Commentary: Studying and Testing the Positive Youth Development Model: A Tale of Two Approaches

Interest in promoting positive development among children and adolescents has always been a focus of developmental science. Historically, many researchers framed this interest using a deficit model that sought to optimize positive development by reducing problems. In the context of the articles in this special section, the author discuss a different conception of positive youth development that has emerged across the past 25years, one that capitalizes on human plasticity and tests a strength-based model (instead of a deficit one). This model seeks to identify the process that could enhance the attributes of young people that are valued by them and others (e.g., parents, peers, teachers, mentors, coaches, and faith leaders), as compared to processes that reduce or prevent undesirable characteristics. The title for this Special Section is Positive Youth Development in Diverse and Global Contexts, edited by Emilie Phillips Smith, Anne C. Petersen, and Patrick Leman