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. 2022 Nov:83:10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101458.
doi: 10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101458.

Psychological empowerment as a route for positive adjustment during adolescence

Elizabeth Messman  1 , Briana Scott  1 , Joanne Smith-Darden  2 , Kai Cortina  1 , Elyse Thulin  1 , Marc Zimmerman  1 , Poco Kernsmith  3
Affiliations

Psychological empowerment as a route for positive adjustment during adolescence

Elizabeth Messman et al. J Appl Dev Psychol. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Empowerment theory (Zimmerman, 2000) provides a framework for understanding and promoting positive youth development during adolescence. The current study considers reciprocal associations between psychological empowerment and adolescents' prosocial behavior, responsible decision making, social support giving, and delinquent behavior across the school year (n = 837 8th grade youth; 50.5% female). Results from cross-lagged analyses support Zimmerman's (2000) model of empowerment. Psychological empowerment was related to increases in prosocial behavior, responsible decision making and social support giving, and decreases in delinquent behavior over time, controlling for prior levels. Also in support of empowerment theory, we found less evidence for behavior predicting changes in empowerment. Results suggest that supporting adolescents' empowerment provides a route for positive youth development above and beyond prior behavioral tendencies.

Keywords: Behavior; Cross-lagged models; Empowerment theory; Positive youth development.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of interest None.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Conceptual model of the cross-lagged associations between empowerment and adjustment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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