Abstract

PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2019, VOL. 30, NO. 3, 147–150 https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2019.1646052 Takin’ It to the Streets: Approach/Avoidance Motivation in the Lives of At- Risk Youth Ann B. Brewster, Wilkie A. Wilson, and Timothy J. Strauman Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina An alarming number of young people are not connected companions, identification with role models, resisting temp- productively to society in terms of education, work, and tation, and delay of gratification (Lockwood, Jordan, & positive social supports. Typically they neither are in school Kunda, 2002). As we noted previously, these individual dif- nor possess a high-school degree, are not employed or affili- ferences include both bottom-up (e.g., temperament-based) ated with the formal labor market, lack strong connections and top-down (derived from socialization) processes that to supportive adults and community resources, and often interact dynamically to influence goal-setting and approach/ have been involved with the criminal justice system (Lewis avoidance behavior (Strauman & Wilson, 2010). The target & Burd-Sharps, 2015). These young people have been desig- article offers a systematic and thoughtful review of how nated disconnected youth. Although high school graduation multiple layers of self-regulatory mechanisms operate, and rates and employment rates for those between ages 16