Integrating purpose, hope, and critical consciousness with the 7C model of positive youth development: a holistic approach to understanding contribution

Introduction Active contribution to civil society is a key aspect of a fulfilling life, yet our understanding of what drives adolescents to contribute meaningfully to their communities remains incomplete. While the original 5C and expanded 7C models of Positive Youth Development (PYD) highlight contribution as a key indicator of thriving, they may not fully capture the motivational factors that drive youth. This study explores how purpose in life, hopeful future expectations, and critical consciousness, including both self-oriented and collective dimensions of purpose and hope, predict adolescents‘ contribution within the expanded 7C model of PYD. Methods The sample consisted of 723 U.S. adolescents (average age = 15.76, SD = 1.22; 54.9% non-male). Hierarchical regression with interaction analysis was used to explore the relationship between the constructs. Results Results indicated that purpose in life, hopeful future expectations, critical consciousness, and PYD all significantly predicted contribution. However, adding interaction terms to the model did not improve the amount of variance explained, and the interaction terms were not significant predictors of contribution. Discussion These findings underscore the importance of fostering both self-oriented and collective purpose, hope, and critical consciousness to support youth in contributing to their contexts, offering a more comprehensive understanding of how to encourage adolescents' contributions and providing insights for youth development programs.