Steve Peck - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Steve Peck

Forum for Youth Investment, Mar 1, 2017

Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, Dec 1, 2017

In this chapter, we report our findings for two aspects of the parent–dolescent relationship: (a)... more In this chapter, we report our findings for two aspects of the parent–dolescent relationship: (a) parental control, which includes attitudes and practices concerning adolescents’ compliance with, and maintenance of, parental rules and regulations and (b) parental support and closeness, which includes positive aspects of the parent–adolescent relationship

Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2015

Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms i... more Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms in past cross-sectional research. We investigate whether developmental histories of PRD, assessed prospectively, are associated with adult diurnal cortisol profiles. One-hundred and twelve (N = 50 Black, N = 62 White) adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study provided saliva samples in adulthood (at approximately age 32 years) at waking, 30 min after waking, and at bedtime for 7 days. Diurnal cortisol measures were calculated, including waking cortisol levels, diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and average daily cortisol (AUC). These cortisol outcomes were predicted from measures of PRD obtained over a 20-year period beginning when individuals were in 7th grade (approximately age 12). Greater average PRD measured across the 20-year period predicted flatter adult diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults, and a lower CAR. Greater average PRD also predicted lower waking cortisol for Black, but not White adults. PRD experiences in adolescence accounted for many of these effects. When adolescent and young adult PRD are entered together predicting cortisol outcomes, PRD experiences in adolescence (but not young adulthood) significantly predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults. Adolescent, but not young adult PRD, also significantly predicted lower waking and lower average cortisol for Black adults. Young adult PRD was, however, a stronger predictor of the CAR, predicting a marginally lower CAR for Whites, and a significantly larger CAR for Blacks. Effects were robust to controlling for covariates including health behaviors, depression, income and parent education levels. PRD experiences interacted with parent education and income to predict aspects of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Although these results suggest PRD influences on cortisol for both Blacks and Whites, the key findings suggest that the effects are more pervasive for Blacks, affecting multiple aspects of the cortisol diurnal rhythm. In addition, adolescence is a more sensitive developmental period than adulthood for the impacts of PRD on adult stress biology.

Methodological approaches to community-based research., 2012

Developmental psychology, 2014

Racial/ethnic (R/E) socialization is widely practiced in R/E minority families. However, only rec... more Racial/ethnic (R/E) socialization is widely practiced in R/E minority families. However, only recently have models been developed to understand how parents' R/E socialization messages influence adolescent development. The primary goal of the present study was to clarify and extend existing work on R/E socialization in African American (Black) families by distinguishing between parent and youth reports of parents' R/E socialization messages and examining the extent to which adolescents and their parents agree about these socialization messages. In addition, we tested a theoretical model in which parent-reported R/E socialization messages have an indirect effect on the development of youth R/E identity through youth reports of their parents' R/E socialization messages. Using a combination of open- and close-ended data from a longitudinal study of self-identified Black adolescents and their parents, we found statistically significant parent-youth agreement about whether par...

Race and Social Problems, 2011

Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been implicated in undermining the mental and physical ... more Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been implicated in undermining the mental and physical health of racial/ethnic minorities. Researchers have begun to explore the indirect role of health behaviors as one factor in helping to explain this relationship. The goal of the present study was to examine the relationship between PRD and a wide range of health behaviors using a prospective, longitudinal design and to explore the role of gender in moderating these relationships. Using data from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study, we examined the relationship between adolescent PRD (accumulated across ages 14-21) and health behaviors (i.e., diet, substance use, exercise) at age 30 in a sample of middle-class black men and women. Using structural equation modeling, results revealed that more cumulative PRD during adolescence was associated with less healthy eating, more substance use (among men), and more exercise (among women) in young adulthood. Implications of these findings for understanding the role of health behaviors in explaining the link between PRD and health outcomes are considered.

New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2005

This chapter explores the important social-psychological factors along individuals' developmental... more This chapter explores the important social-psychological factors along individuals' developmental pathways that influence youths' computer-related occupational decisions. Findings suggest that these factors differentially influence information technology pursuits dependent on youths' race and gender

Journal of Social Issues, 2008

This longitudinal study examines how extracurricular activity involvement contributes to "educati... more This longitudinal study examines how extracurricular activity involvement contributes to "educational resilience"-the unexpected educational attainments of adolescents who are otherwise vulnerable to curtailed school success due to personal-and social-level risks. Educationally vulnerable youth characterized by significant risks and an absence of assets were identified during early adolescence (approximately age 14) using measures of academic motivation, achievement, and mental health as well as family, school, and peer contexts. Using a mixture of variable-and patterncentered analytic techniques, we investigate how both the total amount time that vulnerable youth spent in positive extracurricular activities and the specific pattern of their extracurricular activity involvement during late adolescence (approximately age 17) predict their subsequent enrollment in college during early adulthood (up through approximately age 21). Educational resilience was predicted uniquely by some, but not all, activity patterns. These results suggest that positive extracurricular activity settings afford vulnerable youth developmentally appropriate experiences that promote educational persistence and healthy development. Involvement in positive (e.g., structured or supervised) extracurricular activities, both within and outside of the school context, has been identified as an important factor in the promotion of positive youth development (e.g.,

Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2011

Current research indicates that racial discrimination is pervasive in the lives of African Americ... more Current research indicates that racial discrimination is pervasive in the lives of African Americans. Although there are a variety of ways in which discrimination may contribute to health, one potentially important pathway is through its impact on substance use. Addressing the paucity of longitudinal research on this topic, the present study examined the influence of teacher discrimination on changes in substance use over time among African American adolescents and considered three dimensions of racial identity as moderators of this association (centrality, private regard, and public regard). Latent variable SEM analyses indicated that, on average, levels of discrimination were associated with increases in substance use across the high school years. However, public regard was found to moderate this association such that discrimination was less strongly associated with increases in substance use for individual who reported lower levels of public regard. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Journal of Adolescence, 2011

American Journal of Community Psychology, 2010

A unique observational data set was used to explore quality at the point of service in after-scho... more A unique observational data set was used to explore quality at the point of service in after-school programs. Staff practices in after-school settings were represented on a series of unidimensional scales closely indexed to staff behavior. In order to account for heterogeneity of staff performances, pattern-centered methods were used to construct profiles of common staff practices. Results revealed six pedagogy profiles that were classified in terms of three broad types of performances delivered by afterschool staff: (1) positive youth development, (2) staffcentered, and (3) low-quality. Staff membership in these profiles was not related to youth-staff ratio. However, results revealed significant differences between the profiles on the content of the offering and the age of youth in the setting.

Addiction, 2008

Aims-Use pattern-centered methods to examine how adolescents' alcohol use and sports activities a... more Aims-Use pattern-centered methods to examine how adolescents' alcohol use and sports activities are related both to childhood sport and problem behavior and to heavy drinking in early adulthood. Design-The data used in this study come from four waves of the Michigan Study of Adolescent Life Transitions (MSALT) that began in 1983, when participants were approximately age 12, and continued into early adulthood, when participants were approximately age 28. Participants-Sixty per cent of the approximately 1000 MSALT youth living in southeastern Michigan were females and 97% were European American. Approximately 28% of one or both parents held at least a college degree, and 45% held a high school diploma or lower. Findings-Pattern-centered analyses revealed that the relation between adolescent sport activity and age 28 heavy alcohol use obtained primarily for sport participants who were also using more than the average amount of alcohol and other drugs at age 18. Similarly, children who were characterized by relatively high levels of sport participation, aggression and other problem behavior at age 12 were more likely than expected by chance to become sport participants who used more than the average amount of alcohol and other drugs at age 18. Conclusions-The results indicate that childhood problem behavior and adolescent sport participation can, but do not necessarily, presage heavy drinking in adulthood and that patterncentered analytical techniques are useful for revealing such theoretically generated predictions.

Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, Aug 1, 2011

Background: Out-of-school time programs can have positive effects on young people?s development; ... more Background: Out-of-school time programs can have positive effects on young people?s development; however, programs do not always produce such effects. The quality of instructional practices is logically a key factor but quality improvement interventions must be understood within a multi-level framework including policy, organization, and point of service if they are to be both effective and scalable.