Youth Leadership Development and Peer-Led Initiatives

YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVLEOPMENT AND PEER-LED INITIATIVES By Kathryn Conley, M.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Major Director: Steven Danish, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Psychology The current study explored the experiences of high school peer leaders (N = 45) chosen to participate in an eight-week peer-led tobacco intervention program, Living Free of Tobacco, Plus! (LIFT+). The study used a repeated measures design to examine changes in leadership self-efficacy, perceived leadership skill, and goal-setting from baseline to post-test. Leaders’ susceptibility to future tobacco use, self-efficacy to resist and avoid tobacco, and confidence and interest in following nutritional guidelines were also examined at two time points. To strengthen self-report measures, peer and teacher evaluations of observed leadership behavior were collected. Results suggest that participation as a peer-leader in the LIFT+ program yielded several benefits. Leaders in the LIFT+ program reported a significant increase in interest in following nutritional guidelines, leadership self-efficacy, perceptions of leadership skill, and confidence in goal setting. Limitations and implications for future peer-led initiatives are discussed.