Emerging Evidence of Positive Youth Constructs and Purpose Development: Results From a Qualitative Approach

Tevington, Patricia; Chauveron, Lisa M.; Urban, Jennifer Brown; Gama, Lauren; Glina, Monica; Quinn, Johanna; Linver, Miriam R.

doi:10.1177/0272431620961459

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…This study proposed precontemplation, foreclosure, ruminative exploration, and diffusion as additional developmental stages in the formation of meaning in life. Previous studies using cluster analysis methods have identified four developmental states of meaning in life: accomplished, foreclosed, uncommitted, and diffused, which supports our proposed stage classification [13,16,17].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Third, some adolescents may be in a state of "ruminative exploration" in which they do not know what to do until they know what they want to do. Some researchers have qualitatively used cluster analysis to investigate the division of meaning based on Marcia's findings [13][14][15][16][17]. It is important to note that cluster analysis can help identify discrete subgroups of people with different levels of public engagement within a given sample.…”

Section: Meaning In Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, it is important to recognize that adolescents’ perceptions and thoughts about meaning in life are not limited to the search for meaning and the presence of meaning [ 12 ]. Research has consistently shown a strong relationship between self-identity development and meaning in life, suggesting that the latter should follow a similar developmental structure [ 13 ]. However, when considering the question of meaning in life within a developmental model, there may be more types.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some researchers have qualitatively used cluster analysis to investigate the division of meaning based on Marcia’s findings [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. It is important to note that cluster analysis can help identify discrete subgroups of people with different levels of public engagement within a given sample.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Person-Centered Analysis of Meaning in Life, Purpose Orientations, and Attitudes toward Life among Chinese Youth

Wang,

Gai,

2023

Behavioral Sciences

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Background: Meaning in life, purpose orientations, and attitudes toward life have a significant impact on youths’ well-being. The purpose of this study is to investigate the developmental trends of youths’ meaning in life, purpose orientations, and attitudes toward life. Methods: The sample consisted of 94,219 students aged 13 to 23 years (M = 16.67, SD = 2.70). Person-centered analysis, MANOVA, and an independent sample t-test were used to analyze the data. Results: Most youths were in the “search” or “presence” type in terms of meaning in life status. Fewer students were identified as being in the “ruminative exploration” or “diffusion” type. Very few were in the “precontemplation” or “foreclosure” stages. The status of the sense of meaning did not change significantly with age. Second, in terms of purpose orientations, Chinese youths consider family well-being and personal growth to be the most important goals, whereas personal well-being and social promotion are less important. Third, in terms of attitudes toward life, most young people take an active, accepting, and optimistic view of their lives, seeing life as an experience or process, rather than a good or bad result. Fourthly, the age of 16 was found to be a significant turning point. More emerging adults were in the “presence” state than adolescents, but their attitudes toward life were not as positive as those of adolescents. Conclusions: This study reveals that Chinese youth consider the question of meaning in life as early as age 13. Most of them were in the state of “searching for meaning”. Therefore, education about meaning in life should be integrated into the primary school context. Family well-being is emphasized by Chinese youth because of the collectivist culture. Family well-being and personal growth should be recognized, and social promotion should be enhanced in guidance of Chinese youth’s meaning acquisition.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Meaning In Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Person-Centered Analysis of Meaning in Life, Purpose Orientations, and Attitudes toward Life among Chinese Youth

Wang,

Gai,

2023

Behavioral Sciences

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“…School curriculum support through preventive programmes is another significant form of PYD implementation. Inspire Aspire (IA) is promoting awareness of character development by creating educational experiences for youth that foster honesty, generosity, reliability, forward-looking activity, diligence, thrift, joy, purpose, curiosity, and humility (Tevington et al, 2020). Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social programmes (PATHS to Adulthood) is another example implemented on a large scale in schools (Shek & Sun, 2009).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive Approach to Youth Studies: An Educational Perspective

Sawicki¹

2021

KiE

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A positive perspective in social sciences is one of the key directions in contemporary youth studies and an important point of reflection on education. In recent decades, the Positive Youth Development concept (PYD) has been a particularly clear and significant perspective for studying adolescence on a global scale. This perspective is crucial for many theoretical assumptions and educational projects. The aim of this article is to analyse the concepts and theories (directly and indirectly) related to this concept in youth studies. In this paper, significant changes in the reflection on adolescence have been analysed, which turned the vision of a developmental stage full of tensions and conflicts into a period of great opportunities for the personal development and also gave new meaning to youth's good life. The PYD key concepts and theories plus practical education have been presented. Additionally, critical remarks on positive concepts in youth studies have been analysed.

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Distinguishing Purpose and Generativity in Youth

Mariano,

Lawford

2024

The Development of Generativity Across Adulthood

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This chapter reports a side-by-side review of youth purpose and generativity around questions that pertain to concepts, correlates, and development. It was found that purpose and generativity share definitional similarities but also diverge along themes of structure, evidence for their presence in a life, content, prospection, and agency and communion. Researchers’ and youth definitions of purpose harmonize; however, views reported by youth in different places explicate specific cultural expressions of purpose, and in contrast, no direct studies of youth views of generativity exist to date. Purpose and generativity manifest differently during youth, but both evade a simple account of development during the period. For both, a coherent story may emerge from considering contextual and relational developmental systems perspectives, cohort and generational differences, and conducting more longitudinal research.

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Emerging Evidence of Positive Youth Constructs and Purpose Development: Results From a Qualitative Approach

Cited by 7 publications

References 47 publications

A Person-Centered Analysis of Meaning in Life, Purpose Orientations, and Attitudes toward Life among Chinese Youth

A Person-Centered Analysis of Meaning in Life, Purpose Orientations, and Attitudes toward Life among Chinese Youth

Positive Approach to Youth Studies: An Educational Perspective

Distinguishing Purpose and Generativity in Youth

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