Positive and Negative Developmental Trajectories in U.S. Adolescents: Where the Positive Youth Development Perspective Meets the Deficit Model

Abstract

Using data from Grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD), the patterns of change associated with indicators of PYD, contribution, and risk/problem behaviors were assessed among 1,909 youth. In addition, the role of intentional self-regulation—as indexed by a measure of the Freund and Baltes (2002) model of selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC)—in determining which developmental paths youth follow was examined. Results indicated that five PYD trajectories represent change across grades, four trajectories were associated with indicators of youth contribution, four trajectories were associated also with indicators of depressive symptoms, and three trajectories were associated with indicators of risk/problem behaviors. Binomial logistic regression results indicated that youth with higher SOC scores were significantly more likely to be in the most favorable trajectory than any of the other possible trajectories for each of the outcome variables. Significant sex differences were also found for all four constructs. Implications are discussed for developmental theory and applications aimed at enhancing resilience and positive development among adolescents.

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Erratum

This research was supported in part by a grant from the National 4-H Council.

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