The Oregon 4-H Model Thriving Indicators: Definitions and Measurement

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1 The Oregon 4-H Model Thriving Indicators: Definitions and Measurement Search Institute (2014) identified six indicators of thriving based on years of research with adolescents. These indicators are: 1) openness to challenge and discovery; 2) hopeful purpose; 3) transcendent awareness; 4) pro-social orientation; 5) positive emotionality; and 6) intentional self regulation. As Benson & Scales (2009) point out, any particular description of thriving is based on a set of moral and cultural values. Thus, finding a taxonomy for, and subsequent measurements of thriving may not be universal across settings. Since the purpose of this study is to measure youth thriving in the cultural setting of the 4-H program, the items chosen and developed to measure thriving in this study are based first on the definitions of the thriving indicators put forth by Search Institute (2014a) and augmented as needed to measure additional aspects of the thriving indicators that are particularly salient to the 4-H program. For each of the indicators and their measurements presented below, the additional aspects that have been added to the original definitions put forth by Search (2014a) are presented in italics. Thriving Indicator: Openness to Challenge and Discovery The young person has the desire and ability to explore and try new things and challenges and possesses a growth mindset that supports effort in learning over innate ability. Two sets of items make up the measurement of this indicator. First, is the eight-item Personal Beliefs Survey (Flores, 2006) that measures whether ability and intelligence is fixed or can be enhanced with effort. This scale is based on the work of leading mindset researcher Carol Dweck (2006). Items are rated on a 1-4 Likert scale: strongly disagree (1); disagree (2); agree (3); strongly agree (4): You can learn new things, but you can t really change how intelligent you are You can always change basic things about the kind of person you that you are No matter how much intelligence you have, you can always change it quite a bit You can do things differently, but the most important parts of you can t really be changed No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially You are a certain kind of person and there is not much that can be done to change that You can always substantially change how intelligent you are Your intelligence is something very basic that you can t change very much

2 The second set of five items was developed for the study to determine a young person s willingness to try new things. Youth rate their agreement with these items based on a 1-4 Likert scale: strongly disagree (1); disagree (2); agree (3); strongly agree (4): I like to try new things I am not afraid of learning things, even if they seem hard I tend to be afraid of trying new things I worry I will look bad if I try something and I can t do it very well I like to try new things, even if I am not very good at them at first Thriving Indicator: Hopeful Purpose The young person has a sense of purpose and sees self as on the way to a happy and successful future. Items for this indicator were taking from the Adolescent Hope and Adolescent Purpose scales developed by Lippman, et al. (2014). Three items make up the Adolescent Hope Scale, for which youth are asked to rate how much each of the statements matches who they are and how they feel on a 1-5 Likert Scale: Not at all like me (1) through Exactly like me (5): I expect good things to happen to me I am excited about my future I trust my future will turn out well Similarly, three items make up the Adolescent Purpose scale, which are rated on the on the same Likert Scale of Not at all like me (1) through Exactly like me (5): My life has no meaning My life will make a difference in the world I am doing things now that will help me achieve my purpose in the world Thriving Indicator: Transcendent Awareness The young person affirms the importance of a sacred or transcendent force and the role of their faith or spirituality in shaping everyday thoughts and actions. Benson, Scales, Syvertsen & Roehlkepartain (2012) define spirituality as an awareness of, or awakening to, a bigger, more universal reality, a reality from which one s self, relationships, meaning and purpose are derived. Items for this indicator were split into two categories, spirituality and environmental stewardship. The first category is indented to measure youth spirituality directly because spirituality is increasingly recognized as an integral part of positive adolescent development (Warren, Lerner, & Phelps, 2012). However, transcendent awareness can be more than spirituality, and as such the construct continues to be defined. One way youth may express their awareness of the transcendent is through the natural world (Keller,

3 2002), which perhaps can be reflected in concern about the earth s well-being and responsibility for its care. Such concern for the environment is a proxy reflection of ego transcendence (Hanfstingl, 2013) that allows people to see themselves as connected to things beyond the ego-based self. The Adolescent Spirituality Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure spirituality. The scale consists of two sets of questions designed to assess youth belief in something higher than themselves (8 items), and the ways in which spirituality influences their thoughts and actions (7 items). Each item is rated on a 1-5 Likert Scale: Not at all (1) through completely (5): How much do you believe the following? There is a God There is a higher power There are angels There is a sacredness to all life That all life is connected That you are connected to a higher power That you have a soul That there is a single source of all life How much does your belief that something exists beyond the everyday world: Give you the strength to make it through hard times Protect you from harm Affect how you treat others Provide you joy in your life Bring you peace in your life Guide how you think and act in everyday life An important part of who you are The Environmental Stewardship Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure the second aspect of transcendent awareness. The scale consists of three sets of questions designed to assess youth actions related to environmental stewardship (2 items), attitude toward the need for environmental stewardship (1 item), and specific behaviors indicative of environmental stewardship (6 items). Each item is rated on a 1-5 Likert Scale. Please indicate how much these statements describe you: Not at all like me (1) through exactly like me (5)

4 I look for information about how my actions affect the environment I do my part to take care of the environment Please indicate your agreement with the following: Strongly disagree (1) through strongly agree (5) I believe there is no need to change how I live to protect the earth s environment How often in the last month have you done the following? Never (1) through almost every day (5) Turned off and unplugged electronics when you are not using them Recycled cans or bottles Recycled paper Volunteered on a project to help the environment Said something to a friend when they did something harmful to the environment Used reusable bags when shopping Thriving Indicator: Pro-Social Orientation The young person sees helping others as a personal responsibility, and lives up to the values of respect, responsibility, honesty, and caring. A pro-social orientation reflects a young person s caring engagement with others. We chose to measure this indicator from two aspects, first as empathy, which had both cognitive and affective components (Lippman, et al, 2014), and second as caring itself, which is one of the 5Cs proposed by Lerner & Lerner, 2013). The Adolescent Empathy Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure empathy. The scale of four items that assess youth feelings about, and responsibility for, empathy. Each item is rated on a 1-5 Likert Scale: Not at all like me (1) through exactly like me (5). Please indicate how much these statements describe you: Not at all like me (1) through exactly like me (5) I feel bad when someone gets their feelings hurt I understand how those close to me feel It is important to me to understand how other people feel I am happy when others succeed The second measure was the Caring Subscale from the Positive Youth Development Inventory (Arnold, Nott, & Meinhold, 2012). This measure contains seven items that measure youth pro-

5 social feelings and actions in relation to others. Youth are asked to rate their level of agreement with each item on a 1-4 Likert Scale: Strongly disagree (1) through strongly agree (4). Where there is a need I offer assistance whenever I can It is easy for me to consider the feelings of others I care about how my decisions affect other people I try to encourage others when they are not as good at something as me I can be counted on to help if someone needs me I care about the feelings of my friends When one of my friends is hurting I hurt too Thriving Indicator: Positive Emotionality The young person is positive an optimistic. In addition, the young person is able to regulate his or her emotions in a positive manner. Developing positive emotions, and learning to regulate emotions are key development tasks that become increasingly important in adolescence, when emotions often become more powerful. How youth handle increasingly powerful emotions has an impact on their positive development (Wang, Vujoic, Barrett, & Lerner, 2015). A related aspect of emotional regulation for youth is the need to develop emotional autonomy, which is the ability to make choices independently of others, which is a sign of secure ego identity development (Noom, Dekoiv, & Meeus, 2001). Both aspects of positive emotionality were measured in this study. The Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), which was used in the 4-H study of Youth Devleopment (Lerner & Lerner, 2013) was used to measure emotional regulation and expression. The assess youth agree with 10 items, rated on a 1-7 Likert Scale: Strongly disagree (1) through strongly agree (7): When I want to feel more positive emotion (such as joy or amusement), I change what I'm thinking about I keep my emotions to myself When I want to feel less negative emotion (such as sadness or anger), I change what I am thinking about When I am feeling positive emotions, I am careful not to express them When I am faced with a stressful situation, I make myself think about it a way that helps me stay calm I control my emotions by not expressing them

6 When I want to feel more positive emotion, I change the way I am thinking about the situation I control my emotions by changing the way I think about the situation I am in When I am feeling negative emotions, I make sure not to express them When I want to feel less negative emotions, I change the way I am thinking about the situation The Adolescent Autonomy Scale (Noom, Dekovic, Meeus, 2012) was used to measure emotional autonomy. This scale consists of five items rated on a 1-5 Likert Scale: Very bad description of me (1); bad description of me (2); average description of me (3); good description of me (4); very good description of me (5): When I act against the will of others I usually get nervous I have a strong tendency to comply with the wishes of others When I disagree with others, I tell them I often agree with others, even if I am not sure I often change my mind after listening to others Thriving Indicator: Intentional Self-Regulation The young person employs an effective balance of goal setting and pursuing strategies, including persevering, and making adjustments when goals are not attained. In addition, the young person is able to make self-regulatory decisions that lead to better short-term and longterm success. For this study, intentional self-regulations was conceptualized in two ways. The first is related to goal setting and achievement, which reflects the definition of self-regulation proposed by Search Institute (2014b). The second focuses on the adaptive choices and behaviors that youth utilize for short and long-term success. We add this aspect because effective self-regulation allows young people to take better advantage of the opportunities that come their way, thus leading to enhanced positive development (Weiner, Geldof, & Gestdottir, 2015). The Adolescent Goal Orientation Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure goal-related self-regulation. The scale consists of two sets of items that measure attitudes and actions related to setting goals. Youth are asked to rate each item on a on a 1-5 Likert scale. Please indicate how much these statements describe you: Not at all like me (1) through exactly like me (5). I develop step-by-step plans to reach my goal

7 If I set goals, I take action to reach them It is important to me that I reach my goals I know how to make my plans happen Please indicate how often you do the following: Not of the time (1) through all of the time (5). How often do you make plans to achieve your goals How often do you have trouble figuring out how to make your goals happen The Adolescent Self-Regulation Inventory (Moilanen, 2006) was used to short-term (13 items) and long-term (14 items) self-regulation. Both scales ask you to rate each item on a 1-5 Likert scale: Not true at all for me (1); not very true for me (2); neither true nor untrue for me (3); somewhat true for me (4); really true for me (5). Short-Term Regulation Please indicate how much these statements describe you: When I m sad, I can usually start doing something that will make me feel better When I m bored I fidget or can t sit still I can usually act normal around everybody if I m upset with someone I am good at keeping track of lots of things going on around me, even when I am feeling stressed I can start a new task even if I m already tired Little problems detract me from my long-term plans I forget about whatever else I need to do when I m doing something really fun During a dull class, I have trouble forcing myself to start paying attention After I m interrupted or distracted, I can easily continue where I left off If there are other things going on around me, I find it hard to keep my attention focused on whatever I am doing I never know how much more work I have to do It s hard to start making plans to deal with a big project or problems, especially when I m feeling stressed I can calm myself down when I am excited or wound up Long-Term Regulation Please indicate how much these statements describe you:

8 If something isn t going according to my plans, I change my actions to try and reach my goal I can find ways to make myself study even when my friends want to go out I lose control whenever I don t get my way If I really want something, I have to have it right away When I have a serious disagreement with someone, I can talk calmly about it without losing control I can stay focused on my work even when it s dull I can stop myself from doing things like throwing objects when I m mad I work carefully when I know something will be tricky I am usually aware of my feelings before I let them out In class, I can concentrate on my work even if my friends are talking When I m excited about reaching a goal (e.g., getting my driver s license, going to college), it s easy to start working toward it I can find a way to stick with my plans and goals, even when it s tough When I have a big project, I can keep working on it I can resist doing something when I know I shouldn t do it References Arnold, M. E., Nott, B. D., & Meinhold, J. L. (2012). The positive youth development inventory. Corvallis, OR: Oregon 4-H Youth Development Program, Oregon State University. Benson, P. L. & Scales, P. C. (2009). The definition and preliminary measurement of thriving in adolescence. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), Benson, P. L., & Scales, P. C. (2011). Thriving and sparks. In R. J. R Leveque (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Adolescence (pp ). New York: Springer. Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House. Eccles, J., & Gootman, J. (Eds.). (2002). Community programs to promote youth development. Washington DC: National Academy Press. Flores, D. (2006). The personal beliefs survey. Striving Together. Available at: Survey%20%28Flores%29.pdf Gross, J. J. & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotional regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, Kellert, S. R. (2002). Experiencing nature: Affective, cognitive, & evaluative development in children. In P. H. Hahn, & S. R. Kellert (Eds.), Children & nature: Psychological, sociocultural, and evolutionary investigations. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

9 Lerner, R. M. (2006). Developmental science, developmental systems, and contemporary theories of human development. In R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.) & W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models of human development (6 th ed., pp. 1-17). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., von Eye, A., Bowers, E. P., & Lewin-Bizan, S. (2011). Individual and contextual bases of thriving in adolescence: A view of the issues. Journal of Adolescence, 34, Lerner, R. M., & Lerner, J. V. (2013). The positive development of youth: Comprehensive findings from the 4-H Study of Youth Development. Chevy Chase, MD: National 4-H Council. Lippman, L. H., Moore, K. A., Guzman, L., Ryberg, R., McIntosh, H., Ramos, M. F., Caal, S., Carle, A., & Kuhfeld, M. (2014). Flourishing children: Defining and testing indicators of positive development. New York: Springer. Moilanen, K. L. (2006). The adolescent self-regulatory inventory: the development and testing of a questionnaire of short-term and long-term self-regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, Noom, M. J., Docovic, M., & Meeus, W. (2001). Conceptual analysis and measurement of adolescent autonomy. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30(5), Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003). What exactly is a youth development program? Answers from research and practice. Applied Developmental Science, 7(2), Search Institute (2014a). A research update from Search Institute: Developmental relationships. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Available at: Search Institute (2014a). The Search Institute model of thriving orientation: Overview of its evolution through recent funding from the Thrive Foundation for Youth. Unpublished paper. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Scales, P.C., Benson, P. L., & Roehlkepartain, E. C. (2011). Adolescent thriving: The role of sparks, relationships, and empowerment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40, Wang, J., Vujoic, L., Barrett, K. C., & Lerner, R. M. (2015). The regulation of emotions in adolescence. In E. P. Bowers, G. J. Geldof, S. K. Johnson, L. J. Hilliard, R. M. Hershberg, J. V. Lerner, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Promoting positive youth development: Lessons from the 4-H study (pp ). New York: Springer. Warren, A. E. A., Lerner, R. M., & Phelps, E. (2012). Research perspectives and future possibilities in the study of thriving and spirituality: A view of the issues. In A. E. A. Warren, R. M. Lerner, & E. Phelps (Eds.), Thriving and spirituality among youth. Hoboken NJ: Wiley. Weiner, M. B, Geldof, G. J., & Gestsdottir, S. (2015). Intentional self-regulation in youth: Applying research findings to practice and programs. In E. P. Bowers, G. J. Geldof, S. K.

10 i Johnson, L. J. Hilliard, R. M. Hershberg, J. V. Lerner, & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Promoting positive youth development: Lessons from the 4-H study (pp ). New York: Springer. i Arnold, M. E. (October, 2016). The Impact of 4-H on Youth Thriving Study: Thriving Indicators and Measurement. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University 4-H Program.