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The Impact of 4-H Youth Development Programs on Adolescent Thriving

Instrument Description

PART ONE: The 4-H Program as a Positive Youth Development Setting to Promote Thriving

Positive youth development, and specifically relational developmental systems theory (Lerner, Lerner,

von Eye, Bowers, & Lewin-Bizan, 2011) emphasize the mutual positive interaction of a young person

with his or her contexts as the principal driver of thriving. PYD is what “occurs when an active,

engaged, and competent person is fused with receptive, supportive, and nurturing ecologies (Benson &

Scales, 2009 P. 90). Research has shown, however, that not every youth program provides an adequate

developmental context because of lack of attention to the ingredients that make up a high-quality

youth development program (Roth & Brooks Gunn, 2003). Accordingly, in order for 4-H to have a

positive effect on youth thriving, the experience that youth have in the program needs to be high

quality. In this model we consider a high quality program experience to consist of the following: 1) the

opportunity to discover and nurture youth sparks (Benson & Scales, 2009); 2) the presence of

supportive developmental relationships with adults (Search Institute, 2014b); 3) the presence of high

program quality standards (Eccles & Gootman, 2002); and 4) sufficient engagement in the program

(Scales, Benson, & Roehlkepartain, 2011).

4-H Sparks

Five items, developed for this study, assess the presence of sparks, as well as the role that 4-H plays in

supporting spark development. The first four items relate to the context of the 4-H program, and

whether the program is a setting that supports sparks in youth. Items are rated on a one to five Likert

scale. Youth area asked to rate “how true the following statements are for you” (1 = not true at all; 2 =

mostly not true; 3= neither true nor untrue; 4= mostly true; 5 = very true). The five items are:

4-H gives me the opportunity to explore something I really care about

I am passionate about the things I do in 4-H

I want to learn all I can about the topic of my 4-H program

I would not have the opportunity to learn about this topic if it were not for 4-H

A sixth item is based on the definition of sparks put forth by Benson and Scales (2011), followed by an

item regarding 4H’s role in supporting sparks. Youth are asked to respond either yes (1) or no (2) to

each item:

Does something in your life give you energy and purpose?

Does 4-H give you a place to explore a particular passion?

A final narrative question asks youth: What is your passion and how does 4-H help you explore it?

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PYD Program Quality

The quality of the 4-H program setting is measured by 10 items that reflect the youth program quality

indicators proposed by Eccles and Gootman (2002). Items are rated on a one to five Likert scale. Youth

area asked to rate “how true the following statements are for you” (1 = not true at all; 2 = mostly not

true; 3= neither true nor untrue; 4= mostly true; 5 = very true). The 10 items are:

I feel welcome in 4-H

I feel safe in 4-H

I feel supported by adults in 4-H

I feel supported by other kids in 4-H

4-H has rules that all kids are expected to follow

I feel like I matter in 4-H

I learn new skills in 4-H

I get to explore new things in 4-H

4-H expects youth to have good behavior

4-H teaches me to work through conflict in a positive way

Developmental Relationships

The presence of developmental relationships with adults in the 4-H program are based on the

description of 22 ways that youth experience developmental relationships proposed by Search

Institute (2014b). Items are rated on a one to five Likert scale. Youth area asked to “think about the

adults in the 4-H program and rate how true each of the following statements are” (1 = not true at all;

2 = mostly not true; 3= neither true nor untrue; 4= mostly true; 5 = very true). The 22 items are:

Adults in the 4-H program:

Pay attention to me

Like me

Invest time in me

Show an interest in me

Are someone I can count on and trust

Help me see future possibilities for myself

Expect me to do something positive with my future

Stretch me and push me in new ways

Hold me accountable

Encourage and praise me

Give me assistance when I need it

Are role models for me

Stand up for me when I need it

Listen to my ideas

Treat me fairly

Take me seriously

Respect me

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Respond to my needs

Work in partnership with me

Expose me to new ideas

Connect me to others who can help me

Help me work through barriers to achieve my goals

A 23rd item asks: “is there are particular adult in the 4-H program who helped you grow?” that is

answered either yes (1) or no (2). If the answer is affirmative, youth are further asked: “Who was the

adult who helped you grow?” followed by a nominal list consisting of: 4-H leader (1); county agent (2);

4-H parent (3); other (4) (please list).

A final narrative question asks youth: How did this adult in the 4-H program help you grow?

Program Intensity and Duration

Program dosage was measured through five groups of items. The first group asked about the 4-H club

experience. Youth were asked “how many times their 4-H club meets during a typical year”: 1 time (1);

2-4 times (2); 5-7 (3); 8-10 (4); 11-13 (5); 14 or more (6).

Youth were also asked the following items that are answered either Yes (1) or No (2):

Does your 4-H club meet on a regular schedule?

Does your 4-H club meet mostly before fair, but then not much the rest of the year?

The second group of items related to the time spent engaged in 4-H. Two items asked about the

amount of time youth spend on 4-H activities during the school year and during the summer. Each item

was rate: less than 1 hour (1); 1-2 hours (2); 3-4 hours (3); 5-6 hours (4); 7-8 hours (5); 9-10 hours (6);

more than 10 hours (7).

Two additional items asked about the number of years spent in the 4-H program. Youth answered from

1 to 10 years, or 11 plus years.

How many years have you participated in 4-H in Oregon?

How many years have you participated in 4-H in other states?

The third group of items asked about participation in 4-H project areas provided statewide in Oregon.

These included projects in: Animal science (14 different projects); Outdoor education and recreation

(6); Communications (3); Expressive arts (7); Horticulture (2); Science, technology, & engineering (8);

Family and consumer science (7); Natural science (5); Youth advocates for health (2); Leadership (1);

Citizenship (1). Because each county offers its own selection of projects that may not be offered

statewide, youth were also asked to list any other projects in which they had participated.

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The fourth group of items asked about the 4-H events that youth participated in. These 15 events are

annual opportunities designed to support and enhance the 4-H member’s club experience:

4-H International Camp

4-H Overnight Camp

4-H Day Camps

National 4-H Conference

National 4-H Congress

Experiencing Citizenship

Oregon Leadership Institute (OLI)

4-H Summer Conference

Spring Horse Classic

National 4-H Horse Classic

4-H International –Outbound Delegate

National Judging Contests

County Fair

County Livestock Auction

State Fair

Other (list)

Youth in 4-H have the opportunity to enhance their experience by taking on 4-H leadership roles. The

fifth group of items asked youth about the roles they have taken in 4-H:

County Ambassador

State Ambassador

4-H International – Host Youth

Camp Counselor

Jr. Leader

Teen Leader

Fair Superintendent

4-H Club Officer

Other- Please list

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PART TWO: Measuring a Thriving Orientation

As noted by Benson and Scales (2009), thriving is an orientation, representing a young person’s

developmental path, rather than a status indicator that shows whether a young person is thriving or

not. Lerner (2006) echoes this by saying thriving is a function of PYD that reveals a young person’s

process over time in which adaptive and positive behaviors move a young person toward a life marked

with contribution to self, family, community and society. The young person, and not just the

environment is the principal driver for thriving (Benson & Scales, 2009) and as such, thriving within the

4-H program context is dependent the engagement of the member with the program, and the choices

the member makes in supporting his or her own positive development. That youth in 4-H are

encouraged to take positive action that leads thriving is reflected in the 4-H pledge:

I pledge my Head to clearer thinking

My Heart to greater loyalty

My Hands to larger service

And my Health to better living

For my club, my community, my country, and my world

The message of the 4-H pledge is supported by the 4-H motto: “To make the best better.” Together,

the 4-H pledge and motto help youth understand that who they are, and who they are becoming, is

dependent upon their thoughts and actions, and furthermore, no matter how far they have come,

there is always room to be better.

Search Institute (2014a) 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.

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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

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):

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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 a construct

continues to be defined. One way youth may express their awareness of the transcendent is through

the natural world (Keller, 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

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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)

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).

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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-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

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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

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 long-term 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

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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

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

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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:

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

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PART THREE: Positive Youth Development Outcomes

The Oregon 4-H program model proposes that a thriving orientation serves as a mediator for positive

youth development. In this way, youth thriving is an outcome of the youths’ interaction with the high

quality context of the 4-H program. The thriving orientation, in turn, is then leads to PYD outcomes,

which in the Oregon model are: Academic motivation and success, reduction in risk behaviors,

healthful choices, and social competence. Additional PYD outcomes come from the 5C model (Lerner &

Lerner, 2013): Personal standards (character), connection to others, and contribution to others. These

outcomes were chosen based on research evidence that supports them as key to adolescent

development, and their salience for stakeholders in the effectiveness of the 4-H program.

Developmental Outcome: Academic Motivation

The Educational Engagement Scale and the Cognitive School Engagement Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014)

were used to measure academic engagement, which is an aspect of academic motivation and

achievement. The Educational Engagement Scale consists of 3 items that measure youth’s actions and

attitudes related to school. Each item is rated on a 1-5 likert scale:

How often do you?

None of the time (1) all of the time (5).

Care about doing well in school

Pay attention in class

Go to class unprepared The Cognitive Engagement Scale consists of 3 items that measure youth’s thinking about school and

learning. Each item is rated on a 1-5 likert scale:

How much do you agree with the following statements?

Strongly disagree (1) strongly agree (5).

If something interests me I try to learn more about it

I think the things I learn in school are useful

Being a student is one of the most important parts of who I am Additional questions were taken from the Cognitive School Engagement Scale from wave eight of the

4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (Lerner & Lerner, 2013). Youth are prompted to rate their

agreement with each item on a 1-4 Likert scale: Strongly disagree (1) strongly agree (4).

I want to learn as much as I can at school

I think it is important to earn good grades

I think the things I learn in school are useful

I think a lot about how to do well in school

School is very important for later success

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Questions related to educational plans were also included in the 4-H Study of Youth Development

(Lerner & Lerner, 2013). Those questions were also included in the current study.

Plans for Formal Education

If nothing stood in your way, how much education would you want to complete

As things stand now, how much education do you expect to complete?

Each item was rated on a nominal scale: 8th grade or less (1); some high school (2); high school/GED (3),

trade or vocational school (4); 2-year associates degree (5); 4-year associates degree (6); degree after

college (7); and not sure (8).

Additional questions asked youth if:

Do you consider yourself a good student? (Yes/No)

Do you take advanced placement classes (Yes/No/Not available to me/Not in High School)

What type of grades do you usually get (Mostly Ds or lower/Mostly Cs/Mostly Bs/Mostly

As/straight As

Developmental Outcome: Reduction in Risk Behaviors

Items to measure reduction in risk behaviors focused on illegal substance use, personal safety, and safe

driving. The seven substance use items were taken from the Oregon Healthy Teen Survey. Youth were

asked to rate the number of times during the past 30 days that they did each behavior. Each item was

rated on a nominal scale: 0 days (1); 1 or 2 days (2); 3-5 days (3); 6-9 days (4); 10 -19 days (5); 20 to 29

days (6); all 30 days (7).

During the past 30 days how many days did you:

Smoke cigarettes

Use chewing tobacco, snuff or dip

Use an e-cigarette or other vaping product

Have at least 1 drink of alcohol

Have 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row (within a couple of hours)

Use marijuana or hashish (weed, hash, pot)

Use other illegal drugs Two additional items were added for this study:

Do things that could cause you personal harm

Do things that you would not want your parents to know about

Similarly, youth were asked to rate the number of times during the past 30 days that they engaged in

risky behavior related to driving and riding in cars. Each item was rated on a nominal scale: 0 days (1); 1

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or 2 days (2); 3-5 days (3); 6-9 days (4); 10 -19 days (5); 20 to 29 days (6); all 30 days (7); I don’t drive

(8).

During the past 30 days how many days did you…

Exceed the speed limit by more than 5mph

Text when you were driving

Talk on the phone when you were driving

Wear a seatbelt when in a car

Ride in cars where the driver texts or talks on a phone while driving

Developmental Outcome: Healthful Choices

Eight items were developed for this study related to healthful choice. The items focused on healthy

eating and physical activities, which are two important content areas for 4-H. Youth rated each item

on1-5 Likert scale: Never (1) some (3) often (4).

How well to the following statements describe you?

I plan how I can be physically active most days

I look for ways to increase the amount of time I am physically active most days

I try to get a good night’s sleep

I make food choices based on what my body needs

I eat fruits and vegetables every day

Given the choice, I will choose a piece of fruit over candy

I limit the amount of junk food I eat

I limit the amount of soda or other sugary drinks that I drink

Developmental Outcome: Social Competence

The Social Competence Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure this contruct. The scale

consists of nine items that assess youth relations with other youth. 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).

I avoid making other kids look bad

If two of my friends are fighting, I find a way to work things out

When I work in school groups I do my fair share

Please indicate how often this happens:

None of the time (1) through all of the time (5)

Do you get along well with people of different races, cultures, and religions

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Do you listen to other student’s ideas

Do you control your anger when you have a disagreement with a friend

Can you discuss a problem with a friend without making things worse

Do you follow the rules when you are at a park, theater, or sports event

Do you respect other points of view, even if you disagree

A second measure of social competence was taken from the Positive Youth Development Inventory

(Arnold, Nott, & Meinhold, 2012). This measure contains 14 items that measure youth actions and that

represent social competence. 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).

How much to you agree with the following:

I am comfortable talking with people I don't know every well

I take part in activities at my school

I like to learn about new things

I am a creative person

I make good decisions

I make friends easily

I am comfortable in social situations

I can handle problems that come up in my life

I can manage my emotions

I can handle being disappointed

I am aware of other people’s needs in social situations

I have goals for my life

I know what I want to do for a career

I am interested in learning about careers I could have

Developmental Outcome: Personal Standards

The Diligence and Responsibility Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure this construct. The

scale consists of six items that ask youth about attitudes and behaviors related to reliability,

responsibility, and persistence. Each item is rated on a 1-5 Likert Scale.

How often:

None of the time (1) through all of the time (5)

Do you work harder than others your age

Do you do as little work as you can get away with

Do you finish the tasks you start

Do you give up when things get difficult

Can people count on you to get tasks done

Do you do things that you say you are going to do

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A second measure of personal standards was taken from the Positive Youth Development Inventory

(Arnold, Nott, & Meinhold, 2012). This measure contains nine items that measure youth attitudes and

actions related to personal integrity and reliability. 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).

How much to you agree with the following:

It is important for me to do the right thing

I try to do the right thing, even when I know that no one will know if I do or not

I think it is important for me to be a role model for others

It is important for me to do my best

It is important that others can count on me

If I promise to do something I can be counted on to do it

I am able to behave appropriately in most settings

I am able to stand up to peer pressure when I feel something is not right to do

I have people in my life whom I look up to and admire

The third measure of personal standards was the Trustworthiness and Integrity Scale (Lippman, et al,

2014). The scale consists of five rated on a 1-5 Likert Scale.

How often:

None of the time (1) through all of the time (5)

Can others trust you

Do you keep the promises you make

Do you stick to your values even when it is hard

Can you be counted on to tell the truth

Do you have a strong sense of right and wrong

Developmental Outcome: Connection

The items measuring connection are from the connection subscale of the Positive Youth Development

Inventory (Arnold, Nott, & Meinhold, 2012). This measure contains eight items that measure youth

connections with parents, friends, adults and community members. 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).

How much to you agree with the following:

I have a wide circle of friends

I think it is important to be involved with other people

My friends care about me

I feel connected to my teachers

Having friends is important to me

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I feel connected to others in my community

I have adults in my life who are interested in me

I feel connected to my parents

Developmental Outcome: Contribution to Others

The items measuring contribution are from the contribution subscale of the Positive Youth

Development Inventory (Arnold, Nott, & Meinhold, 2012). This measure contains seven items that

measure youth attitudes and beliefs about giving back 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).

How much to you agree with the following:

I take an active role in my community

I am someone who gives to benefit others

I like to work with others to solve problems

I have things I can offer to others

I believe I can make a difference in the world

I care about contributing to make the world a better place for everyone

It is important for me to try and make a difference in the world

In addition, youth are asked to provide the following information related to volunteering

Do you volunteer in your community? (Yes/No)

How many hours a month do you volunteer during the school year?

How many hours a month do you volunteer during the summer

Finally, you are asked:

Did 4-H teach you about the importance of service to others? (Yes/No)

If yes, how did 4-H teach you about the importance of service to others?

Life Satisfaction Measures

The Life Satisfaction Scale (Lippman, et al, 2014) was used to measure current satisfaction with life.

Three items make up this scale, each rated on a 1-5 Likert scale: Strongly disagree (1) through strongly

agree (5).

How much do you agree with the following statements?

I wish I had a different kind of life

I am happy with my life

So far, my life is working out as well as I could hope

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PART FOUR DEMOGRAPHICS

The following demographic data are collected as part of this study:

1. A unique ID number is constructed by combining the following:

First Initial (1-26)

Middle Initial (1-26)

Last Initial (1-26)

Month of Birth (1-12)

2. Age- calculated from actual birthdate

3. Gender (Female 1; Male 2)

4. County:

Baker (1) Gilliam (11) Lincoln (21) Union (31) Benton (2) Grant (12) Linn (22) Wallowa (32)

Clackamas (3) Harney (13) Malheur (23) Warm Springs (33) Clatsop (4) Hood River (14) Marion (24) Wasco (34)

Columbia (5) Jackson (15) Morrow (25) Washington (35) Coos (6) Jefferson (16) Multnomah (26) Wheeler (36)

Crook (7) Josephine (17) Polk (27) Yamhill (37) Curry (8) Klamath (18) Sherman (28)

Deschutes (9) Lake (19) Tillamook (29) Douglas (10) Lane (20) Umatilla (30)

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5. 4-H Projects (Check all that apply)

Animal Science Communications Family and Consumer Science

Horse (PR001) Educational Displays (PR021) Child Development (PR041)

Beef (PR002) Presentations (PR022) Clothing (PR042)

Camelid (PR003) Videography (PR023) Crocheting (PR043)

Dairy Cattle (PR004) Expressive Arts Designing Spaces (PR044)

Goat (PR005) Art (PR024) Food Preservation (PR045)

Sheep (PR006) Cake Decorating (PR025) Foods and Nutrition (PR046)

Swine (PR007) Cast Ceramics(PR026) Knitting (PR047)

Dog (PR008) Fiber Arts (PR027) Natural Science

Guinea Pigs (PR009) Leathercraft (PR028) Entomology (PR048)

Pigeons & Doves (PR010) Performing Arts (PR029) Environmental Stewardship (PR049)

Poultry (PR011) Photography (PR030) Forestry (PR050)

Rabbit (PR012) Horticulture Geology (PR051)

Other Animal (PR013) Flowers & Ornamentals (PR031) Water Resources (PR052)

Veterinary Science(PR014) Vegetables & Herbs (PR032) YA4-H! Youth Advocates for Health Outdoor Education and Recreation Science, Technology & Engineering Teens as Teachers (PR053)

ATV (PR015) Aerospace (PR033) Youth Action Research (PR054)

Angler Education (PR016) Computer(PR034) Other Bicycle (PR017) Electricity (PR035) Leadership (PR055)

Field Sports (PR018) Geospatial (PR036) Citizenship (PR056)

Shooting Sports (PR019) Robotics (PR037) Other project- Please list (PRO57) Water Sports (PR020) Wind Energy (PR038) Woodworking (PR039) Other Science (PR040)

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6. Race and Ethnicity

Which of the following best describes you? (Check the one most like you)

White – For example, German, Irish, English, Italian, Polish, French, Scandinavian, etc.

Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin – For example, Mexican, or Mexican-American, Puerto Rico, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican, Columbian,

etc.

Black of African American – For example, African American, Jamaican, Haitian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Somalian, etc.

Asian – For example, Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, etc.

American Indian or Alaska Native – For example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Arrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, etc.

Middle Eastern or North African – For example: Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian, Moroccan, Algerian, etc.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander –For example: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Tongan, Fijian, Marshallese, etc.

Some other race, ethnicity or origin

Prefer not to answer

7. Disability Status

Please indicate if any of the following situations apply to you (Check all that apply) Are you deaf or do you have serious difficulty hearing?

Are you blind or do you have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?

Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? Do you have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs? Do you have difficulty dressing or bathing? Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have difficulty doing things alone, like going to school or shopping?

8. Living Status

With whom do you live? (Check the one that matches your situation most of the year) Both parents

Mother only (with or without a step parent)

Father only (with or without a step parent) Other relatives Foster family Someone else

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