Developmental Psychology Commons^™

Rhode Island Teen Institute Remains Impactful After More Than A Decade Hiatus, Tayla Von Ash, Anusha Gupta, Michael J. Thompson, Jennifer Stevens, Terese Gregg, Sandra Del Sesto

Journal of Youth Development

Rhode Island Teen Institute (RITI) is a 5-day residential program based on the Positive Youth Development approach that exposes participants to intensive training in individual and community advocacy, decision-making, interpersonal communication, and leadership development. Results from prior iterations of RITI (2002-2009) demonstrated that the program was efficacious at improving leadership and other related skills among participants. However, unfortunately due to loss of funding, the program did not run from 2010-2023. The present study assesses the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the 2023 implementation of RITI after more than a decade-long hiatus. The program was successfully implemented with 44 youth …

Understanding Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Disabilitiesto Improve Out-Of-School Programs, Vanessa Spero, David C. Diehl, John M. Diaz, Serap Gorucu

Journal of Youth Development

This study explores adolescents’ attitudes and perceptions toward individuals with disabilities in out-of-school time (OST) settings. Gaining insight into these attitudes can help inform future initiatives and interventions to develop programs that foster inclusion and greater participation of people with disabilities in OST programs. This study employed quantitative methods using the Brief Questionnaire for Adolescents on Attitudes Toward Persons with a Disability (CBAD-12A), developed by Álvarez-Delgado et al. (2020), to survey adolescents about their attitudes and perceptions toward individuals with disabilities. The results of the study revealed no statistically significant differences in attitudes toward individuals with disabilities based on whether …

Table Of Contents, Journal Of Youth Development

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

4‑H Efforts Toward Demographic Representation, 1980–2025: Next Directions (Part 2), Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Jeff Wayne Howard

Journal of Youth Development

This article builds on Part 1 of this study, a state-of-the-art review that synthesizes 45 years of scholarship (1980–2025) on 4-H’s efforts to equitably serve a demographically representative youth population (see Elliott-Engel & Howard, 2026). This article examines the findings that draw from the previously discussed 99 articles and provides the next directions for achieving a demographically representative 4-H program by synthesizing crosscutting themes from 45 years of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging scholarship. Despite meaningful progress, persistent gaps remain in participation, professional readiness, and systemlevel integration. Our review highlights the need for culturally responsive recruitment, familycentered engagement, and program …

Bridges: Youth Organizing In Memphis, Caitlin A. Caswell, Maddie Smith, Elizabeth Thomas

Journal of Youth Development

Youth organizing is a practice that enables young people and adults to work together towards individual thriving and community change. In youth organizing, young people identify and address social issues that affect their lives and lead change related to those issues. The objective of this case study is to illustrate one successful model for youth organizing grounded in positive youth development theory and youth-adult partnership, developed through the organization BRIDGES USA in Memphis, Tennessee. We discuss youth-adult partnerships and elaborate components and strengths of youth organizing. We then describe the history and context of BRIDGES, the cycle of work in …

Full Issue, Volume 21, Issue 2, Journal Of Youth Development

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Exploring Minor Feelings: Asian And Asian American’S Racialized Emotions, Identity, And Mental Health Amidst Covid-19, Kristina Mirasol Arevalo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the central role of racialized emotions in shaping how Asians/Asian Americans (A/AA) experience, interpret, and respond to racism, yet these emotional processes remain underexamined in psychological research. Rather than treating emotions as outcomes of discrimination, this dissertation conceptualizes racialized emotions as dynamic processes through which structural racism is experienced, interpreted, and embodied in everyday life. This framework positions racialized emotions as a key mechanism linking racialized social contexts to identity development and mental health. Across three studies using qualitative and quantitative methods, I examine how racialized emotions shape racial meaning-making, ethnic-racial identity, and psychological well-being among …

Visible Lives, Invisible Strands: Critical Consciousness And Civic Engagement Among Muslim Sa/Swana College Students, Firdevs Yigiter

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In recent years, young people have navigated an increasingly polarized sociopolitical climate marked by racism, Islamophobia, and heightened racial violence (Cureton, 2023; Wegemer et al., 2025). These tensions have intensified in the current moment, shaped by the aftermath of October 7, activism for Palestinian rights, and the political climate of the Trump Administration. College campuses, which historically are sites of political activism and social transformation, are not neutral spaces. For SA/SWANA Muslim college students, these dynamics are intensified by systematic marginalization and a polarized political climate (Khamis, 2023).  In this dissertation, I examine how SA/SWANA Muslim students experience ethnic-racial discrimination, …

An Inferential Analysis Of Lexical Networks, Christopher D. Gravelle

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Lexical networks are graphs where words are treated as nodes, and relations between words are treated as edges. The adoption of lexical networks in psycholinguistics is impeded by a lack of readily available inferential methods, which limits work to purely descriptive analyses with little ability to make inferences about what variables account for lexical network structure. The current research explores the use of latent space network models as a method for analyzing lexical networks. Latent space network models are latent variable regression models, which model the presence or strength of edges by estimating pairwise distances between nodes in a latent …

4‑H Efforts Toward Demographic Representation, 1980–2025: A State‑Of‑The‑Art Review (Part 1), Jeremy Elliott-Engel, Jeff Wayne Howard

Journal of Youth Development

This state-of-the-art review synthesizes 45 years of scholarship (1980–2025) to assess how effectively the 4-H program has worked to serve a demographically representative youth population. Drawing on academic and gray literature (n=99) sources, the review traces 4-H’s evolution from its segregated land grant origins to contemporary efforts focused on access, equity, inclusion, and belonging. It documents progress in culturally responsive programming and national diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) initiatives while highlighting persistent disparities in participation and benefit distribution. The review identifies effective strategies, enduring structural barriers, and areas where research and practice remain limited, offering a comprehensive foundation for understanding 4-H’s …

Uplifting Youth Voice Through Multi‑Level Features To Make A Splash For Positive Youth Development, Sylvia Y. Gutierrez, Kellie A. Walters, Jayne A, Fulkerson, Nancy Sherwood, Eydie Kramer-Kostecka

Journal of Youth Development

This study explored how a multicomponent health promotion program for pre-adolescent girls could be adapted to support positive youth development across diverse cultural and community contexts. In summer 2022, trained research staff conducted six focus groups with 27 girls from urban and rural communities in the Midwestern United States. Participants reviewed the original program curriculum and provided feedback on program activities, structure, relationships, and implementation strategies. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using qualitative software and manual review. Girls provided feedback on multiple program components, resulting in 12 themes aligned with eight established features of positive developmental …

How Adults Can Bridge The Trust Gap With Youth, Dana Mitra, Ghadir Al Saghir, Ashley Boat, Jerusha O. Conner, Samantha Holquist

Journal of Youth Development

Research has established positive relationships and trust as cornerstones for successful youth-adult partnerships (YAPs), yet limited work addresses how to sustain struggling partnerships, particularly in low-trust environments. Using an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods design, this study first quantitatively affirmed the importance of strong teacher-student relationships as precursors for the formation of classroom YAPs (known here as Student Voice Partnerships or SVPs). Subsequent qualitative data explains that youth define these relationships through the lens of trust, actively assessing adults to determine their trustworthiness—a process aligning with concepts of discernment and calculation. Drawing on organizational trust and relational resilience frameworks, this study offers …

Youth Social And Emotional Development Through Sports: Skyhawks Insight, Jeremy Vincent, Michelle Van Beek

Journal of Youth Development

This study examines the impact of Skyhawks Sports Academy camps on youth participants’ social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies using an intrinsic case study approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were gathered through SEL competency surveys and observations of coaches and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with past and current Skyhawks coaches. A paired samples t-test analysis of the quantitative data revealed statistically significant changes in three SEL competencies: social awareness and self-management showed growth, while relationship skills declined. However, significant changes were not discovered in all categories; therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted. The observational data (scored using …

Beyond The Page: Transmedia Storytelling To Promote Gedsi Among Youth, Clara Evi Candrayuli Citraningtyas, Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo, Isti Utami, - Supriyanto, Slamet Budiharjo

Journal of Youth Development

This article presents the results of an applied experimental study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a transmedia storytelling approach in increasing youth understanding and awareness of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) issues. The study involved 198 young people aged 17–25 years who were randomly divided into control and experimental groups, with a pre- and post-test design to measure changes in attitudes and understanding. The intervention was done to the experimental group through a series of participatory activities: transmedia storytelling modules, quizzes, participatory games, and focus group discussion. The results showed an increase in GEDSI understanding and awareness …

Afterschool Program Attendance And Academic Outcomesin A Vermont District, Hans W. Cabra Hernandez

Journal of Youth Development

Afterschool programs can bridge opportunity gaps by providing children with venues for learning and cultivating socioemotional skills. This paper examines the relationship between attendance in afterschool programs in a Vermont school district and two academic outcomes (the Scholastic Reading Inventory/SRI and the EasyCMB math test) using cross-sectional data from Spring 2018. Using multivariate regression analysis, this study found a positive association between afterschool program attendance and academic achievement on these tests. Moreover, the findings indicate the persistence of socioeconomic academic disparities. While the study’s design does not permit causal claims, the results suggest that afterschool programs are a valuable resource …

Youth Engagement With Rural School & Community Institutions: Implications For Future Orientation, Hannah Falcone, Cindy L. Hartman, Jayson Seaman, Andrew D. Coppens, Kate Moscouver

Journal of Youth Development

Rural youth in the United States have long demonstrated a consistent pattern of outmigration from their rural communities, often driven by aspirations for higher education and specialized careers available elsewhere. This qualitative study explores the positive youth development (PYD) experiences of youth in rural New Hampshire, focusing on how schools, community engagement, work, and experiences in nature shape their development and future orientation. Eighteen youth ages 14–19 participated in online interviews. Data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive strategies, including the application of the Developmental Systems Model of PYD. Four key themes emerged: (a) rural schools are a central …

Relationships Matter: External Factors Influence High School Completion Among Black Young Adults, L. B. Simmons, Shawn Jones, Sepideh S. Soheilian, Chelsea Williams

Journal of Youth Development

To identify whether and how contextual (i.e., spiritual, educational, and cultural contexts) and relational (i.e., physical and psychological caregiving) resilience influence high school completion among Black young adults, the team conducted logistic regression and moderation analyses. The interaction between contextual resilience and relational resilience revealed that at higher levels of relational resilience, increased contextual resilience is associated with an increased likelihood of high school completion. Importantly, the findings also suggest that at lower levels of relational resilience, increased contextual resilience is associated with a decreased likelihood of high school completion among Black young adults. Themes emerging from this study highlight …

Fostering Developmentally Nurturant Relationships To Promote Character And Thriving: Perspectives Of Program Practitioners In Rural South Africa, Jonathan M. Tirrell, Alexa Hasse, Margaret Mackin, Elizabeth Dowling, Kirsten Olander, Roya Abbasi-Asl, Katherine Mcconnel, Thobeka Kwela, Raah Msimango, Justine Mccarthy-Martin, Tyler Howard, Angela Larkan, Richard Lerner

Journal of Youth Development

Developmentally nurturant relationships are fundamental to enabling children to thrive across contexts, including homes, schools, and communities. Such relationships are also a central feature of effective positive youth development (PYD) programming. As strengths-based PYD programs are increasingly being adopted in majority-world countries, a better understanding of how to foster and promote developmentally nurturant relationships is needed. As part of the Thanda Study of Character and Health, we interviewed 15 program practitioners about their understandings of and approaches to fostering developmentally nurturant relationships with children enrolled in Thanda programs in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Phenomenological analysis indicated that practitioners’ understanding of …

Relationships Matter: External Factors Influence High School Completion Among Black Young Adults, L. Blair Simmons, Shawn Ct Jones, Sepideh S. Soheilian, Chelsea D. Williams

Journal of Youth Development

To identify whether and how contextual (i.e., spiritual, educational, and cultural contexts) and relational (i.e., physical and psychological caregiving) resilience influence high school completion among Black young adults, the team conducted logistic regression and moderation analyses. The interaction between contextual resilience and relational resilience revealed that at higher levels of relational resilience, increased contextual resilience is associated with an increased likelihood of high school completion. Importantly, the findings also suggest that at lower levels of relational resilience, increased contextual resilience is associated with a decreased likelihood of high school completion among Black young adults. Themes emerging from this study highlight …

The Five Cs Of Positive Youth Development In Singapore: Building Adolescent Resilience, Teresa Theodora Jing Yi Tan, Li Neng Lee

Journal of Youth Development

The Five Cs of Positive Youth Development (PYD) model is one of the most empirically discussed frameworks on youth thriving. Generalisability of the model was investigated among 210 middle (15-18 years old) and 250 late (19-25 years old) adolescents in Singapore. The Five Cs of PYD was evaluated as a mediator between intentional self-regulation, social-emotional competencies and family functioning, and the outcome of adolescent resilience. Results validate the model among youths in Singapore and show that the Five Cs of PYD positively predict adolescent resilience. The study extends the global application of the model while highlighting the need to consider …

Applying A Neurodiversity-Informed Approach To Understanding Resolution In Families Raising A Child With Autism, Emma Manole

Honors College Theses

The first known documentation of the syndrome we today refer to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was published by Austrian psychiatrist Leo Kanner (1943), who identified a cluster of disordered symptoms among 11 young children, which he termed “early infantile autism”. Consequently, the psychiatric world became aware of autism as its own disorder separate from schizophrenia or “childhood psychosis” (Wing, 1997). Since then, the ways in which autism is studied, diagnosed, referred to, defined, and treated have seen drastic changes (Blacher & Christensen, 2011) over the course of almost a century. It is only natural that the perceptions held by …

The Relation Between Parental Bonding And Sexual Self-Concept In College Students, Kinsey Hatfield

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the relation between two dimensions of parental bonding—care and overprotection—and four aspects of sexual self-concept including sexual agency, desire, anxiety, and satisfaction in college students. We also explored the use of a relatively novel measure of sexual self-concept, the MSSCQ-SF. 292 college students completed measures regarding parental bonding, sexual self-concept, and various demographic questions. Results partially supported our hypotheses, with parental care and overprotection being correlated with sexual anxiety and satisfaction but not desire or agency. Further, parental overprotection was positively correlated with sexual anxiety above and beyond the demographic variables assessed. These findings suggest that parental …

Improving Human-Wildlife Coexistence: An Ecological And Educational Approach To Rewilding Grizzly Bears (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) In California, Amanda C. D. Rosales

Master's Projects and Capstones

Megafauna extinction during the Holocene has been both caused and amplified by climatic changes and human influence. By the last half century, large carnivores were diminished in Europe and the United States, but policies increasingly addressed species decline and their territories expanded. This research examined large carnivore rewilding across the European Union and United States, specifically for rewilding brown bears, Ursus arctos, in historic habitat. Next, case studies for the health status of climate-impacted whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis, a high energy food for bears, was assessed. Ultimately, research case studies, human perspective surveys, and the California Department of Education content …

Always More To Explore: Play And Resilience In Community-Based Artmaking, Charlotte T. Faubert

Masters Theses

The following research investigates the ways in which material exploration in community-based artmaking spaces fosters learning through play and creative resilience. Using teacher-based action research, three visual arts workshops were designed, conducted, and reviewed in order to understand how community-based teaching strategies that center material exploration impact these two components of social emotional growth in elementary-aged art students. The conclusions drawn from this research indicate that material exploration, learning through play, and creative resilience are elements within community-based artmaking that form an ecosystem of learning, with all three phenomena feeding off of one another in a non-linear capacity. Additionally, it …

Building Capacity And Inspiring Change: The Impact Of Louisiana’S Ucedd Across The Lifespan, Alicia Kowitz, Constance Alphonse, Phil Wilson, Maria Blanco

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Human Development Center (HDC), as the state’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), serves as a catalyst for inclusive systems change through interdisciplinary training, community engagement, and evidence-based service delivery. This manuscript highlights the breadth and impact of HDC’s initiatives across early childhood, education, transition, and community inclusion. Through programs such as Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood, PAYCheck, and LEND, HDC builds capacity among professionals, empowers individuals with disabilities and their families, and strengthens systems to be more responsive and equitable. The stories and outcomes shared illustrate how intentional, collaborative efforts …

The Influence Of Social Media On Body Image, Self-Esteem, And Eating Disorder Risk In Adolescent Females, Nestanet A. Molla

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

• This literature review explored how appearance-focused social media affects adolescent girls. The studies showed that social media is linked to body dissatisfaction, comparison behaviors, lower self-esteem, and unhealthy eating behaviors, especially when use is intensive, problematic, or strongly appearance-focused^1–4

• At the same time, protective factors such as media literacy, family support, and body-positive interventions may help reduce these negative effects^4,5

Identity, Sexuality, And Gender: Perspectives From Self-Identified Sexually Fluid People, Mattilyn Wiseman

Psychology ETDs

Research on sexual fluidity has relied on categorical, gender-based measurement frameworks that prioritize quantifying change over exploring the lived experience of sexually fluid people. This study employed Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to qualitatively and ideographically explore how self-identified sexually fluid people made sense of their own sexual identity, gender (more broadly), and attraction as it relates or does not relate to gender. Three participants completed structured interviews with open-ended questions. Participants unanimously made sense of identity as a self-constructed journey and tied to their social realities. Participants’ lived experiences of their own gender identities informed their sense-making of gender more …

From Worry To Invention: Developing The Lunch Bunch As A Multimodal Expressive Arts Model For Regulation, Collaboration, And Peer Connection In Elementary Schools, Pascale Lauren Mimran-Ugbabe

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis documents the development of the Multimodal Expressive Arts Lunch Bunch, a small group intervention for elementary students delivered during the school lunch period at a public elementary school in Boston, Massachusetts. Grounded in multimodal expressive arts therapy, intermodal transfer theory, polyvagal-informed co-regulation, and principles of externalization, the intervention was designed as a low-barrier creative support group accessible regardless of diagnosis, referral status, or family pursuit of clinical services. Two cohorts of teacher-nominated students, one group of fourth-grade girls and one mixed-gender third-grade group, participated in a sequenced arc moving from worry externalization through collaborative invention, prototype construction, and …

Practitioners’ Experiences Of Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based (Dir) Approach In Their Professional Practice With Neurodivergent Clients: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Ekaterina Sidor

Educational Studies Dissertations

This phenomenological study explores how professionals experience integrating the developmental, individual-differences, and relationship-based (DIR) framework in their work with neurodivergent clients. Although DIR is recognized as an evidence-based developmental approach in the field of autism support, little is known about how its integration affects practitioners themselves. Grounded in relational-cultural theory and transformative learning theory, the study examines how engagement with DIR influences practitioners’ professional practice and development. Using a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological design, data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews with multidisciplinary professionals from diverse international contexts who completed DIRFloortime training and actively implement DIR in their work. …

Influence Of The Discipline Of Authentic Movement Practice On Interpersonal Relationships, Joy Ruben Welts

Educational Studies Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored how practicing the Discipline of Authentic Movement impacts relationships. This research was conducted to fill in the gaps around attunement and use of the Discipline of Authentic Movement as an intervention to support healthy relationships. Five self-selected adults met on Saturday afternoons for eight weeks to practice the Discipline of Authentic Movement. They completed a pre and post Revised Adult Attachment Scale and reflected weekly on their experience through journaling. Participants reported that it was the structure of the Discipline of Authentic Movement that allowed them to feel more comfortable being themselves with others. The …