Adolescence

Theories of Adolescent Development Robert Havighurst David Elkind Lawrence Kohlberg Erik Erikson James Marcia

Havighurst Believed every adolescent faced certain challenges in the form of developmental tasks These tasks must be mastered. Accepting one’s physical makeup and acquiring a masculine or feminine gender role Developing appropriate relations with age-mates of both sexes Becoming emotionally independent of parents and other adults Achieving the assurance that one will become economically independent Deciding on, preparing for and entering a vocation Understanding and achieving socially responsible behavior Preparing for marriage and family

Elkind Described some problems adolescents develop as a result of immaturity and abstract thought processes: Finding fault with authority figures Argumentativeness Indecisiveness Apparent hypocrisy Self-consciousness Invulnerability

Kohlberg Many adolescents go through changes in their moral thinking Individuals who progress to stage 5 become concerned over whether a law is fair or just. They believe laws must change as the world changes and that laws are never absolute. Reaching higher levels of moral thinking involves the ability to abstract- to see a situation from another’s viewpoint.

Erikson According to Erikson, building an identity is a task that is unique to adolescence. To achieve some sense of themselves, most adolescents must go through (according to Erikson) and identity crisis A time of inner conflict during which they worry intensely about their identities. Brought on by physiological and cognitive changes, and newly awakened sex drive Conflict arises from wanting to be “unique” while also wanting to “fit in”