Natasha Lekes

Early Family Experiences and Adult Values: A 26-Year, Prospective Longitudinal Study

Archival longitudinal data were used to examine relations of childhood environmental factors with adult values. Parental style and family socioeconomic status (SES) were assessed when participants were 5 years old. At age 31, participants completed the Rokeach Value Survey. Results indicated that adults focused on conformity values were more likely to have restrictive parents and to have been raised in lower SES families. Age-31 self-direction values were negatively correlated with parental restrictiveness at age 5, and age-31 security values were negatively correlated with parental warmth at age 5. Results with parenting variables remained significant after controlling for both childhood and concurrent SES. The pattern of findings is consistent with organismic-based theories, which suggest that the manner in which environments support or hinder need satisfaction influences individuals’ value development.

Further Validation of the Motivation Toward the Environment Scale

A study was conducted to further validate the Motivation Toward the Environment Scale (MTES). Results confirmed both the convergent and discriminant validity of the MTES by showing that peer reports corresponded to self-reports of environmental self-regulation and that environmental self-regulation was relatively distinct from self-regulation in academic and political domains. Results also pointed to some possible sources of autonomous self-regulation. Individuals were more likely to engage in autonomous environmental behaviors if (a) their parents had shown an interest in their developing attitudes about the environment, (b) their peers supported their freedom to make decisions about the environment, and (c) they had already developed life aspirations such as concern for their community. Finally, results confirmed the adaptive value of developing an autonomous regulatory style toward environmental activities. Thus, autonomous individuals were shown to report stable proenvironmental attitudes over time, a greater number of environmental behaviors, and higher levels of well-being.

The impact of performance-contingent rewards on perceived autonomy and competence

Two studies examined the impact of performance-contingent rewards on perceived autonomy, competence, and intrinsic motivation. Autonomy was measured in terms of both decisional and affective reports. The first study revealed an undermining effect of performance-contingent rewards on affective reports of autonomy among university students, and an increase in reports of competence. Decisional autonomy judgements were unaffected by rewards. The second study replicated this pattern of findings among elementary school children. These results help resolve Cognitive Evaluation Theorys (E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan, 1985; R. M. Ryan, V. Mims, & R. Koestner, 1983) and Eisenberger, Rhoades, et al.s (R. Eisenberger, L. Rhoades, & J. Cameron, 1999) divergent positions on the impact of performance-contingent rewards on autonomy. The studies also included measures of intrinsic motivation.

The Role of Episodic Memories in Current and Future Well-Being:

The purpose of the present research was to examine the automatic role of psychological need satisfaction in episodic memories and in their associated networked memories on people’s sense of well-being. In each of four studies, participants were asked to describe a main episodic memory and networked memories, that is, other memories related to their main episodic memory. Results of Studies 1 and 2 revealed that levels of need satisfaction in a main episodic memory and in its networked memories both uniquely contributed to the prediction of well-being (based on either participants’ or peers’ ratings). Study 3 examined the automatic effect of priming an episodic memory network on people’s well-being in the here and now. Study 4 revealed that need satisfaction in episodic memory networks predicted changes in well-being over time. In addition, this relationship held after controlling for broad dispositional traits, mental health, and general need satisfaction ratings.

On the directive function of episodic memories in people's lives: a look at romantic relationships.

We argue that episodic memories have an active and directive function with respect to a number of relational outcomes. In line with self-determination theory, it is expected that the satisfaction of 3 needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) in couple-related memories facilitates the quality of romantic relationships and their development. Results of 4 studies support this contention. Study 1 showed that need satisfaction in couple-related memories was associated with relationship quality, even after controlling for other important relational constructs. Study 2 underscored the context-dependent aspect of the directive function of episodic memories. Need satisfaction in couple-related memories was found to be associated with partner relationship quality but not with friendship quality, whereas need satisfaction in friend-related memories was associated with friendship quality but not with partner relationship quality. Study 3 showed that couple-related memories contributed independently to each partners perceptions of relationship quality, that is, both the rememberer and the partner. Study 4 showed the long-term directive function of episodic memories. Need satisfaction in couple-related memories positively and negatively predicted increases in relationship quality and the likelihood of a breakup over a 1-year period, respectively. This directive function of memories was examined along with the self function of memories (self-enhancement, self-protection) and shown to be complementary. We also examined the stability of need satisfaction in couple-related memories over time and investigated this stability as a function of whether the partners had broken up or not over the year. Overall, the findings suggest that episodic memories play an important role in romantic relationships.

Influencing value priorities and increasing well-being: The effects of reflecting on intrinsic values

A four-week experimental study (N = 113) examined the effects of reflecting on intrinsic values. In the experimental group, participants learned about the distinction between intrinsic (e.g. having close relationships) and extrinsic (e.g. being popular) values, wrote about two personal intrinsic values, and then reflected on these values weekly for four weeks. In the control group, participants completed parallel exercises related to the daily details of their lives. Results revealed that participants in the intrinsic values group experienced greater well-being immediately following the written reflection than participants in the control group. Four weeks later, the more engaged participants felt in the reflection exercises, the more they prioritized intrinsic over extrinsic values and the greater their well-being. These effects occurred only for participants in the intrinsic values condition. The implications for changing value priorities and improving well-being are discussed.

Montreal youth use their voice to transform their lives and prevent violence in their communities: a discussion of the Leave Out Violence program.

In Montreal, the Leave Out Violence (LOVE) program uses professional journalists, photographers, and LOVE staff to equip young people with tools to develop and express their voices. Youth who have experienced violence, as perpetrators, victims, or witnesses, engage in photojournalism projects, leadership training, and community outreach.