Positive Youth Development (PYD) Lecture 3

Christopher Maymon

Victoria University of Wellington

Learning objectives

How survey measures are made and validated
Introduce the Ecological Perspective
Discuss how principles of PYD can be applied and considered in different cultures

How Surveys are made

Surveys do not exist in nature. They are not discovered. They are made by people.
3 steps of survey creation
4 steps of survey validation/refinement

Survey Creation (3 Steps)

Define the target construct(s)

Philosophical/theoretical work
Need a clear conceptual understanding of the construct you aim to measure

Survey Creation

Conduct thorough review of the literature

Hunt down other surveys been created that measure the same/similar construct

Survey Creation

Generate the items (i.e., make the survey)

an item = individual question or statement that participants will respond to
these items are devised such that differences in responses would correspond to differences in the presence/absence of the target construct
Items should be unambiguous, concise, and relevant to the target audience

Survey Validation (4 Steps)

What it means to Validate a survey: assess the extent to which the survey accurately measures the psychological construct(s) it intends to measure.

Survey Validation

Expert review

Experts review your survey and evaluate it for clarity, relevance, & comprehensiveness

Survey Validation

Pilot Testing

Survey is administered to a sample from the target population
Usually there is also a qualitative component to these pilot studies where participants give open-ended feedback on the items to identify potential misunderstanding

Survey Validation

Large Scale Validation Test

Administer to a larger sample from the target population
Assess Construct Validity: The extent to which a survey accurately measures the theoretical construct or concept it is intended to assess
Convergent Validity: Scores on our new survey should be positively related to scores on previously validated surveys designed to measure the same/similar construct
Divergent Validity: Scores on our new survey should negatively correlate with scores on previously validated surveys designed to measure an opposite construct (or to measure the absence of the construct your survey measures the presence of).

Survey Validation/Refining

Reliability Testing

Evaluate the survey’s Internal Consistency (the extent to which items within the same construct yield correlated responses)
Evaluate the survey’s Test-Retest Reliability (measures the stability of responses over time by administering the survey to the same participants at different time points)

Okay, I did all that. Now What?

You now have a lovely, new, and validated survey that can be used to measure a construct!
Sit back and watch the citations flow your way!:)

The Ecological Perspective:

We are currently in the midst of yet another paradigm shift
We are beginning to reject dichotomies like Nature OR Nurture, and Continuous OR Discontinuous development
These ideas used to be the foundation of developmental science
The problem with dichotomies: They are reductive! Neither may be right! Or both could be equally wrong!
What’s the solution? Embrace the nuance and complexity!

The complex truth motivating the Ecological Perspective

Ecological Perspective: development occurs in a complex dynamic process involving multiple domains (i.e., the individual’s ecology).
We need to understand how a huge number of psychological and behavioural and environmental factors contribute to well-being (multi-disciplinary)

Ecological Systems: How complex is it?

Microsystem: This is the innermost layer and includes the immediate environments where the individual interacts directly. It comprises family, school, peers, and other significant relationships. These contexts have the most immediate and direct impact on the individual’s development. Mesosystem: The mesosystem encompasses the interactions between different microsystems. For instance, the relationship between a child’s family and school or the connection between home and the neighborhood community. The mesosystem influences how the experiences and dynamics in one setting may spill over into another. Exosystem: This layer comprises settings or institutions that the individual may not directly participate in but still affect them, such as the parents’ workplace, community services, mass media, or extended family members. Events in these settings can indirectly influence the individual through their impact on the micro- and mesosystems. Macrosystem: The macrosystem includes the broader cultural context in which the individual lives. It encompasses societal norms, values, laws, customs, and resources. These cultural factors shape the individual’s experiences in the other layers and influence their development. Chronosystem: This is the dimension of time in the individual’s life and in the historical context. It includes both the individual’s personal life changes (such as transitions like marriage, parenthood, divorce) and broader sociohistorical events (like economic recessions, technological advancements, or cultural shifts). The chronosystem recognizes that development is dynamic and influenced by changes over time.

Positive Youth Development in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Important Cultural Differences

So, now I want to dive into this question about PYD principles across cultures, specifically in Aotearoa/NZ. So, to do this, I will be talking specifically about Maori and about the values and principles that Maori emphasize/prioritize that are different from those in other cultures, particularly western cultures.

Now in so doing, I will need be, effectively, representing perspectives on Maori, and I am not Maori. I am an American white man who has lived in Aotearoa/NZ for about 10 years and who considers him to be a student of Tikanga, of Kaupapa Maori and Te Reo, but a student who has only scratched the surface. The reason I say this is because, the truth is that some might come to the quite reasonable conclusion that this is not my story to tell. That I don’t really know what I’m talking about. And to those who might feel that way, I agree. If I seem comfortable, then I must be a somewhat decent actor.

However, like it or not, the school asked me to assemble a comprehensive overview of positive youth development in these three lectures, and when I considered what that should entail, I realized that if I did not discuss youth development from a Maori worldview, then I would be neglecting my responsibility.

So, with that disclaimer made, in the next section I will aim to explain that which I feel that I understand (at least well enough to describe), and I do not intend to imply or suggest that I am speaking from any point of authority or that my views are based on any direct lived experience of growing up in the Maori world.

Finally, I know that this class is comprised of many backgrounds. Some of you grew up in Aotearoa/NZ, some of you are Maori, some are pacifica, some are international students. Some of you will be very familiar with the use of Te Reo (that is, Maori language) that I may use, and others will be hearing some of these words for the first time. For those who are hearing it for the first time I want to let you know that (1) I am not going to expect you to understand or recognize Te Reo on tomorrow’s test, and (2) I will endeavour to provide the most direct english translation for the words I will use, but if I forget to do so or you would like me to remind you, please do put your hand up and I will be more than happy to clarify.

Any questions?

The Impact of Cultural Context on values underlying PYD

Individualist (Western) vs. Collectivist (Māori) cultures:

Competition vs. Cooperation
Autonomy vs. Harmony
Destiny vs. Duty
Confidence vs. Connection
Ambition vs. Responsibility
Assertiveness vs. Conflict Averse

There are many ways that specific cultures will incentivize or disincentivize certain outcomes for youth, or different emphases. But Sociologists, Anthropologists, Cultural Psychologists seem to have come to the consensus after decades of research on this question, that the most meaningful difference between cultures, when we are talking about how individuals are encouraged to develop and thrive, is the difference between individualistic cultures and collectivist cultures.

Individualistic cultures (Western) emphasize autonomy, freedom, independence.

In western cultures, parents often measure their own success as parents based on whether their children leave the home at the appropriate age and can survive/thrive on their own.

Emphasis on Fairness (i.e., equal opportunities). Competition is encouraged. Those who are able to compete and succeed are not expected to take care of those who did not succeed. There are also no safeguards on failure.

Self-Expression is viewed as sacred (freedom of speech). Importance of one’s personal opinion, preferences, identities.

Personal goals are prioritized over the group’s goals.

Collectivist cultures emphasize harmony, cohesion, cooperation.

Interdependence among group members is emphasized. Sense of duty (to family, community, whanau)

Conformity to social norms is important for maintaining group cohesion. Shared values, traditions, customs.

Conflict avoidance is common in collectivist cultures, for sake of preserving harmony and saving face for oneself and others are prioritized over individual assertiveness.

What does wellbeing mean for Youth in Aotearoa/NZ

6,000+ children and young people in Aotearoa/NZ were surveyed or interviewed in person
Research conducted by Office of the Children’s Commissioner and Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) in October-November 2018.
Part of the ‘Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy’ (obligations under the Children’s Act 2014).
175 tamariki and rangatahi Māori were interviewed
Goal: to hear from children and young people about what “wellbeing” means to them.
Responded to 17 items relating to their wellbeing (“I feel safe in my neighbourhood”, “I can cope when life gets hard”). Answer strongly disagree – strongly agree.
Majority indicated that they are doing well (mean response for all 17 items was positive)
However, ~10% of participants responded negatively to 4 or more items
~2% of participants responded negatively to 10 or more items (some are growing up in extremely challenging circumstances)

What Makes a ‘Good Life’ for Tamariki and Rangatahi Māori?

175 tamariki and rangatahi Māori were asked what it means to have a ‘good life’ and what they see as the barriers to having that life here.
“We want the opportunity to be our true and best selves as Māori”
“Having a school system based on teaching by strengths and not high grades and a lot of credits”
“Things that get in the way is the stigma that comes with being in the system. People thinking you are an out of control teen who is always doing something bad and can’t be trusted. So, getting rid of that stereotype and showing more of the kids who have come out of care on top”
“to see ourselves – cultures being embraced and celebrated”

Te Kete Whanaketanga—Rangatahi: A model of positive development for Rangatahi Māori

Māori participants surveyed (N = 2,059) + in person interviews (N = 8).
Indicators of positive development were:

Collective responsibility
Successfully navigating the Māori and Pakeha worlds
Cultural efficacy: engagement as Māori
Health: Emotional, physical and intellectual well-being
Personal Strengths: confidence, resilience, and humility

PYD in Aotearoa/NZ: Māori and Pakeha adolescents take a voyage!

PYD in Aotearoa/NZ: Rangatahi Māori and NZ European adolescents take a voyage!

Question 1: will taking part in the voyage produce changes in three PYD outcomes (psychological resilience, self-esteem and positive outlook)?
Measured participants using surveys before and after the 7-day voyage
Question 2: does collective identity (whanaungatanga) contribute to changes in the three PYD outcomes above?

Findings

All three PYD outcome measures improved significantly (for both Rangatahi Māori and NZ European youth)
When measured before the voyage: Rangatahi Māori exhibited significantly lower levels of resilience and self esteem (relative to NZ European youth)
However, that difference was not observed when the same measures were assessed after the voyage.
Indicated that the degree of improvement in these outcomes was greater for Rangatahi Māori
However, collective identity did not predict changes in self-esteem.

So for Question 1, we have a clear answer: the 7-day voyage did result in positive changes across these three outcomes

What would you make of the fact that for Rangatahi Maori, they experienced a greater increase/improvement in resilience and self-esteem? 1. Maybe these kinds of group-based endeavours (collective) are more effective for Rangatahi Maori 2. Perhaps it’s not about being Maori specifically, but that the combination of Maori and Non-Maori brought them all to the same level (possibly, but the design did not match groups in that way, so follow-up would be needed) 3. Maybe there’s a curvilinear trajectory where for those who are higher in these outcomes at the beginning, they experience less positive change, but those lower in these outcomes show a steeper rise.

What woudl you make of the fact that collective identity did not predict changes in self-esteem?

Positive Youth Development (PYD) Lecture 3

Learning objectives

How Surveys are made

Survey Creation (3 Steps)

Survey Creation

Survey Creation

Survey Validation (4 Steps)

Survey Validation

Survey Validation

Survey Validation

Survey Validation/Refining

Okay, I did all that. Now What?

The Ecological Perspective:

The complex truth motivating the Ecological Perspective

Ecological Systems: How complex is it?

Positive Youth Development in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Important Cultural Differences

The Impact of Cultural Context on values underlying PYD

What does wellbeing mean for Youth in Aotearoa/NZ

What Makes a ‘Good Life’ for Tamariki and Rangatahi Māori?

Te Kete Whanaketanga—Rangatahi: A model of positive development for Rangatahi Māori

PYD in Aotearoa/NZ: Māori and Pakeha adolescents take a voyage!

PYD in Aotearoa/NZ: Rangatahi Māori and NZ European adolescents take a voyage!

Findings

Ngā mihi nui - Thank you!