Objectives:The climate crisis demands urgent action from all sectors of society,including young people in higher education.While previous research has explored individual and contextual predictors of pro-environmental...Objectives:The climate crisis demands urgent action from all sectors of society,including young people in higher education.While previous research has explored individual and contextual predictors of pro-environmental behaviour(PEB),the contribution of Positive Youth Development(PYD)remains underexplored.This study investigates the relationship between PYD dimensions(Competence,Confidence,Connection,Character,and Caring)and two environmental outcomes:environmental habits and climate change awareness,considering gender differences.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 1779 students from 10 universities in Andalusia(Spain).Data were collected through an online survey assessing PYD indicators,PEB,and sociodemographic variables.Descriptive statistics,t-tests,correlation analyses,and multiple mediation models were performed.Results:Descriptive analyses indicated moderate levels of PYD dimensions and PEB across the sample.Among the 5 Cs,Caring had a positive association with environmental habits(r 0.22,p 0.001)and climate change awareness(r=<=0.30,p 0.001).Character also had a positive effect on both environmental habits(r 0.23,p 0.001)and climate<=<change awareness(r 0.30,p 0.001).Competence and Confidence were not significantly associated,and Connection=<demonstrated limited predictive value,potentially influenced by contextual or social factors.Gender differences were also identified,with women showing higher scores in Character(d 0.29,p 0.001),Caring(d 0.63,p 0.001),=<=<environmental habits(d 0.20,p 0.001)and climate change awareness(d 0.40,p 0.001),while men scored higher in=<=<Competence(d 0.57,p 0.001)and Confidence(d 0.22,p 0.001).Mediation analyses indicated that the association=<=<between gender and environmental habits was totally explained by Character(β95%CI:and=-0.02;-0.04;-0.01)Caring(β95%CI:Furthermore,the relationship between gender and climate change awareness=-0.04;-0.05,-0.02).was partially mediated by Character(β95%CI:and Caring(β95%CI:=-0.03;-0.05;-0.02)=-0.05;-0.07,-0.03).Conclusions:Females showed more environmental habits and climate change awareness than males,because of their greater scores in both Caring and Character dimensions of PYD.These findings highlight the importance of the PYD for promoting PEB and engaged citizens among young adults.Gender-sensitive and interdisciplinary interventions,such as environmental volunteering and community-based programmes,are recommended for university contexts to enhance sustainable development behaviours and values.展开更多
Adolescence is a critical time for the cultivation of life purpose,also known as a meaningful long-term aim focused on contribution to others.Youth with purpose,especially marginalized youth,report a number of positiv...Adolescence is a critical time for the cultivation of life purpose,also known as a meaningful long-term aim focused on contribution to others.Youth with purpose,especially marginalized youth,report a number of positive outcomes.Relationships with caring adults appear to be particularly helpful in guiding young people on their path to purpose,but little work has focused specifically on the role of mothers.This qualitative study,approved by a Institutional Review Board,examines how twenty adolescents from marginalized communities describe their sense of purpose and its relationship to their caregivers.The sample size was determined based on saturation,a process in qualitative research when the researchers begin to observe redundancy in the data.Through content analysis,a major theme emerged:the role of mothers and their impact on purpose development on their children.Results showed that mothers helped their adolescents develop their sense of purpose through serving as a sense of inspiration,providing the adolescents with support,sparking a desire for the adolescents to make their mothers proud,and through the mothers and adolescents in engaging in conversations about one’s future.展开更多
文摘Objectives:The climate crisis demands urgent action from all sectors of society,including young people in higher education.While previous research has explored individual and contextual predictors of pro-environmental behaviour(PEB),the contribution of Positive Youth Development(PYD)remains underexplored.This study investigates the relationship between PYD dimensions(Competence,Confidence,Connection,Character,and Caring)and two environmental outcomes:environmental habits and climate change awareness,considering gender differences.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 1779 students from 10 universities in Andalusia(Spain).Data were collected through an online survey assessing PYD indicators,PEB,and sociodemographic variables.Descriptive statistics,t-tests,correlation analyses,and multiple mediation models were performed.Results:Descriptive analyses indicated moderate levels of PYD dimensions and PEB across the sample.Among the 5 Cs,Caring had a positive association with environmental habits(r 0.22,p 0.001)and climate change awareness(r=<=0.30,p 0.001).Character also had a positive effect on both environmental habits(r 0.23,p 0.001)and climate<=<change awareness(r 0.30,p 0.001).Competence and Confidence were not significantly associated,and Connection=<demonstrated limited predictive value,potentially influenced by contextual or social factors.Gender differences were also identified,with women showing higher scores in Character(d 0.29,p 0.001),Caring(d 0.63,p 0.001),=<=<environmental habits(d 0.20,p 0.001)and climate change awareness(d 0.40,p 0.001),while men scored higher in=<=<Competence(d 0.57,p 0.001)and Confidence(d 0.22,p 0.001).Mediation analyses indicated that the association=<=<between gender and environmental habits was totally explained by Character(β95%CI:and=-0.02;-0.04;-0.01)Caring(β95%CI:Furthermore,the relationship between gender and climate change awareness=-0.04;-0.05,-0.02).was partially mediated by Character(β95%CI:and Caring(β95%CI:=-0.03;-0.05;-0.02)=-0.05;-0.07,-0.03).Conclusions:Females showed more environmental habits and climate change awareness than males,because of their greater scores in both Caring and Character dimensions of PYD.These findings highlight the importance of the PYD for promoting PEB and engaged citizens among young adults.Gender-sensitive and interdisciplinary interventions,such as environmental volunteering and community-based programmes,are recommended for university contexts to enhance sustainable development behaviours and values.
基金This project was funded by the NSF Grant:1713460.
文摘Adolescence is a critical time for the cultivation of life purpose,also known as a meaningful long-term aim focused on contribution to others.Youth with purpose,especially marginalized youth,report a number of positive outcomes.Relationships with caring adults appear to be particularly helpful in guiding young people on their path to purpose,but little work has focused specifically on the role of mothers.This qualitative study,approved by a Institutional Review Board,examines how twenty adolescents from marginalized communities describe their sense of purpose and its relationship to their caregivers.The sample size was determined based on saturation,a process in qualitative research when the researchers begin to observe redundancy in the data.Through content analysis,a major theme emerged:the role of mothers and their impact on purpose development on their children.Results showed that mothers helped their adolescents develop their sense of purpose through serving as a sense of inspiration,providing the adolescents with support,sparking a desire for the adolescents to make their mothers proud,and through the mothers and adolescents in engaging in conversations about one’s future.
