The ongoing mental health crisis of children and adolescents was only worsened by the confluence of issues brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic (Hiebert & Kortes-Miller, 2021) with continued growing rates of anxiety and depression as well as elevations in suicidal ideation and thoughts of self-harm among today's youth (Reinert et al., 2021).…

The current study examined whether relationships also influence personality trait development during middle and older adulthood, focusing on the individual's perception of support from the relationship partner. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 20,422; mean age = 65.9 years), we examined the longitudinal relationships between…

This research examines the characteristics of adults that girls and adult OST facilitators consider most important for supporting positive youth development experiences in the outdoors. Three factors are identified: Emotional support, challenge support, and outdoor preparedness. While Emotional Support is rated most important by both girls and…

Shape and weight concerns among overweight pre-adolescents heighten risk for eating disorders and weight gain. Treatment and prevention efforts require consideration of psychosocial factors that co-occur with these concerns. This study involved 200 overweight pre-adolescents, aged 7-12 years (M age = 9.8; SD = 1.4), presenting for family-based…

This paper explores, through the lens of childhood, the Chinese cultural dynamics that encourage harmonious human relationships at the price of individual development and yet support a deep appreciation of natural human experiences that allows room for the development of individuality. The purpose of such investigation is to reexamine our cultural…

Character is vital force for positive development and societal well-being. Character strengths play important roles in positive youth development, not only as broad-protective factors, preventing or mitigating psychopathology and problems, but also as enabling conditions that promote thriving and flourishing. Recent research findings show that…

"Child as cultural apprentice" is a developmental psychologist's heuristic metaphor which is embedded in an individual-socioecological frame of reference. A basic theoretic feature of this metaphor is the explicit recognition of the interdependence of the process of child development and the socially provided resources for that…

Two groups of college students' accounts of recalled parent's child rearing patterns were examined and compared in this study by means of two objective personality measures. (Author/DEP)

Over the past decade, there has been a worldwide search for caretaking factors which protect children from poverty, poor health, and neglect. This search has shifted in focus from unchangeable risk factors to conditions and behaviors that can be taught to caregivers. These conditions seem to be: (1) based in species-wide needs; (2) specific to…

Using a comparative-cultural perspective, this collection of essays examines the co-constructivist nature of human development in culturally organized environments. The contributions also cover a large age span--infancy to adulthood. Chapters in part 1 cover two different directions in the study of early adult-infant interaction from a comparative…

This sixth of 14 curriculum modules in the Family and Community Services Occupational Education Modules series deals with many aspects of client needs and sensitivity of helpers. It is intended to aid students in (1) understanding physical, psycho-social, and intellectual human development for various age groups; (2) developing understanding of…