Abstract
Beliefs in the future are an internalization of hope and optimism about future outcomes. This paper reviews and compares several theories of hope and optimism and highlights the features constituting beliefs in the future. This paper points out that beliefs in the future include a series of goal-directed thoughts and motivation, such as setting up valued and attainable goals, planning pathways, and maintaining self-confidence and mastery, so as to keep adolescents engaged in the pursuit of goals. This kind of personal mastery, together with sociocultural values, family, school, and peers are the antecedents leading to beliefs in the future, which is related to adolescents' well-being and positive development. In order to cultivate adolescents' beliefs in the future, enabling their ability to manipulate goal-directed thoughts and motivation and providing a supportive environment including their family, school, peers, and the society are recommended.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-24-2012
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/527038
Repository Citation
Sun, Rachel C. F. and Shek, Daniel T. L., "Beliefs in the Future as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review" (2012). Pediatrics Faculty Publications. 37.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/pediatrics_facpub/37
Notes/Citation Information
Published in The Scientific World Journal, v. 2012, 527038.
© 2012 Rachel C. F. Sun and Daniel T. L. Shek. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.