Publications
Search Institute publications provide a wealth of information and analysis to help you understand and strengthen relationships with young people. Below, you’ll find links to research-to-practice reports, peer-review publications, literature reviews, and scholarly articles that share and apply findings from our research.
2024
Positioning Mentors as Social Capital Builders
Insights & Evidence Series. Minneapolis: Search Institute.
Authors: A. A. Boat, E. Van Steenis, H. Poparad
2023
Thriving and Sparks
Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_199-2
Authors: P.C. Scales, N. Redmond, P.L. Benson
2023
Illuminating Positive Mechanisms: An Impact Evaluation of the DREAM program
Illuminating Positive Mechanisms: An Impact Evaluation of the DREAM program (Report to the Corporation for National and Community Service)
Authors: Ashley A. Boat, Diane Hsieh, Chen-Yu Wu, Heather Poparad, Faith Opakunle
2023
Mentoring Relationships as Catalysts for Strengthening Youth Social Capital: Findings from DREAM’s Village Mentoring Program
Authors: A.A. Boat, H. Poparad, D. Hsieh
2022
Embedding research-based practices: Learnings from the TUTOR Project
Embedding research-based practices: Learnings from the TUTOR Project
Authors: Diane Hseih
2022
The elements of Developmental Relationships: A review of selected research underlying the framework
The elements of Developmental Relationships: A review of selected research underlying the framework
Authors: Peter C. Scales, Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Benjamin J. Houltberg
2022
A Comparison of Contexts: How the Performing Arts, Sports, and Nature Conservation Foster Positive Youth Development
A Comparison of Contexts: How the Performing Arts, Sports, and Nature Conservation Foster Positive Youth Development
Authors: Ashley A. Boat, Alyssa Scott, Peter C. Scales, Amy K. Syvertsen
2021
Building Relationships and Addressing Trauma During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Insights & Evidence Series. Minneapolis: Search Institute.
Authors: Search Institute
2021
The State of Relationships: Young People’s Relationships with Adults in Minnesota Schools and Out-of-School Time Programs
[Insights & Evidence Series]. Minneapolis: Search Institute. Report for the Carlson Family Foundation.
Authors: A. A. Boat, A. K. Syvertsen, C Eisenberg
2020
Competing discourses of power in teachers’ stories of challenging relationships with students
Power and Education, 1-18. doi:10.1177/1757743820931118
Authors: R. Chamberlain, P. C. Scales, J. Sethi
2020
Effects of developmental relationships on middle-school students’ motivation and performance
Psychology in the Schools Doi.org/10.1002/pits.22350
Authors: P. C. Scales, M. Van Boekel, A. K. Syvertsen, E. C. Roehlkepartain
2020
Developmental relationships and school success: How teachers, parents, and friends affect educational outcomes and what actions students say matter most
Contemporary Educational Psychology
Authors: J. Sethi, P. C. Scales
2020
Examinations of Change in Inhibitory and Initiatory Self-Control in the Context of Endurance Running
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology doi: 10.1080/10413200.2020.1787553
Authors: J. Shubert, B. Houltberg, J. Ratchford, S Schnitker
2020
Positive development on campus: Investigating the psychometric properties of the College Assets Measurement Profile for Undergraduate Students
Journal of College Student Development
Authors: T. J. Pashak, P Handal, P. C. Scales
2020
Differentiation as discrepancies in adolescent’s perceptions of patience: An illustration of response surface analysis
The Journal of Positive Psychology
Authors: Jennifer Shubert, Juliette Ratchford, Benjamin Houltberg, Sarah Schnitker
2020
The Intersection of Developmental Relationships, Equitable Environments, and SEL
[Insights & Evidence Series]. Minneapolis, MN
Authors: Search Institute
2020
Defining and Measuring Social Capital for Young People: A Practical Review of the Literature on Resource-Full Relationships
Minneapolis: Search Institute. Report for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Authors: P. C. Scales, A. Boat, K. Pekel
2020
"It Was a Support Network System that Made Me Believe in Myself": Understanding Youth and Young Adults’ Experiences of Social Capital in Six Innovative Programs
Minneapolis: Search Institute. Report for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Authors: A. Boat, J. Sethi, C. Eisenberg, R. Chamberlain
2019
Developmental Assets
In D. T. L. Shek & J. Leung (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development: Volume 7: History, Theory, & Culture in Adolescence. New York, NY: Wiley.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain, D. A. Blyth
2019
Academic year changes in student-teacher developmental relationships and their linkage to middle and high school students’ motivation: A mixed methods study
The Journal of Early Adolescence doi:10.1177/0272431619858414
Authors: P. C. Scales, K. Pekel, J. Sethi, R. Chamberlain, M. Van Boekel
2019
Conservation leadership: A developmental model
Journal of Adolescent Research, 34(2), doi:10.1177/0743558417752638
Authors: T. K. Sullivan, A. K. Syvertsen
2019
The developmental assets framework revisited: Confirmatory analysis and invariance testing to create a new generation of assets measures for applied research
Applied Developmental Science [online first], 1-19. doi:10.1080/10888691.2019.1613155
Authors: A. K,. Syvertsen, P. C. Scales, R. B. Toomey
2019
Are developmental assets protective against suicidal behavior? Differential associations by sexual orientation
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(4), 788-801. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0954-y
Authors: R. B. Toomey, A. K. Syvertsen, M. Flores
2019
The role of family civic context in character development across childhood and adolescence
Applied Developmental Science. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2019.1683452
Authors: J. Shubert, L. Wray-Lake, A. K. Syvertsen, A. Metzger
2019
A place to belong: How youth think about growing up—and staying—in the Itasca area
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, and Grand Rapids, MN: SPARK—Stronger Futures for All.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2019
Good friends … Online & in person: How Itasca area youth think about friends and social media
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, and Grand Rapids, MN: SPARK—Stronger Futures for All.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2019
Helping kids thrive at home: How Itasca area youth experience strength and resilience in their relationships with parents and grandparents
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, and Grand Rapids, MN: SPARK—Stronger Futures for All.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2019
Learning through relationships: How strong connections with teachers propel student motivation in school
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, and Grand Rapids, MN: SPARK—Stronger Futures for All.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2019
Opportunities to grow: Relationships, activities, interests, and activities that engage Itasca area youth beyond the school day
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, and Grand Rapids, MN: SPARK—Stronger Futures for All.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2019
Keep the fun in youth sports by helping kids love the game more than how they perform
Blog for the Positive Coaching Alliance.
Authors: P. C. Scales
2019
Mental and emotional training for tennis: Compete—learn—honor
Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice
Authors: P. C. Scales
2019
Positive development on campus: Investigating the psychometric properties of the College Assets Measurement Profile for Undergraduate Students
Journal of College Student Development
Authors: T. J. Pashak
2019
Moving Beyond Relationships Matter: An Overview of One Organization’s Work in Progress
Journal of Youth Development 14(4) doi:10.5195/jyd.2019.909
Authors: K. Pekel
2018
Developmental approach to work readiness for youth: Focus on transferable skills
In S. Verma & A. Petersen (Eds.), Developmental Science and Sustainable Development Goals for Children and Youth. Social Indicators Research Series, vol. 74. New York, NY: Springer.
Authors:
2018
Finding the fluoride: Examining how and why developmental relationships are the active ingredient in interventions that work
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 88(5), 493-502. doi:10.1037/ort0000333
Authors: K. Pekel, E. C. Roehlkepartain, A. K. Syvertsen, P. C. Scales, T. K. Sullivan, J. Sethi
2018
Developmental assets and developmental relationships
In M. H. Bornstein (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. doi:10.4135/9781506307633.n211
Authors: P. C. Scales
2018
The contribution of nonfamily adults to adolescent well-being: A global research and policy perspective
In J. E. Lansford & P. Banati (Eds.), Handbook of Adolescent Development Research and Its Impact on Global Policy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Authors: P. C. Scales
2018
Youth voice, engagement, and opportunities for decision-making
In P. A. Witt & L. L. Caldwell (Eds.), Youth Development: Principles and Practices in Out-of-School Time Settings. Urbana, IL: Sagamore-Ventures Publishing.
Authors: T. K. Sullivan, R. N. Saito, R. Chamberlain
2018
Transgender adolescent suicide behavior
Pediatrics, 142(4), e20174218.
Authors: R. B. Toomey, A. K. Syvertsen, M. Shramko
2018
Becoming who they want to be: A cross-national examination of value-behavior concordance and mindfulness in adolescence
Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(6), 605-616. http://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2017.1350741
Authors: M. T. Warren, L. Wray-Lake, A. K. Syvertsen
2018
Being a Latinx adolescent under a Trump presidency: Analysis of Latinx youth’s reactions to immigration politics
Children and Youth Services Review. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.02.032
Authors: L. Wray-Lake, R. Wells, L. Alvis, S. Delgado, A. K. Syvertsen, A. Metzger
2018
The intersection of emotional and sociocognitive competencies with civic engagement in middle childhood and adolescence
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(8), 1663-1683. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0842-5
Authors: A. Metzger, L. M. Alvis, B. Oosterhoff, E. Babskie, A. K. Syvertsen, L. Wray-Lake
2018
Examining character structure and function across childhood and adolescence
Child Development, 90(40, 505-524. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13035
Authors: J. Shubert, L. Wray-Lake, A. K. Syvertsen, A. Metzger
2018
Becoming who they want to be: A cross-national examination of value-behavior concordance and mindfulness in adolescence
The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-12. doi:10.1080/17439760.2017.1350741
Authors: M. T. Warren, L. Wray-Lake, A. K. Syvertsen
Digging into family relationships: What really matters?
Blog for the National Center for Families Learning
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2018
Remember the relationships: The missing link that makes measures of students’ social and emotional learning more understandable and actionable
Blog for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Authors: P. C. Scales, K. Pekel
2017
A developmental assets approach in East Africa: Can Swahili measures capture adolescent strengths and supports?
Child & Youth Care Forum, 41(1). doi:10.1007/s10566-017-9415-0
Authors: C. F. Drescher, L. R. Johnson, A. S. Kurz, P. C. Scales, R. P. Kiliho
2017
Protective factors for the college years: Establishing the appropriateness of the Developmental Assets Model for emerging adults
Current Psychology, 37(1), doi:10.1007/s12144-016-9488-1
Authors: T. J. Pashak, P. J. Handal
2017
Seeking and finding positive youth development among Zulu youth in South African townships
Child Development 88(4)
Authors: K. D. Schwartz
2017
The Recipe of Youth Success
[Stanford Social Innovation Review] Stanford University, and Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.
Authors: K. Pekel
2017
Getting relationships right: 55 leaders discuss what it will take to create schools and youth programs where developmental relationships thrive
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute
Authors: K. Pekel
2017
Beyond the family: How Itasca Area adults can–and do–create caring, strong connections with youth
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, and Grand Rapids, MN: SPARK—Stronger Futures for All
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2017
Relationships first: Creating connections that help young people thrive
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.34486.09282
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain, K. Pekel, A. K. Syvertsen, J. Sethi, T. K. Sullivan, P. C. Scales
2017
A snapshot of developmental relationships between parents and youth
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain, A. K. Syvertsen, C.-W. Yu
2017
High-quality OST activities and programs: Using the RISE approach (Relationships, interests and sparks, and empowerment) to promote thriving in youth and their settings
In H. J. Malone & T. Donahue (Eds.), The Growing Out-of-School Time Field: Past, Present, and Future. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing
Authors: P. C. Scales
2017
Promoting social and emotional learning in the middle and high school years
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Issue brief. State College, PA: Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University.
Authors: C. E. Domitrovich, A. K. Syvertsen, S. S. Calin
2016
Thriving in school: The role of sixth-grade adolescent–parent–school relationships in predicting eighth-grade academic outcomes
Youth & Society, 48(6), 739-762. doi: 10.1177/0044118X13512858
Authors: D. F. Perkins, A. K. Syvertsen, C. Mincemoyer, S. M. Chilenski, J. R. Olson, E. Berrena, R. Spoth
2016
The dimensions of successful young adult development: A conceptual and measurement framework
Applied Developmental Science, 20 (3), 150-174. doi:10.1080/10888691.2015.1082429
Authors: P. C. Scales, P. L. Benson, S. Oesterle, K. Hill, J. D. Hawkins, T. J. Pashak
2016
Aligning youth development theory, measurement, and practice across cultures and contexts: Lessons from use of the Developmental Assets Profile
Child Indicators Research, 10(4),
Authors: P. C. Scales, E. C. Roehlkepartain, M. Shramko
2016
Developmental assets and sexual and reproductive health among 10-to 14-year-olds in Northern Uganda
International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 7(1), 45-64. doi:10.18357/ijcyfs.71201615416
Authors: P. C. Scales, M. Shramko, K. Ashburn
2016
Parental, community, and familial support interventions to improve children’s literacy in developing countries: A systematic review
Campbell Systematic Reviews. 4. doi:10.4073/csr.2016.4
Authors: E. T. Spier, P.R. Britto, T. Pigott, E. C. Roehlkepartain, M. McCarthy, Y. Kidron, M. Song, P. C. Scales, D. Wagner, J. Lane, J. Glover
2016
How children understand civic actions: A mixed methods perspective
Journal of Adolescent Research, 31(5), 507-535. doi: 10.1177/0743558415610002
Authors: A. Metzger, A. K. Syvertsen, B. Oosterhoff, E. Babskie, L. Wray-Lake
2016
Exploring associations of character profiles and out-of-school time activities among children and adolescents
Journal of Character Education, 12(6)
Authors: J. Shubert, L. Wray-Lake, A. Metzger, A. K. Syvertsen
2016
Measuring multidimensional constructs from a developmental perspective: An example from the field of civic development
Applied Developmental Science, 21, 266-284. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1205495
Authors: L. Wray-Lake, A. Metzger, A. K. Syvertsen
2016
Developmental change in social responsibility during adolescence: An ecological perspective
Developmental Psychology, 52, 130-142. doi: 10.1037/dev0000067
Authors: L. Wray-Lake, A. K. Syvertsen, C. A. Flanagan
2016
Keep the fun in youth sports by helping kids love the game more than how they perform
[Blog for the Positive Coaching Alliance]
Authors: P. C. Scales
2016
The power of peer relationships: A study of peer programs in the United States (summary)
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute
Authors: T. K. Sullivan, J. Sethi, E. C. Roehlkepartain
2015
Brief report: Assessing youth well-being in global emergency settings: Early results from the Emergency Developmental Assets Profile
Journal of Adolescence, 45, 98-102. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.09.002
Authors: P. C. Scales, E. C. Roehlkepartain, T. Wallace, A. Inselman, P. Stephenson, M. Rodriguez
2015
Don’t Forget the Families The Missing Piece in America’s Effort to Help All Children Succeed: Summary of Key Findings
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Authors: K. Pekel, E. C. Roehlkepartain, A. K. Syvertsen, P. C. Scales
2015
Don’t forget the families: The missing piece in America’s effort to help all children succeed
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Authors: K. Pekel, E. C. Roehlkepartain, A. K. Syvertsen, P. C. Scales
2015
25 years of developmental assets: Personal reflections (and a little data)
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain
2015
Don’t forget the families—technical appendix
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Authors: A. K. Syvertsen, C.-Y. Wu, E. C. Roehlkepartain, P. C. Scales
2014
Family strengths and resilience: Insights from a national study.
Reclaiming Children and Youth, 23
Authors: E. C. Roehlkepartain, A. K. Syvertsen