Posts

At the Heart of Mentorship, a Q&A with Dr. Hilary Dutton

Dr. Hilary Dutton is a Pākehā/Māori (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) youth development researcher at the University of Canterbury. Her research focuses on the relational processes that contribute to developing high quality mentoring relationships, particularly self-disclosure. In 2021 she was awarded a Rutherford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship to undertake a two-year project exploring youth perspectives on disclosure in youth-adult […]

Building a “Sound Relationship House” in mentoring

by Jean Rhodes In his Sound Relationship House Theory, psychologist and marriage guru John Gottman defines the attitudes and skills that lead to strong friendships in marriage, delineating them as the “floors” or principles of good marriage. These align with research on how to build strong “working alliances” with children and adolescents in therapy. These also […]

Study finds that cross-race mentoring is associated with reductions in perceived racism

Liao, L. C. & Sanchez, B. (2015). An exploratory study of the role of mentoring in the acculturation of Latino/a youth. Journal of Community Psychology, 43(7), 868-877. doi: 10.1002/jcop.21717 Summarized by Jessica Cunningham Background: There is very little research focused on children from immigrant families in general, and even less research on how mentoring interventions […]

Profiles in Mentoring: A Conversation with Johanna Greeson on Natural Mentoring and Foster Care

Below is a profile of Professor Johanna Greeson. Johanna’s excellent new book will be out next month!  by Kate Powers Introduction: Johanna Greeson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Greeson received her MSW from Bryn Mawr College in 1999, and then returned to […]

Mentor relationship quality predicts the quality of other important relationships

Thomson, N., & Zand, D. (2010). Mentees’ perceptions of their interpersonal relationships: The role of  the mentor-youth bond. Youth Society, 41, 434-447. Mentor relationship quality as a predictor of other important relationships Background: A primary way in which mentors influence mentees is by altering the youths’ view of their own interpersonal relationships  It is believed […]

Time and trust trump all: An examination of social capital, race and class in mentoring relationships

What’s in a relationship? An examination of social capital, race and class in mentoring relationships Gaddis, S. (2012). What’s in a relationship? An examination of social capital, race and class in mentoring relationships. Social Forces, 90 (4), 1237-1269. Summarized by Laura Yoviene Problem: The concept of social capital has been widely identified as an important […]

How natural mentoring improves academic engagement

Hurd, N.M. & Sellers, R.M. (2013). Black adolescents’ relationships with natural mentors: Associations with academic engagement via social and emotional development. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 19 (1), 76-85. summarized by Stella Kanchewa, MA, UMB doctoral student in clinical psychology  Researchers have demonstrated the role that natural mentoring relationships play in affecting youth’s academic […]

New research investigates the different mentor roles taken on by sports coaches

White, J. S., Schempp, P. G., McCullick, B. A., Berger, B. S., & Elliott, J. M. (2017). Mentoring relationships in sport from the protégé’s perspective. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 15(1), 152-168. Summarized by Julia Mancini Notes of Interest: This article explores the effectiveness of the functions and roles in mentoring relationships […]

New research identifies “elusive ingredient” in mentoring relationships: Mutuality

Lester, A.M., Goodloe, C. L., Johnson, H. E., & Deutsch, N. L. (2018). Understanding mutuality: Unpacking relational processes in youth mentoring relationships. Journal of Community Psychology, 1-16. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22106 Summarized by Justin Preston Notes of Note: This study focuses on what the authors describe as the “elusive ingredient” in mentoring relationships: mutuality. Described as “the […]

New research shows the important role of natural mentors for delinquency in youth

Editor’s Note: This recent longitudinal study provides interesting insights into the specific relationship between mentoring and juvenile delinquency. Not only does this article show the positive effects mentoring relationships seem to have on delinquency, the authors also discuss certain characteristics of the mentoring relationship seem to matter the most.   Reference: Kelley, M. S., & Lee, […]