Promoting Positive Human Development (PHD) Across the Life Span: Relational Developmental Systems-Based Models, Individual Context Relations, and Relative Plasticity
Jacqueline V. Lerner Boston College and Richard M. Lerner Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development Tufts University
THE THE FOC OCUS US OF OF DEV EVEL ELOPM OPMENT ENTAL SC SCIENC ENCE Developmental science involves the description, explanation, and optimization of intraindividual change and of interindividual differences in intraindividual change across the life span: • Today, the cutting-edge of theory in developmental science involves the use of the relational developmental systems (RDS) metatheory to frame all theoretical models of human development; • These models constitute the frame for all current models of positive (healthy, adaptive) human development (PHD) across the life span (e.g., Brandtstädter, 1998, 2006; Freund, et al., 2013; Lerner, Lerner, Bowers, & Geldhof, 2015).
RELATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL SYSTEMS (RDS) THEORIES • The contributions of Willis F. Overton • The sun has set on split, reductionist accounts stressing nature or nurture • RDS theories provides the frame for the other dimensions of scholarly advances that mark the status of developmental science in 2016
Rela elational ional Development elopmental al Systems ems Models odels • All levels of organiza zati tion with thin th the ecology of huma man developme ment, t, from m biology/p /physiology th through cultu ture, th the physical ecology, and histo tory, are inte tegrate ted and coact coact • Developme ment t across life involves mu mutu tually influenti tial individual conte text t relati tions • Inte tegrate ted individual conte text t relati tions are th the basic unit t of analysis with thin huma man developme ment • Ti Time me (histo tori rical change, eith ther r norma mati tive or r non-norma mati tive) contributes to systematic change (“plasticity”) in human developme ment • Because of plasti ticity ty, scienti tists ts and practi titi tioners can be opti timi misti tic th that t sound applicati tions of developme menta tal research can promo mote te positi tive huma man developme ment, t, for r examp mple, characte ter r virtu tues or r contr tributi tions to to civil society ty.
THE THE SA SAMPLE PLE CASE SE OF OF THE THE POSI POSITIVE TIVE YOU OUTH TH DEV EVEL ELOPM OPMENT ENT (PYD (PYD) ) PER PERSPEC SPECTIVE TIVE
The P he PYD Per erspect pectiv ive: e: Six C ix Cor ore e Concept oncepts 1. Because of the potential to change, 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 healthy development.
The P he PYD Per erspect pectiv ive: e: Six C ix Cor ore e Concept oncepts 4. These assets are found in families, schools, faith institutions, youth serving organizations, and the community more generally. 5. If the strengths of youth are combined with ecological developmental assets, then positive, healthy development may occur. 6. We should be optimistic that it is in our power to promote positive development among ALL youth and to create more asset-rich settings supporting such development among ALL youth.
THE LE HE LERNER NER AND ND LERN LERNER MOD ODEL L OF OF THE HE P PYD P PROC OCESS • PYD is optimized when youth strengths are aligned with ecological resources (developmental assets) • Intentional Self Regulation and Hope are key strengths of youth • Individuals, institutions, collective activity, and access are key ecological developmental assets • “Five C’s” of PYD are the outcomes of youth context relations • Thriving youth contribute to their context Contribution is the 6 th C of PYD •
TH THE E LER LERNER ER & LER LERNER ER RELA ELATI TIONAL L DEV EVEL ELOPMEN PMENTAL L SY SYST STEMS EMS MO MODEL EL OF F PY PYD Competence Ecological Contribution Assets Connection Confidence PYD Reduced Individual Risk Caring Character Strengths Behavior
THE LERNER & & LERNER MO MODEL OF PYD: AS INSTANTIATED WIT WITHIN THE 4-H STUDY OF POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPME MENT + Broader Ecology of Human Development Adaptive Developmental Regulations ? _ TIME
Wha hat t We Ha e Have e Le Lear arne ned d Abo bout ut PY PYD To D o Date: te: A Brief Overview of Findings from the 4-H Study of PYD
TH THE E 4-H H ST STUD UDY O Y OF F PO POSITIVE SITIVE YOU OUTH TH DEVEL DEVELOP OPMEN ENT
WI WITH TH GR GRATITU TITUDE E TO: O: • Don Floyd, President and CEO of the National 4-H Council • The Altria Corporation THEIR VISION, VALUES, LEADERSHIP, AND SUPPORT CREATED THE FIELD OF PYD
DESIGN OF THE 4-H STUDY Across Acr oss Gr Grades ades 5 to 5 to 12, w 12, we samp e sampled led about bout 7,000 7,000 youth outh and 3,500 and 3,500 par parents ents fr from om 42 42 sta states tes . The 4-H Study uses a form of a cohort- sequential longitudinal design: • Youth were first surveyed in 5 th Grade • New students were added each year • We also studied these new students longitudinally • Therefore, the sample size increases across the study • A subgroup of participants was assessed two years post high school
MEASUR UREMENT NT IN T N THE HE S STUD UDY OF P OF PYD . The Five Cs of PYD* Youth th Str trength ths ◦ Intentional Self Regulation: The “SOC” Model** ◦ School Engageme ment* t* ◦ Hope for r a Positi tive Futu ture* Ecological Assets ts ◦ Individuals, Insti titu tuti tions, Youth th-Adult t Collaborati tions, Access* Contr tributi tion: Acti tive and Engaged Citi tizenship* Risk/Problem m Behaviors * Develo elope ped d by by IARYD res esea earche hers **Adapt dapted ed and and de developed eloped by by I IARYD r res esear earcher hers
. Competence Connection Confidence PYD Caring Character
• Inte tenti tional self regulati tion (ISR SR) positi tively predicts ts PY PYD and Contri tributi tion and negati tively predicts ts Risk/Pr /Problem m behaviors • Hope for r th the futu ture is associate ted with th high ISR SR, PY PYD, and Contri tributi tion and with th low ri risk behaviors and depressive symp mpto toms ms • Sc School En Engageme ment, t, which is comp mposed of behavioral, emo moti tional, and cogniti tive comp mponents ts is associate ted with th bette tter r self-reporte ted grades, higher r ISR SR, and lower r involveme ment t in delinquency and substa tance use
• Key Ecological Assets ts Promo moti ting PYD are: 1. 1. In Indivi viduals in the lives s of youth, su such as s me mentors, s, fa fami mily y me memb mbers, s, and teachers 2. 2. Phys ysical and inst stitutional reso sources, s, su such as s sc schools s and commu mmunity y programs ms 3. 3. Youth engageme ment, with people and inst stitutions s in their envi vironme ments 4. 4. The access ssibility of people and inst stitutions s in the envi vironme ments s of youth • Across fami mily, school, and commu mmunity ty sett ttings, and wi with thin and across grades, INDIVIDUALS are always th the mo most t imp mporta tant t asset t in predicti ting PYD and Contr tributi tion
• Con Contribution is s a key y outcome me of PYD YD, and involves s Act Active and Engaged Ci Citizensh ship: Ci Civi vic duty, Ci Civi vic sk skills, s, Ne Neighborhood so social connection, and Ci Civi vic participation • Within and across ss grades, s, Con Contribution is s asso ssociated with IS ISR, R, Ho Hope, and PYD YD • IS ISR, R, Ho Hope, and PYD YD are negatively y related to Ri Risk sk/Problem Beh Behaviors s within and across ss grades
• There are also so diverse se comb mbinations s of posi sitive and problema matic trajectories: s: Des Despite a general inverse se relation between posi sitive and problema matic behavi viors, s, so some me youth ma may y sh show very y different developme mental pathways, ys, for inst stance, increase ses in both posi sitive and problema matic behavi viors • High High levels s of youth st strengths s (e.g. (e.g., IS ISR) R) and high levels s of ecological asse ssets s (e.g. (e.g., su sust stained me mentoring) ) place youth on the mo most st favorable trajectories
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