The International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD) emphasizes multidisciplinarity and contextuality in studying human development across the lifespan. This article reports the oral histories of seven Past-Presidents about their accomplishments in leading ISSBD to promote these aspects using a developmental science framework. The narratives include information about motivations for activities and insights that shaped their presidency. Prominent among about a dozen such instances were endeavors to increase the worldwide representation of ISSBD, and to gain insights to improve the strengths of ISSBD. Some Past Presidents have explicitly addressed the pursuit of developmental science in ISSBD publications, and all have promoted it through programs such as regional workshops that are particularly appropriate for the next generation of developmental scientists from countries around the world living under different cultural conditions (e.g., dealing with socio-political changes, military conflicts and health risks such as COVID). All Past Presidents have worked to increase financial support from scientific foundations; additional revenue was gained by negotiating more favorable contracts with publishers and by establishing investment funds. Developmental science with its emphasis on multidisciplinary and international orientations was further promoted at the Biennial Meetings and by publications such as the International Journal of Behavioral Development .

For decades, puberty has been assumed to be a major force affecting adolescent behavior. Psychoanalytic scholars have attributed some of the apparent changes in adolescent behavior to an increase in sexual drive and, more recently, to the surge in gonadal hormones thought to underlie increases in libido. Boys' and girls' status classifications have been found to compare favorably with their pubertal status scores and hence appear to be valid. Differences among pubertal status groups in terms of mood variables appeared only in seventh and eighth grade, and appeared more consistently in boys than in girls. The multivariate effect was significant only for boys in seventh grade. Closer inspection of the specific pubertal status effects suggests a second general point: pubertal effects are frequently not so strong that they consistently influence whole sets of indicators, but rather, one indicator at one grade level and another indicator at the next may be involved.

Free AccessWorking Toward Sustainable Development for AllSuman Verma, Anne C. Petersen, and Jennifer E. LansfordSuman Verma Department of Human Development & Family Relations, Government Home Science College, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India Search for more papers by this author, Anne C. Petersen Center for Human Growth & Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Search for more papers by this author, and Jennifer E. Lansford Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:June 14, 2019https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000359PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreThe United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and Its Sustainable Development GoalsThis topical issue of the Zeitschrift für Psychologie comes at a critical time following the historic adoption of the United Nations’ action plan Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015). The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets in the 2030 Agenda adopted at the United Nations by the 193 member states in September 2015 represent a transformative global development initiative. The Agenda recognizes the need to look beyond narrow economic measures of progress and consider all aspects of well-being for current and future generations, to eradicate poverty worldwide, and to safeguard the planet (United Nations, 2015). Transitioning from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to a universal sustainable development framework calls for updating current approaches based on lessons learned from the past, and ensuring that institutional mechanisms will support the implementation of the SDGs. Encompassing three core inter-linked dimensions of economic, social, and environmental development, the Agenda has become the center of a renewed development framework for countries to meet the changing development priorities and development gaps that previous strategies have been unable to close. A summary of the SDGs with links to progress information is available at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300This topical issue of the Zeitschrift fürPsychologie focuses on some of the major challenges to and solutions for achieving the SDGs. Further, we highlight how psychologists can contribute to evidence-based policy initiatives, societal progress, and achieving the SDGs.Sustainable Human Development: Issues and PerspectivesSustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 43). Human beings are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature so that their social and economic needs are met within natural resource limits to enable sustainable human development. Continued efforts are needed to advance poverty eradication, human rights, and equity while also realizing more sustainable patterns of consumption and production, stabilizing climatic changes, and effectively managing environmental resources (UNICEF, 2013).Psychological and social science research demonstrates that social inequalities prevent people from developing their capacities and contributing as productive members of society. Research in psychology indicates that being engaged in decent work promotes psychosocial empowerment by reducing marginalization and poverty (Antonucci, Bial, Cox, Finkelstein, & Marchado, 2019). Empowering people to be productive by providing training about entrepreneurship and income-generating activities, life skills development, as well as equal access to education and lifelong learning, particularly for youth (Franchett et al., 2019), are important pathways to decent work and the achievement of sustainable development. Strategies and programs that are implemented need to be evaluated on dimensions inclusive of psychosocial well-being, empowerment, mental health care and social protection, human rights, and social justice to ensure their effectiveness and to determine the degree to which the policies have had the desired effects in achieving sustainable development (Psychology NGOs Accredited at the United Nations, 2012).The Contributions in This IssueAntonucci et al. (2019) review the role of life span and life course theories for explaining how poverty (SDG 1), gender inequity (SDG 5), and insecurity (SDG 11) influence an individual at different developmental stages. They also consider how convoys of social relations offer naturally occurring resources and review successful interventions.In the original article section, we have three contributions. Ponguta et al. (2019) describe the process whereby Colombia engaged all stakeholders to develop measures to assess progress toward achievement of the SDGs in quality early childhood development and education for all children. The model is useful not only for programs, research, and policy in Colombia but also globally.Franchett et al. (2019) used a mixed-method approach to document the experiences of female community youth leaders from rural Pakistan in a youth-led early childhood care and education (ECCE) program. They use the program as a model for dual investments in children and young people to achieve several SDG targets. Using both quantitative and qualitative analyses, their findings suggest that, in some contexts, youth-led ECCE models can feasibly address ECCE workforce gaps while offering leadership and professional development opportunities for youth.Tirrell et al. (2019) propose the usefulness of Bornstein’s (2017) specificity principle regarding what specific youth prosper in what specific ways in what specific programs, for evaluating SDG-relevant programs. Data from 888 Salvadoran youth, half from Compassion International programs with community comparisons, yielded no aggregate differences and mixed results within program sites.Five research spotlights look at different aspects of SDG realization in various parts of the world. Schultes et al. (2019) describe and give examples of how psychology and implementation science provide knowledge useful for SDG goals on (1) developing interventions and adapting existing programs to different contexts, (2) systematically and sustainably implementing interventions at different system levels, and (3) evaluating and monitoring the effectiveness of interventions in producing desired changes.Wiium, Wreder, Chen, and Dimitrova (2019) highlight the challenges youth face in Ghana and test psychometric properties of thriving indicators among adolescents from a positive youth development perspective. Observed gender differences and differentials in access to resources were attributed to cultural and socialization processes that perpetuate gender disparities in Ghana.Pessoa, Liebenberg, Bottrell, and Koller (2019) use the case example of Brazilian youth involved in drug trafficking to illustrate how the schooling, work, and aspirations of these youth connect with the SDGs and how psychologists can promote democratic principles, extend services to vulnerable youth, and develop tools specific to the needs of Brazilians.Horoz, Huizink, Delforterie, and Creemers (2019) examine whether parental control, parental solicitation, and acculturation to Dutch culture were associated with well-being among youth with Turkish and Moroccan backgrounds in the Netherlands. Higher levels of parental solicitation were associated with a higher level of well-being among youth. The authors discuss implications of their findings for SDG 3.4 (promote well-being and mental health) and SDG 10 (reduce inequalities) as these are crucial for positive youth development and social cohesion.Banati and Oyugi (2019) build a case for the importance of using longitudinal data to measure progress toward achieving the SDGs to capture the dynamic process of human development, track causes and consequences of particular outcomes, and maximize the effectiveness of interventions by attending to particular developmental windows of opportunity.The issue closes with three commentaries on the research presented (Boyden, 2019; Dawes, 2019; Silbereisen, 2019).Emerging Implementation Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Human DevelopmentWith the adoption of the SDGs worldwide, it is evident that a mandate exists for ensuring sustainable human development for all; however, the main challenge for countries is effective implementation. The collection of articles in this issue demonstrates that sustainable development challenges are integrated and need to be addressed in a holistic manner.Early intervention matters and the unmet needs of young children and youth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) can be addressed through innovative solutions using youth-led ECCE models that maximize gains in developmental outcomes for both age groups (Franchett et al., 2019). Achieving and tracking progress toward inclusive quality education for all (SDG 4) requires application of contextualized and comprehensive assessments for quality at scale (Ponguta et al., 2019). The use of longitudinal research designs can effectively contribute to the understanding of developmental trajectories and processes over time and provide important evidence for policy making (Banati & Oyugi, 2019). Investment in positive youth development with a special focus on well-being and mental health (SDG 3) is an important factor for integration, adaptation, and social cohesion. The benefits of such initiatives may foster the achievement of SDG 4 (inclusive quality education for all), SDG 8 (employment), and SDG 16 (peaceful and inclusive societies; Horoz et al., 2019). If gender parity and equitable life chances (SDG 5) are to be ensured, then programs need to nurture developmental assets that will stimulate thriving among youth (Wiium et al., 2019).One of the 2030 Agenda mandates is “leave no one behind.” This can be possible only when we have disaggregated results across subgroups that will aid in evaluating program efficacy across participants, and within program sites (Tirrell et al., 2019). Needs-based interventions grounded in indigenous theories and culturally relevant strategies for marginalized population groups are the way forward (Pessoa et al., 2019). Implementation science provides a knowledge base for implementation variables essential to improving efficacy of evaluation and monitoring processes (Schultes et al., 2019). Psychological theory and research permit understanding complex dimensions of poverty (SDG 1), gender and empowerment (SDG 5), and security (SDG 11) required for designing and implementing interventions that contribute to sustainable development (Antonucci et al., 2019).Developmental scientists have emphasized the need to develop culturally sensitive, age- appropriate, rigorous measurement tools to track SDG progress; the need to advance developmental science to be useful for policy frameworks, especially in the LMICs; and crucial investments in research and in capacity building among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to achieve sustainable development in LMICs (Verma & Petersen, 2018).The SDGs are a powerful tool for motivating national-level programs and policies to improve millions of lives around the world. When thinking globally, the development of individuals over time can be lost in conceptions of societal change. Psychologists bring to the implementation of the SDGs the advantage of expertise in attending to individuals rather than entire societies, which makes them well suited to addressing questions of how to make national policies work for diverse individuals, how to work with vulnerable individuals, and how to track individuals’ changes over time in the face of societal changes.References Antonucci, T. C., Bial, M., Cox, C., Finkelstein, R., & Marchado, L. (2019). The role of psychology in addressing worldwide challenges of poverty and gender inequality. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 95–104. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000360 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar Banati, P., & Oyugi, J. (2019). Longitudinal research for sustainable development: Towards a policy-driven agenda. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 149–153. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000368 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar Boyden, J. (2019). 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Well-being of Turkish and Moroccan youth in the Netherlands: Parental control, parental solicitation, and acculturation to the Dutch culture. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 144–148. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000367 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar Pessoa, A. S. G., Liebenberg, L., Bottrell, D., & Koller, S. H. (2019). Restructuring educational systems and promoting social justice for young people involved in drug trafficking in Brazil. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 139–143. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000366 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Ponguta, L. A., Maldonado-Carreño, C., Kagan, S. L., Yoshikawa, H., Nieto, A. M., Aragón, C. A., … Escallon, E. (2019). Adaptation and application of the Measuring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) Framework to early childhood education settings in Colombia: Implications for national policy and the Sustainable Development Goals. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000361 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar Psychology NGOs Accredited at the United Nations. (2012). Psychological contributions to the achievement of sustainable development. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/international/united-nations/rio20-sustinable-development.pdf First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Schultes, M. T., Bergsmann, E., Brandt, L., Finsterwald, M., Kien, C., & Klug, J. (2019). How connecting psychology and implementation science supports pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 129–133. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000364 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar Silbereisen, R. K. (2019). Psychological work on the Sustainable Development Goals: Much achieved, even more to do. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 160–161. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000371 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar Tirrell, J. M., Gansert, P. K., Dowling, E. M., Geldhof, G. J., Lerner, J. V., King, P. E., … Lerner, R. M. (2019). Illuminating the use of the specificity principle to go inside the black box of programs: The sample case of an El Salvador positive youth development program. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000363 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar UNICEF. (2013). Sustainable development starts with safe, healthy and well-educated children. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/agenda2030/files/SD_children_FINAL.pdf First citation in articleGoogle Scholar United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld/publication First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Verma, S., & Petersen, A. C. (2018). Developmental science and pathways to sustainable development for children and youth. In S. VermaA. C. PetersenEds., Social Indicators Research Series, Vol. 74. Developmental science and sustainable development goals for children and youth (pp. 1–35). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Wiium, N., Wreder, L. F., Chen, B. B., & Dimitrova, R. (2019). Gender and positive youth development: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 227, 134–138. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000365 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our common future. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf First citation in articleGoogle ScholarSuman Verma, Former Head, Department of Human Development & Family Relations, Government Home Science College, Sector 10, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160010, India, suman992003@yahoo.comFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Topical Issue: Sustainable Human Development: Challenges and Solutions for Implementing the United Nations’ GoalsVolume 227Issue 2April 2019ISSN: 2190-8370eISSN: 2151-2604 InformationZeitschrift für Psychologie (2019), 227, pp. 91-94 https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000359.© 2019Hogrefe PublishingPDF download

Youth programs and policies provide opportunities for institutions and societies to support healthy adolescent development. Puberty education programs are universally important, as they provide crucial knowledge and skills to help youth and their caregivers navigate the physical, emotional, and interpersonal changes of puberty with positive outcomes. However, few puberty programs have been rigorously evaluated, resulting in a lack of evidence-based knowledge and practice in this area. This review examines the status of research on puberty education and related programs and draws on the broader intervention literature and recent research findings on adolescence to identify program features that might improve program effectiveness. Implications for policy are also discussed. The need for rigorous program evaluation is emphasized throughout.

This chapter describes adolescent development within the context of capacity building, reviews the global adolescent capacity-building initiatives, and provides a link between developmental tasks of adolescence and capacity building. It highlights the importance of incorporating assessment of adolescents’ capacity-building needs at individual, community, and organizational levels into global policy and programs and suggests effective approaches to building adolescent development capacity that include adopting the “stage–environment–fit,” in which stage represents the developmental stages (early, middle, late stages) of adolescents and emphasizes developmental tasks of adolescence, while environment represents the social and cultural contexts in which the adolescents live. That adolescents need to be engaged as planners, decision-makers, and participants in programs that build their capacity and translation of global policies into policies of governments is emphasized.

“Sustainable Human Development: Challenges and Solutions for Implementing the United Nations’ Goals”A Topical Issue of the Zeitschrift für PsychologieSuman Verma, Anne C. Petersen, and Jennifer E. LansfordSuman Verma Panjab University, Chandigarh, India Search for more papers by this author, Anne C. Petersen University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Search for more papers by this author, and Jennifer E. Lansford Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:February 02, 2018https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000313PDFView Full Text ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Topical Issue: Hotspots in Psychology 2018Volume 226Issue 1January 2018ISSN: 2190-8370eISSN: 2151-2604 InformationZeitschrift für Psychologie (2018), 226, pp. 81-82 https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000313.© 2018Hogrefe PublishingPDF download

Chapter 5 seeks to contribute to the development of more dynamic and complex understandings of ‘identity’ by turning to Stuart Hall’s, Amelia Jones’s and José Esteban Muñoz’s theories of identity as identification. Chapter 5 puts an intersectional approach to the test by examining works by three artists whose works can be read as artistic ‘answers’ to the same challenge as Jones, Muñoz and Hall have sought to meet: that of developing a dynamic notion of identity beyond classic identity politics grounded in Western binary thinking. Examining works by London-based Nigerian expatriate Yinka Shonibare, Delhi-based British expatriate Bharti Kher, and Mexico City-based Vietnamese Danh Vo, who grew up in Denmark, the chapter explores art’s potential to chart how identifications and disidentifications can shift dynamically as one navigates across cultures. The analyses focus on the artists’ insistence on circulation, movement and cultural contamination as the ‘ground’ of their works, and seek to substantiate the hypothesis that their works articulate a vision of the subject as a subject that comes into being through processes of translation and transculturation, which eventually constitute its hybrid identity.

Positive youth development (PYD) research seeks to understand and promote positive aspects of development in young people. In this the special section, focused upon youth from diverse racial-ethnic backgrounds around the globe, we describe the origins and development of the field, identify key and emerging themes, and present the challenges for work in the area in the years ahead. Central to these are elements that are inherent in many of the articles that constitute the section: These include a need to articulate more clearly the role of social and cultural context in positive development, a need to refine the measures and methods used for collecting data, the significance of social identities, and engagement with other fields of study and with policymakers.

The question, "Who am I?" is especially pertinent during adolescence. The combination of physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur during that time, plus the serious life choices to be faced (occupation, life partner) spur what Erik Erikson (1968) famously called an identity crisis. He used the term, "crisis," to mean a turning point rather than a period of profound or debilitating uncertainty. Erikson acknowledged that identity issues could arise throughout the life course, but saw identity formation as the critical "developmental task" of adolescence.

This chapter takes a global perspective on equity and justice during development from childhood into adulthood. Globally, the population of young people is booming with the most rapid growth among young people in the poorest countries. While already faced with significant issues related to development and thriving, this population boom also exacerbates equity and justice for these children. Given this urgent situation, this chapter builds from the large body of minority world research, as well as the emergent majority world research, to argue that in order to turn the youth bulge into a demographic dividend, researchers must utilize a positive development framing rather than the more dominant problem-focused framing in studying these issues. The structural challenges confronting young people growing up in contexts marked by poverty; weak systems and institutions, especially those serving education, health, and justice; weak political and governance systems; and continual conflict must also be addressed by global and national governmental bodies. This chapter will emphasize the strengths and opportunities of the majority world, highlighting some of the strong, emergent examples of programs that support and develop the strengths of young people. We conclude with a discussion of appropriate support required from the minority and majority worlds that would further strengthen young people globally and enable them to become leaders of a more just, equitable world.

In this article, we discuss the need for and value of an integrated developmental intervention science in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs), and the extent to which this integration of basic developmental science has influenced research on child and youth development interventions in these countries. We also consider how a global developmental science can be advanced by capitalizing on the opportunities provided by cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, experimental, and mixed methods approaches. We argue that designing and evaluating human developmental interventions in LAMICs present an opportunity for both research and policy. Testing contextualized developmental approaches through rigorously evaluated interventions yields the promise of finding more powerful and scalable solutions that can reach more children and youth worldwide. Moreover, a theoretically rich and methodologically rigorous understanding of how interventions effect change in diverse countries and contexts can contribute to the development of a truly global developmental science.