A new study tests the theoretical model of psychological empowerment and finds support for the three components described in Zimmerman’s conceptual framework: intrapersonal component, interactional component, and behavioral component.
Eisman and colleagues analyzed data from 367 middle school youth aged 11-16 to test the theory. Results indicated that each of the factors for the three components demonstrated a good fit with the data, meaning that there was strong support for the model. The study, published in the American Journal of Community Psychology, lends support for the theory of YES.
Results suggest that empowerment-focused programs would benefit from incorporating how youth think about themselves in relation to their social context (intrapersonal), understanding social and material resources needed to achieve specific goals (interactional), and taking actions to influence outcomes (behavioral). In addition, results suggest that integrating the three components and promoting psychological empowerment may help increase the likelihood of positive behaviors.
Article citation:
Eisman, A. B., Zimmerman, M. A., Kruger, D., Reischl, T. M., Miller, A. L., Franzen, S. P., & Morrel-Samuels, S. (2016). Psychological Empowerment Among Urban Youth: Measurement Model and Associations with Youth Outcomes. American Journal of Community Psychology, n/a-n/a. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12094
