Possible selves is a theory of self-concept and behaviour motivation. Methods of exploring possible selves have focused on interviews and questionnaires. This article introduces the Possible Me Tree model and explains how the model was adapted and used for research. The Possible Me Tree model was implemented with young people between 17 and 18…

In recent years, the relevant data has revealed continuous growth in knowledge of Basque. Formal education has played a significant role in this advance, in which young speakers have been front and centre. Yet the levels of Basque-use, especially in regard to informal and relationship contexts, have not mirrored this increase. Expanding our…

Following the signing of peace agreements, post-accord societies often remain deeply divided across group lines. There is a need to identify antecedents of youth's support for peace and establish more constructive intergroup relations. This article explored the effect of out-group trust, intergroup forgiveness, and social identity on support for…

Globalization is affecting the identity of adolescents worldwide. Armenia, a country beset by many challenges since 1895, remained isolated after it separated from the Soviet Union in 1991. Widespread poverty limited Armenia's access to technology until recently. This chapter reports the influence of globalization on rural and urban Armenian…

The current study tested a psychosocial mediation model of the association between subjective social status (SSS) and academic achievement for youth. The sample included 430 high school students from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Those who perceived themselves to be at higher social status levels had higher GPAs. As…

Information seeking is one of the most popular online activities for young people and can provide an additional information channel, which may enhance learning. In this study, we propose and test a model that adds to the existing literature by examining the ways in which parents, schools, and friends (what we call networks of support) effect young…

Two studies examined the place of emotion in self-construct models. The first presented three categories of adolescent identity types: connected, contracted, and expanded. The second verified that the contracted and expanded categories were more typical of adolescents than of children or adults. (MDM)

This chapter reframes, from a developmental, self-worth perspective, the longstanding debate over the presumed negative impact of extrinsic rewards on subject-matter appreciation and creative expression. The chapter argues that the debate over the potentially adverse effects of extrinsic payoffs is largely misplaced because of a narrow, almost…

Argues that the higher incidence of depression among adolescent females is due to the interaction of two factors: (1) girls enter early adolescence with a style of responding to frustration and distress that is less efficacious and action oriented than boys; and (2) girls begin to face certain uncontrollable stressors in early adolescence to a…

Examined the relationship between adolescents' detection of self-discrepancies and internalizing and externalizing problems. Found that self-discrepancy, independent of actual-self positivity, predicted internalizing and externalizing problems. For girls, discrepancy with parental standards predicted functioning, and discrepancy with independent…

This chapter examines how adolescents' self-concept beliefs are powerfully influenced by frame of reference effects, which involve students comparisons of their ability levels with those of other students in the immediate context as well as assessments of their own ability and academic accomplishments. Noting that academic self-concept is…

Academically motivated students engage their schoolwork with confidence and interest, are less likely to drop out of school, suffer fewer disciplinary problems, and are more resilient in the face of setbacks than less motivated students. This book presents the work of numerous scholars of adolescent academic motivation and represents the varied…

This paper discusses some of the health implications of data produced in the course of a research project that explored the usefulness of the concept of "social capital" in relation to the health and well-being of children. The research used qualitative methods to explore 12-15 year olds' subjective experiences of their neighbourhoods,…