Jonathan M Tirrell
Biographic Data
| ID | 1025686 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jonathan M Tirrell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jonathan M |
| FAMILY NAME | Tirrell |
| SIGNATURE | TIRRELL J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Tufts University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4825-0207 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 10 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 23 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
On the coactions between perceived program quality and youth purpose
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 s…
Youth development programming in El Salvador
Youth development programs can equip young people with the skills and competencies they need to thrive, and thus, are ecological assets supporting youth, particularly those living in Majority World countries, such as El Salvador, where young people are exposed to high rates of poverty and violence. The programs of Compassion International (CI), an international faith‐based youth organization, serve more than 2.4 million youth across Majority Worl…
Toward a Science of Generous Listening
From ancient to modern times, listening has been associated with fostering empathy, understanding, and collaboration; developing character and community; and promoting healing, justice, and peace. However, despite its purported value to self and society, no theoretical framework exists to advance its understanding and application for human flourishing. In the present article, I take a developmental-science approach to describe listening as a key …
Character attributes scale
To understand youth character development, assessments must consider both the fluctuations of an individual’s character across time and place (within-person variations), as well as the changes in their character relative to other individuals in their context (between-person differences). Although measures of character exist for between-person research, there is a need for context-specific, valid, and reliable measures of character that can captur…
Flourishing amidst adversity
Unhealthy substance use is high among adolescents and young people in Zambia. Conceivably, a character strength approach could help reduce alcohol and other psychoactive substance use among young adults. We tested the efficacy of a positive psychology based group-based character strengths prevention and recovery program for alcohol risk reduction among Zambian young adults. The primary study participants included schoolchildren and community memb…
Measuring Character Strengths and Promoting Positive Youth Development in Zambia
Nomothetic, Differential, and Idiographic Assessment of Character Development Among South African Youth
Character strengths and well-being
Youth development programs in the majority world are increasingly taking a strengths-based, positive youth development (PYD) approach to promoting youth thriving. Although character strengths are believed to support well-being, more evidence from majority-world contexts is needed. Using data derived from the Compassion International Study of PYD in Uganda (n = 606, Mage = 12.5 years, SDage = 2.3, 50.2% female), we validated a measurement model of…
Character development among Ugandan youth
Person-specific and variable-focused assessments represent two distinct approaches to research, each offering valuable insights from different standpoints. However, the focus of character studies has mostly been on variable-focused assessments that measure between-person differences, leaving the specific trajectories of character development and the relation among character constructs at the within-person level unexplored. In this article, we stu…
Motivations, expectations, and hopes of participants and stakeholders in the GROW ‘Hopes for Life' intervention study
Unhealthy alcohol use is the greatest risk factor for premature death and disease among young individuals aged 15-49. Two interventions developed by Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW), a faith-based substance use recovery/character training programme, show potential in the reduction of alcohol use through specifically targeted character building. These programmes were rolled out in Lusaka and Sinda districts in Zambia among school and commun…
Using the orthogenetic principle to explore the ontogeny of the positive development of Ugandan youth
Trajectories of physiological and perceived stress among South African youth
Although research on stress – measured through self-reports or physiological markers – has been increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about its nature during adolescence. This study aimed to describe among South African youth different trajectories of physiological stress (salivary cortisol), perceived stress (self-reports), and potential predictors of these trajectories, that is, indicators of developmentally nurturing relationships …
Using youth-specific approaches to illuminate character-well-being relations
To date, most studies linking youth well-being to character attributes focus on average effects based on between-person differences. In this study, we examined the within- and between-person relations among character attributes and well-being using an intensive longitudinal data set from the Compassion International (CI) Study of Positive Youth Development in Uganda. Participants (200 CI-enrolled youth, 49.5% female, Mage = 12.13, SDage = 2.19) c…
Spirituality as a key asset in promoting positive youth development
Spirituality is a universal human experience. Within the process of development, the role of spirituality as a developmental asset is understudied in general and especially within majority world contexts. In this article, we frame advances in spirituality research and practice with youth around three pillars: (a) theory, (b) measurement, and (c) research about and evaluations of positive youth development (PYD) programs in low- and middle-income …
Measuring Youth Perceptions of Being Known and Loved and Positive Youth Development
‘That is when justice becomes complete.’ Exemplars’ perspectives on forgiveness as a civic virtue in post-genocide Rwanda
Should forgiveness be considered a civic virtue that promotes peace and justice following injustice? In the aftermath of conflicts as severe as state-sponsored genocide, how can relationships be restored, communities reconciled, and justice achieved? We interviewed 15 adults in Rwanda—survivors of the 1994 genocide, nominated as exemplars for their youth-serving roles in their communities and their experiences with forgiving the traumas of the ge…
Forgiveness as a character strength
Forgiveness involves a shift from negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to positive ones after a transgression. Previous research supports the benefits of forgiving, particularly for physical and emotional health. However, debates within the character development literatures exist regarding whether forgiveness is a strength that benefits all parties involved in the transgression. For example, forgiveness is often linked to pardoning, condoni…
Agentic and Receptive Hope
Hope contributes to positive development in adolescents, and religious and spiritual contexts may be particularly important for developing and supporting hope. However, extant literature on hope, religion, and spirituality neglects their synergistic relation, leaving questions about how they work together to support development. In this study, we explore how religiousness and spirituality (R/S) inform hope by identifying unique synergies that mig…
Exploring the role of the “Big Three” features of effective youth development programs in El Salvador
Programs effective in promoting positive youth development (PYD) involve curricular features termed the Big Three: Positive and sustained adult–youth relationships; life-skill-building activities; and youth contribution and leadership opportunities. Data from 610 adolescents (50% female; M age = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) enrolled in Compassion International-supported programs in El Salvador indicated that scores derived from a youth-report measure …
Evaluating the measure of diverse adolescent spirituality in samples of Mexican and Salvadoran youth
Exploring Religiousness and Hope
Given the strong link between religiousness and hope, we sought to further understand the relations of these potentially powerful resources for youth living in adversity. Although existing research suggests that religiousness might be associated with adolescent hope via spirituality and social connections, few studies have tested models that integrate both. Thus, as applied psychologists, the aim of this paper was to test a theoretical model in t…
Modeling Pathways of Character Development across the First Three Decades of Life
A Cross-Lagged Model of the Development of Mentor-Mentee Relationships and Intentional Self-Regulation in Adolescence
Intentional self-regulatory, or goal-directed, skills are essential for positive social relationships, success, and well-being during adolescence. Prior theory has suggested that mentoring relationships may provide a key resource for building these skills. However, there is little direct evidence linking mentoring relationships to growth in youth intentional self-regulation (ISR). Accordingly, we examined the bidirectional relations between mento…
Exploring Religiousness and Hope
Given the strong link between religiousness and hope, we sought to further understand the relations of these potentially powerful resources for youth living in adversity. Although existing research suggests that religiousness might be associated with adolescent hope via spirituality and social connections, few studies have tested models that integrate both. Thus, as applied psychologists, the aim of this paper was to test a theoretical model in t…
Modeling Pathways of Character Development across the First Three Decades of Life
A Cross-Lagged Model of the Development of Mentor-Mentee Relationships and Intentional Self-Regulation in Adolescence
Intentional self-regulatory, or goal-directed, skills are essential for positive social relationships, success, and well-being during adolescence. Prior theory has suggested that mentoring relationships may provide a key resource for building these skills. However, there is little direct evidence linking mentoring relationships to growth in youth intentional self-regulation (ISR). Accordingly, we examined the bidirectional relations between mento…
A Cross-Lagged Model of the Development of Mentor-Mentee Relationships and Intentional Self-Regulation in Adolescence
Intentional self-regulatory, or goal-directed, skills are essential for positive social relationships, success, and well-being during adolescence. Prior theory has suggested that mentoring relationships may provide a key resource for building these skills. However, there is little direct evidence linking mentoring relationships to growth in youth intentional self-regulation (ISR). Accordingly, we examined the bidirectional relations between mento…
Modeling Pathways of Character Development across the First Three Decades of Life
Exploring Religiousness and Hope
Given the strong link between religiousness and hope, we sought to further understand the relations of these potentially powerful resources for youth living in adversity. Although existing research suggests that religiousness might be associated with adolescent hope via spirituality and social connections, few studies have tested models that integrate both. Thus, as applied psychologists, the aim of this paper was to test a theoretical model in t…
Exploring the role of the “Big Three” features of effective youth development programs in El Salvador
Programs effective in promoting positive youth development (PYD) involve curricular features termed the Big Three: Positive and sustained adult–youth relationships; life-skill-building activities; and youth contribution and leadership opportunities. Data from 610 adolescents (50% female; M age = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) enrolled in Compassion International-supported programs in El Salvador indicated that scores derived from a youth-report measure …
Evaluating the measure of diverse adolescent spirituality in samples of Mexican and Salvadoran youth
Forgiveness as a character strength
Forgiveness involves a shift from negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to positive ones after a transgression. Previous research supports the benefits of forgiving, particularly for physical and emotional health. However, debates within the character development literatures exist regarding whether forgiveness is a strength that benefits all parties involved in the transgression. For example, forgiveness is often linked to pardoning, condoni…
Agentic and Receptive Hope
Hope contributes to positive development in adolescents, and religious and spiritual contexts may be particularly important for developing and supporting hope. However, extant literature on hope, religion, and spirituality neglects their synergistic relation, leaving questions about how they work together to support development. In this study, we explore how religiousness and spirituality (R/S) inform hope by identifying unique synergies that mig…
Measuring Youth Perceptions of Being Known and Loved and Positive Youth Development
‘That is when justice becomes complete.’ Exemplars’ perspectives on forgiveness as a civic virtue in post-genocide Rwanda
Should forgiveness be considered a civic virtue that promotes peace and justice following injustice? In the aftermath of conflicts as severe as state-sponsored genocide, how can relationships be restored, communities reconciled, and justice achieved? We interviewed 15 adults in Rwanda—survivors of the 1994 genocide, nominated as exemplars for their youth-serving roles in their communities and their experiences with forgiving the traumas of the ge…
Spirituality as a key asset in promoting positive youth development
Spirituality is a universal human experience. Within the process of development, the role of spirituality as a developmental asset is understudied in general and especially within majority world contexts. In this article, we frame advances in spirituality research and practice with youth around three pillars: (a) theory, (b) measurement, and (c) research about and evaluations of positive youth development (PYD) programs in low- and middle-income …
Measuring Character Strengths and Promoting Positive Youth Development in Zambia
Nomothetic, Differential, and Idiographic Assessment of Character Development Among South African Youth
Character strengths and well-being
Youth development programs in the majority world are increasingly taking a strengths-based, positive youth development (PYD) approach to promoting youth thriving. Although character strengths are believed to support well-being, more evidence from majority-world contexts is needed. Using data derived from the Compassion International Study of PYD in Uganda (n = 606, Mage = 12.5 years, SDage = 2.3, 50.2% female), we validated a measurement model of…
Character development among Ugandan youth
Person-specific and variable-focused assessments represent two distinct approaches to research, each offering valuable insights from different standpoints. However, the focus of character studies has mostly been on variable-focused assessments that measure between-person differences, leaving the specific trajectories of character development and the relation among character constructs at the within-person level unexplored. In this article, we stu…
Motivations, expectations, and hopes of participants and stakeholders in the GROW ‘Hopes for Life' intervention study
Unhealthy alcohol use is the greatest risk factor for premature death and disease among young individuals aged 15-49. Two interventions developed by Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW), a faith-based substance use recovery/character training programme, show potential in the reduction of alcohol use through specifically targeted character building. These programmes were rolled out in Lusaka and Sinda districts in Zambia among school and commun…
Using the orthogenetic principle to explore the ontogeny of the positive development of Ugandan youth
Trajectories of physiological and perceived stress among South African youth
Although research on stress – measured through self-reports or physiological markers – has been increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about its nature during adolescence. This study aimed to describe among South African youth different trajectories of physiological stress (salivary cortisol), perceived stress (self-reports), and potential predictors of these trajectories, that is, indicators of developmentally nurturing relationships …
Using youth-specific approaches to illuminate character-well-being relations
To date, most studies linking youth well-being to character attributes focus on average effects based on between-person differences. In this study, we examined the within- and between-person relations among character attributes and well-being using an intensive longitudinal data set from the Compassion International (CI) Study of Positive Youth Development in Uganda. Participants (200 CI-enrolled youth, 49.5% female, Mage = 12.13, SDage = 2.19) c…
On the coactions between perceived program quality and youth purpose
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 s…
Youth development programming in El Salvador
Youth development programs can equip young people with the skills and competencies they need to thrive, and thus, are ecological assets supporting youth, particularly those living in Majority World countries, such as El Salvador, where young people are exposed to high rates of poverty and violence. The programs of Compassion International (CI), an international faith‐based youth organization, serve more than 2.4 million youth across Majority Worl…
Toward a Science of Generous Listening
From ancient to modern times, listening has been associated with fostering empathy, understanding, and collaboration; developing character and community; and promoting healing, justice, and peace. However, despite its purported value to self and society, no theoretical framework exists to advance its understanding and application for human flourishing. In the present article, I take a developmental-science approach to describe listening as a key …
Character attributes scale
To understand youth character development, assessments must consider both the fluctuations of an individual’s character across time and place (within-person variations), as well as the changes in their character relative to other individuals in their context (between-person differences). Although measures of character exist for between-person research, there is a need for context-specific, valid, and reliable measures of character that can captur…
Flourishing amidst adversity
Unhealthy substance use is high among adolescents and young people in Zambia. Conceivably, a character strength approach could help reduce alcohol and other psychoactive substance use among young adults. We tested the efficacy of a positive psychology based group-based character strengths prevention and recovery program for alcohol risk reduction among Zambian young adults. The primary study participants included schoolchildren and community memb…
Psychology (19 works) · Youth Development and Social Support (15 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Developmental psychology (10 works) · Resilience and Mental Health (10 works) · Early Childhood Education and Development (7 works) · Political science (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Character development (5 works) · Epistemology (5 works)