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003b). What exactly is a youth development program? Answers from research and practice. Applied Developmental Science, 7, 94–111.
Schmid, K. L., Phelps, E., Kiely, M. K., Napolitano, C. M., Boyd, M. J., & Lerner, R. M. (2011). The role of adolescents’ hopeful futures in predicting positive and negative developmental trajectories: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(1), 45–56.
Schwartz, S. J., Pantin, H., Coatsworth, J. D., & Szapocznik, J. (2007). Addressing the challenges and opportunities of today’s youth: Toward an integrative model and its implications for research and intervention. Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 117–144.
Spencer, M. B. (2006). Phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST): A human development synthesis applicable to diverse individuals and groups. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.) & R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 6. Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 829–894). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Theokas, C., & Lerner, R. M. (2006). Observed ecological assets in families, schools, and neighborhoods: Conceptualization, measurement and relations with positive and negative developmental outcomes. Applied Developmental Science, 10(2), 61–74.
Urban, J., Lewin-Bizan, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2009). The role of neighborhood ecological assets and activity involvement in youth developmental outcomes: Differential impacts of asset poor and asset rich neighborhoods. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30(5), 601–614.
Urban, J. B., Lewin-Bizan, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2010). The role of intentional self regulation, lower neighborhood ecological assets, and activity involvement in youth developmental outcomes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(7), 783–800.
Vandell, D. L., Larson, R. W, Mahoney, J. L., & Watts, T. W. (2015). Children’s organized activities. In M. H. Bornstein & T. Leventhal (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology and developmental science (7th ed.), Volume 4: Ecological settings and processes in developmental systems (pp. 305–344). Editor-in-chief: R. M. Lerner. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Zaff, J., Boyd, M., Li, Y., Lerner, J. V., & Lerner, R. M. (2010). Active and engaged citizenship: Multi-group and longitudinal factorial analysis of an integrated construct of civic engagement. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(7), 736–750.
Zarrett, N., Fay, K., Carrano, J., Li, Y., Phelps, E., & Lerner, R. M. (2009). More than child’s play: Variable- and pattern-centered approaches for examining effects of sports participation on youth development. Developmental Psychology, 45(2), 368–382.
Acknowledgments
The writing of this chapter was supported in part by grants from the National 4-H Council, the Altria Corporation, the Thrive Foundation for Youth, and the John Templeton Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bowers, E.P. et al. (2015). Applying Research About Adolescence in Real-World Settings: The Sample Case of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development. In: Bowers, E., et al. Promoting Positive Youth Development. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17166-1_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17166-1_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-17165-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-17166-1
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)