Lyda Lannegrand-Willems

Vocational identity and psychological adjustment: a study in French adolescents and emerging adults.

The aim of the present research was to study vocational identity in French adolescent and emerging adult students by using a French adaptation of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA), and to analyze the links between vocational identity formation and negative and positive psychological adjustment. Participants were 1077 French students who completed self-report scales about vocational identity, depression and satisfaction with life. The French version of the VISA showed good psychometric properties and six identity statuses were derived by means of cluster analysis: achievement, foreclosure, moratorium, searching moratorium, diffused diffusion and carefree diffusion. The main findings show that diffused diffusion and moratorium represent the dark sides of identity because of their negative psychological adjustment, and that the two processes of reconsideration of commitment were differently associated with psychological adjustment. These findings demonstrate that clinical interventions should be adapted to the individuals identity profile.

Challenges of adolescent psychology in the European identity context.

In Europe, the question of identity and youth civic engagement constitutes a challenge both for the European Union (EU) and for research on adolescent psychology. In this article, we discuss the European historical context and the current initiatives from the EU that aim to encourage civic engagement among young people. Then, we suggest some research directions in youth civic engagement and identity formation, which could contribute to the facilitation of the initiative drawn by the EU. These directions include (a) understanding the role and the dynamics of the sense of belonging to the different levels of social communities into sociocultural contexts (such as continental, national), and (b) the development of civic engagement during adolescence integrating the various components of civic engagement and identity formation processes. Finally, (c) the specificities of sociocultural contexts and the diversity of multifaceted identity with regard to cultural, social, and ethnic groups should be taken into account.

Prediction of various degrees of vocational secondary school absenteeism: Importance of the organization of the educational system

The aim of this research was to study different types of absenteeism in vocational secondary school taking into account the specificity of the school context. Participants were 523 students. First, three school absenteeism groups were established: Students with no absenteeism (nearly 64% of the sample), students with absenteeism (26%), and students with problematic absenteeism (10%). These groups were then compared according to four dimensions directly linked to the school context in order to identify the characteristics most associated with each type of absenteeism. Dimensions considered in this study were: 1) students’ characteristics and their status in vocational secondary school; 2) personal variables of school involvement; 3) relational variables (with parents, teachers, and school climate); and 4) belief variable in school system (belief in school justice). Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that beyond the impact of the personal variables, the organization of the educational system seems to be a major predictor in the explanation of various forms of absenteeism. Implications from the research for psychological providers practice were suggested in order to encourage school attendance by vocational secondary school students.

How is Civic Engagement Related to Personal Identity and Social Identity in Late Adolescents and Emerging Adults? A Person-Oriented Approach

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are periods in life when individuals both question and define their place in society and form their identity. Meanwhile, active youth civic engagement represents a challenge for each democracy. The purpose of this study was to analyze the different forms of civic engagement among late adolescents and emerging adults and how they are related to personal identity and social identity, while adopting an integrative perspective through the lens of a person-oriented approach. The participants were 1217 (62.3% female) 16–24 year-old French students (Mage = 19.17; SDage = 1.83). First, derived from cluster analyses, the findings emphasized diversity in civic engagement, from strong civic participation (in different formal and informal ways) to various forms of passivity. Diversity was also highlighted for personal identity and social identity profiles. Second, a Configural Frequency Analysis revealed a typical pattern associating passivity in civic engagement, personal carefree diffusion and rejection of social identity. Overall, these findings highlight an absence of general youth disaffection and provide a meaningful specific pattern for the understanding of passivity in political and civic matters in late adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Brief report: How many dimensions in the prosocial behavior scale? Psychometric investigation in French-speaking adolescents

Abstract The purpose of the study was to evaluate the factor structure and the reliability of the Prosocial Behavior Scale (PBS). To our knowledge, no factorial validity of the multifactorial structure of PBS has been published to date. The psychometric characteristics of the PBS were examined in several samples of French adolescents (aged 11–19, N1 = 1141, N2 = 1071, and N3 = 1640) using Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). The original four-factor structure was not confirmed due to lack of discriminant validity. CFA led us to retain a two-factor solution with a good fit and a satisfactory reliability. Furthermore, the results support the convergent validity of the PBS: helping and caring dimensions were positively correlated with empathy. In addition, partial measurement invariance across gender and grade was attested. In conclusion, the results indicate that the French version of the PBS is a useful instrument for the assessment of prosocial behaviors in adolescence.