The Five Cs Model of Positive Youth Development and the PATHS Project in Mainland China

This chapter examines whether the 15 psychological constructs developed from the PATHS Project could fit into the Five Cs model (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) of Positive Youth Development (PYD) in the Chinese context. We used Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to test the fit of the Five Cs model based on 15 Chinese PYD constructs developed in the PATHS Project in China. Participants were 1116 middle school students aged 11 to 17 years old (M = 14.43, 49% males) from Shanghai, Suzhou, Yangzhou and Changzhou who participated in the PATHS project. The results confirmed a five-factor model consistent with the conceptualization of the Five Cs model of PYD. We conclude that the 15 Chinese PYD constructs and the Five Cs model might conceptually overlap although some cultural differences should be considered.