This article considers claims now being made about "the adolescent brain". It points out why some of those claims are problematic for methodological, social and philosophical reasons. Attention is given to how some "youth experts" and others have used this research by relying on and reinforcing prejudicial stereotypes about young people as…

Past research has suggested that family reminiscing may be a particularly important avenue for the development of children's well-being. In this study, the authors examined the ways in which mothers and fathers scaffold conversations about past emotional events with their preadolescent children. Narratives of positive and negative shared family…

To learn about the lives of young adults with ASD, families with children born 1974-1984, diagnosed as preschoolers and followed into adolescence were contacted by mail. Of 76 eligible, 48 (63%) participated in a telephone interview. Global outcome scores were assigned based on work, friendships and independence. At mean age 24, half had good to…

Trajectories in bullying through adolescence were studied along with individual, family, and peer relationship factors. At the outset, participants' ages ranged from 10 to 14; 74% identified as European Canadian with the remainder from diverse backgrounds. With 8 waves of data over 7 years, 871 students (466 girls and 405 boys) were studied to…

This study examined the idea that expectations of behavior in hypothetical situations involving potential moral transgressions are related to emotion attributions relating to both moral and cost-benefit considerations. We asked younger (14 years 5 months) and older (16 years 1 month) female and male adolescents (a) to make predictions about the…

Suggests that if adolescence is viewed more broadly as a period of growing into maturity, a brief examination of life-span development reveals that adolescences also occur in other life periods. These periods present challenges of personal adjustment and are necessary transitions toward self-actualization. (JAC)

Provides an overview of the articles in this issue of Educational Horizons that focuses on goals for adolescent development. Discusses the problems of teenagers and the importance of allowing them to have adolescence. (JOW)

Describes the use of young adult literature, particularly literature incorporating a protagonist's medical condition, by a pediatric residency program to help teach adolescent medicine. (EV)

Presents relationship maturity, developmental conception of intimacy, as unifying conceptual framework for understanding intimate involvement of adolescence as part of major developmental process. Examines specific context of intimacy in adolescence, role of gender in intimacy development, interplay of identity and intimacy development, and…

Analyzed differences in outlook and orientation between pre-identity-formation adolescent and post-identity-formation adult. Extends Erikson's notion of personal identity by examining implications of making commitments in areas of work, family life, religion, and political ideology for ego development in adulthood. Critical psychological…

Describes general developmental struggles of gay and lesbian adolescents as delineated in recent research. Focuses on three developmental areas: the consolidation of sexual identity and the effects of both parental and peer relationships on gay adolescents' development. Notes weaknesses in current research and theory, and offers suggestions which…

Gives account of Marcia's identity formation model in language of existentialist philosophy. Examines parallels between ego-identity and existentialist approaches. Describes identity in terms of existentialist concepts of Heidegger and Sartre. Argues that existentialist account of identity formation has benefits of clarification of difficult…

Through a project called "By Teens, for Teachers," 464 short essays were written by teenagers about issues specific to the experience of today's adolescents. In this descriptive study, participants chose from thirteen different writing prompts derived from an extensive literature review to reflect issues in adolescent development. Essays were…

In the past quarter century, research on adolescence has expanded from a near exclusive focus on intraindividual processes to a concern with individuals in an interpersonal context. Today, studies of the impact of relationships within families, with peers, and with romantic partners account for a large proportion of research in the field. This…

Many myths about adolescence have been refuted by research, but similar myths have grown up in recent years around emerging adulthood. This essay addresses three of those myths: the claim that they suffer from a normative "crisis"; the accusations that they are "selfish"; and their alleged reluctance to "grow up" and become adults. For each issue,…