The enduring adverse effects of poverty on individuals have been well documented and a large body of studies indicates that young people who grew up in disadvantaged socio-economic conditions have an increased risk of poor physical and mental health, behavioral problems, and low academic achievement. Nevertheless, the positive developmental outcomes among youth living in low-income families have been very rarely studied. Using a Self-Determination theory (SDT) framework, this research will investigate the interplay between sociocultural factors, educational contexts, motivations, attitudes and perceptions in promoting academic adjustment and well-being in disadvantaged youth. The participants will be children and adolescents from socioeconomically disadvantaged families attending socio-educational centers and schools in various geographical areas of Italy. Data will be analyzed, and the hypothesis will be tested by means of longitudinal and/or multilevel structural equation models in order to take into account their complexity. In conclusion, this project intends to make a meaningful contribution to our knowledge of resilience factors in youth in poverty, a population that is very rarely studied.
This project will make a meaningful contribution to our knowledge of disadvantaged youth, a population that is very rarely studied. In fact, although there are clear reasons for assuming that living in poverty shapes the development of children and adolescents (for a review see Haushofer and Fehr, 2014), there are no studies focused on the relationship between sociocultural factors, educational and social contexts, motivations, and self-perceptions for the positive development of youth living in disadvantaged conditions. At the same time there is a lack of evidence on how positive development can be supported in this specific population. The research is intended to help fill these gaps. It will also contribute to the development of Self-Determination Theory, establishing its applicability and relevance for youth living in a socioeconomic situation that might have a significant impact on their psychological functioning, diminishing the importance of psychological needs. Finally, results will provide educational indications, identifying specific resilience factors for interventions in order to cultivate and sustain the development of positive outcomes and help improve the psychosocial well-being and academic adjustment of disadvantaged youth.
Overview of the consulted literature:
Haushofer, J., & Fehr, E. (2014). On the psychology of poverty. Science, 344(6186), 862-867.