Entries by Emily.Buss001@umb.edu

Profiles in Mentoring: Amy Salazar on Effective Mentoring for Foster Care Youth

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Amy M. Salazar, PhD., is an Associate Professor of Human Development at Washington State University Vancouver, where her research focuses on child welfare systems, youth aging out of foster care, and postsecondary access and success for young people with foster care experience. Her work emphasizes intervention development, program evaluation, and improving outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth […]

Combating Sexism Through Mentorship in High School Sports

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Vaggalis, K., & Kelley, M. (2018). Strong mentors can help female athletes combat sexism, a new study shows. Futurity. https://www.futurity.org/mentors-self-esteem-female-athletes-1842792/ Introduction Female athletes often face discrimination, bullying, and cultural barriers that can undermine participation and performance. Vaggalis and Kelley explored how natural mentorship—supportive adult relationships that athletes identify themselves, such as with coaches or teachers—affects […]

Can AI Feedback Support More Responsive Teaching?

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Demszky, D., Liu, J., Hill, H. C., Jurafsky, D., & Piech, C. (2023). Can Automated Feedback Improve Teachers’ Uptake of Student Ideas? Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial in a Large-Scale Online Course. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 46(3), 483-505. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737231169270 (Original work published 2024) Introduction High-quality teaching depends not only on what teachers say, […]

Social Connectedness in Suicide Risk Prevention Among Adolescents

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Berny, L.M., Mojekwu, F., Nichols, L.M. et al. Investigating the Interplay Between Mental Health Conditions and Social Connectedness on Suicide Risk: Findings from a Clinical Sample of Adolescents. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 56, 1573–1585 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01659-x Introduction Adolescent suicide remains a critical public health concern, particularly among youth with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Berny and colleagues […]

Why Believing You Can Matters: Academic Goals, Support, and Grades

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Brumley, L. D., Nauphal, M., Schwartz, L. A., & Jaffee, S. R. (2021). Psychosocial correlates and consequences of adolescents’ self-generated academic goals and appraisals. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31(1), 204–217. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12593 Introduction Brumley and colleagues (2021) examine not just whether adolescents set academic goals, but whether they view those goals as achievable and supported—a […]

Stopping the Middle School Slump: Self-Regulation is Key

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Martins, J., Rosário, P., Cunha, J., Núñez, J. C., Vallejo, G., & Moreira, T. (2024). How to help students in their transition to middle school? Effectiveness of a school-based group mentoring program promoting students’ engagement, self-regulation, and goal setting. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 76, 102230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102230 Introduction School transitions can trigger declines in school engagement and […]

New Study Exploring Adolescent-Adult Connections in Neighborhoods Impacted by Community Violence

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Fenner, M., Wilson, T., Riley, A., & Culyba, A. J. (2024). Exploring adolescent-adult connections, coping, and safety among minoritized youth in neighborhoods impacted by community violence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 34, 618–630. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12924 Introduction Fenner and colleagues (2024) examine how minoritized youth in violence-impacted neighborhoods manage safety, and how trusted adults support (and sometimes […]

Why Adventure Programs Work: A Model, Not a Mystery

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Deane, K. L., & Harré, N. (2013). The Youth Adventure Programming Model. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(2), 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12069 Introduction Deane and Harré (2013) address a common gap in adventure education: outcomes are often celebrated, yet the conditions that produce benefit or harm are poorly specified. Synthesizing 36 years of research, they propose the […]

How Confident Leadership Affects Program Outcomes

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Griffith, A. N., & Larson, R. W. (2015). Why trust matters: How confidence in leaders transforms what adolescents gain from youth programs. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 26(4), 790–804. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12230 Introduction Youth programs often credit “supportive relationships” as their active ingredient, but Griffith and Larson (2015) ask a sharper question: How does trust specifically change […]

The Science of Effective Encouragement

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Asaba, M., Santos, M., Jara-Ettinger, J., & Leonard, J. A. (2025). Adolescents report being most motivated by encouragement from people who know their abilities and the domain. Developmental Psychology, 61(9), 1793–1807. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001920 Introduction In a useful corrective to “one-size-fits-all” positivity, Asaba and colleagues (2025) argue that encouragement motivates adolescents only when it comes from someone […]