This article explores the topic of adulthood within children's literature. Because adults author, illustrate, and produce children's literature, adults construct what childhood looks like, as well as the degree of diverse representation within children's texts. The varied, and sometimes conflicting, depictions of child characters reveal the…

Experiencing the moral emotions of gratitude and moral elevation are responses to witnessing virtuous deeds of others. Both emotions have been found to share similar features and behavioral consequences, including the stimulation of personal development. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions indicates that gratitude and elevation…

Researchers contend that committing to an inspiring purpose in life is an important component of healthy identity development for adolescents; however, little research has focused on how identity and purpose develop together. Therefore, the study followed a sample of eight adolescent purpose exemplars for five years in order to develop a grounded…

Study examined adolescents' participation in sports, school, and community extracurricular activities to assess the influence of different involvement roles and adult support on leadership skills. The study found that males and females who perceived their adult support more positively had more positive perceptions of their leadership skills.…

For many individuals, engagement with the arts and music in later life plays a significant role in identity formation. Research indicates that music engagement facilitates successful aging. While participants may or may not establish identities as musicians, musical activities provide interactions and opportunities that facilitate their…

Previous research with the Aspiration Index suggests that the importance of intrinsic life goals (e.g. personal growth and relationships) is in positive association with indicators of well-being, whereas an orientation toward extrinsic life goals (e.g. wealth and appearance) is connected with decreased positive functioning. Our study extended the…

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of adult musicians in two long-standing flute choirs. Data were collected through observations, field notes, and in-depth interviews with 16 ensemble members. Salient statements were grouped into meaning units and clustered into 5 themes: Serendipity, Rewards, Challenges, Directors'…