The illegal, non-prescriptive use of prescription stimulants appears to be growing among college students. Recent analyses using "DSM-IV" criteria suggest that this group of misusers may actually represent cases of undiagnosed ADHD. Such analyses, however, are limited by a diagnostic system that is neither contextural nor dimensional. The ADHD…

Discusses trends in adolescent research during the previous six years, including theoretical/methodological orientations and substantive foci, conceptual themes, and future directions. Describes the increasing stress on both the ecology of adolescent development and on the dynamic interactions between this ecology and both intraindividual change…

Rhetorical, historical, and feminist perspectives are used to critique some common assumptions about adolescents and their universal and distinctive status. The characteristics often perceived as timeless can be located within a sociohistorical context of their creation. The view of adolescents as out of control due to hormonal action is…

Discusses findings from this special issue on adolescent transition to university. Focuses primarily on how findings highlight the importance of context in youth development. Concludes that articles point to the importance of studying developmental processes in college-bound students while they are in secondary school. (Author/KB)

Research findings on the early precursors of substance use and related adjustment difficulties have led to interest in developmental models to explain problem behavior. This paper examines five major themes that characterize the relationship among social context, individual disposition, and syndromes of problem behaviors that include substance use…

Introduces the articles in this journal issue, noting the burgeoning interest in the roots of parental beliefs, values, and goals. Highlights thematic continuities among the otherwise diverse research approaches presented, for example, synthesis of different theoretical perspectives of parent beliefs, or the context in which parental beliefs…