Peer-reviewed article
On the coactions between perceived program quality and youth purpose: Toward a model of dynamic person⇔context relations
Ruoying Zhang, Roya Abbasi‐Asl, Margaret Mackin, Jacqueline V. Lerner, Richard M. Lerner et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study followed 615 children and adolescents aged 9 to 16 in Compassion International youth development programs in Uganda over three waves of data collection. It looked at how young people's view of the quality of their program relates to their sense of purpose over time. Higher perceived program quality predicted higher purpose later on, and higher purpose predicted more positive views of the program later on. Neither factor clearly led the other, so the authors describe the relationship as mutual. The authors say this supports relational developmental systems theories of positive youth development.
Key points
- The sample was 615 adolescents (50.3% female), ages 9–16, in Compassion International programs in Uganda.
- Three waves of longitudinal data were analysed with cross-lagged panel models.
- Higher perceived program quality predicted higher youth purpose at a later time.
- Stronger youth purpose predicted more positive later perceptions of program quality.
- Temporal precedence tests showed neither construct was the dominant driver, which supports mutual influence.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so effect sizes, measures, attrition and the handling of confounders are not known. The sample comes from one organisation's programs in Uganda and relies on perceived program quality, so the findings may not apply to other settings or show that program quality causes purpose.
Abstract
Abstract Contemporary theories of positive youth development (PYD) emphasize dynamic, mutually beneficial relationships between individuals and their contexts as a pathway to thriving and contribution. However, there remains a critical gap in longitudinal, theory‐driven research examining youth strengths (e.g., purpose) and contextual assets (e.g., program quality) in Majority World contexts, particularly within structured youth programming. The present study examined reciprocal relationships between perceived program quality (a higher‐order factor of the Big Three) and youth purpose using three waves of longitudinal data from a sample of 615 adolescents (50.3% female; ages 9–16, M age = 12.5, SD age = 2.3) participating in Compassion International youth development programs in Uganda. Results using cross‐lagged panel models revealed positive, reciprocal associations between perceived program quality and youth purpose, such that higher program quality predicted subsequent higher youth purpose, and stronger youth purpose predicted more positive later perceptions of program quality. Temporal precedence tests indicated that neither construct emerged as a dominant developmental driver, and therefore supported a pattern of mutual influence. These findings advance PYD theory by providing longitudinal evidence for dynamic person⇔context coactions between perceived program quality and youth purpose, consistent with dynamic, relational developmental systems perspectives.