Abstract
This study examined the long-term effects of the Better Beginnings, Better Futures project, a community-based early childhood
development program, on 18–19 year-old youths’ narratives about turning points in their lives. The sample consisted of youth
who participated in Better Beginnings from ages 4–8 (n = 62) and youth from a comparison community who did not participate in Better Beginnings (n = 34). Controlling for covariates, significant differences favoring youth from the Better Beginnings sites were found on
several dimensions of the turning point stories: ending resolution, personal growth, meaning-making, coherence, and affect
transformation. Effect sizes ranged from .45 to .76 for these outcome dimensions, indicating moderate to large effects. Also,
turning point story dimensions were found to be significantly correlated with two standardized measures of well-being: youths’
self-esteem and community involvement. Youths’ self-esteem was directly related to story ending resolution, personal growth,
and meaning making, and youths’ community involvement was directly related to story specificity, meaning making, and coherence.
Family functioning was also examined in relation to these narrative dimensions but was not found to be significantly related
to them. The findings suggest the utility of a narrative approach for the evaluation of the long-term outcomes of early childhood
development programs.
development program, on 18–19 year-old youths’ narratives about turning points in their lives. The sample consisted of youth
who participated in Better Beginnings from ages 4–8 (n = 62) and youth from a comparison community who did not participate in Better Beginnings (n = 34). Controlling for covariates, significant differences favoring youth from the Better Beginnings sites were found on
several dimensions of the turning point stories: ending resolution, personal growth, meaning-making, coherence, and affect
transformation. Effect sizes ranged from .45 to .76 for these outcome dimensions, indicating moderate to large effects. Also,
turning point story dimensions were found to be significantly correlated with two standardized measures of well-being: youths’
self-esteem and community involvement. Youths’ self-esteem was directly related to story ending resolution, personal growth,
and meaning making, and youths’ community involvement was directly related to story specificity, meaning making, and coherence.
Family functioning was also examined in relation to these narrative dimensions but was not found to be significantly related
to them. The findings suggest the utility of a narrative approach for the evaluation of the long-term outcomes of early childhood
development programs.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.1007/s10464-011-9466-6
- Authors
- Geoffrey Nelson, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Ashley K. Van Andel, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Susan Eckerle Curwood, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Julian Hasford, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Norah Love, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- S. Mark Pancer, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Colleen Loomis, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
- Journal American Journal of Community Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2770
- Print ISSN 0091-0562