Autonomy is a central feature of adolescent development, playing a key role in adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment. However, opinions differ about the nature and definition of autonomy and so important questions regarding the role of autonomy in adolescents’ development have remained unanswered. This book helps to address these questions while bringing clarity to the literature on adolescent autonomy. Autonomy in Adolescent Development: Towards Conceptual Clarity highlights a distinction between two notions of autonomy: autonomy-as-independence and autonomy-as-volition. The chapters in this volume illustrate how this distinction sheds new light on controversial questions regarding autonomy, such as: Is more autonomy always beneficial for adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment? Or are there limits to the amount of autonomy ideal for well-being and social adjustment? Is autonomy a universally critical ingredient of optimal development? Or do effects of autonomy differ by cultural context and socioeconomic status? How can parents, siblings, and peers promote the development of autonomy? Bringing together scholars from varied theoretical backgrounds studying autonomy in different contexts, this book provides an overview of recent conceptual and empirical work from diverse perspectives, yielding refreshing and thought-provoking insights into the nature of adolescent autonomy. Autonomy in Adolescent Development is invaluable for advanced students and researchers in adolescent development, acting both as a guide and as a source of inspiration for new research in the area.

Making sense of the choice and autonomy research landscape -- 8 Parent-adolescent relationships and romantic development: A review and argument for research on ... -- Theory: Parent-adolescent relationships and the development of romantic relationships -- Self-determination theory: Autonomy support and the need for autonomy -- Research on parent autonomy support and romantic development -- A proposed model of autonomy support and romantic development -- Conclusion -- 9 Psychology and culture construct "autonomy"--The meaning of autonomy -- Individualism-collectivism/independence-interdependence -- Autonomous-related self -- Parenting and the development of autonomous-related self -- Parental control -- Family Change Theory -- Measurement -- Conclusion -- Note -- References -- Index

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.

This multidisciplinary handbook, edited by the premier scholars in the field, reflects the empirical work and growth in the field of adolescent psychology.

This volume brings together a team of leading psychologists to provide a state-of-the-art overview of adolescent development. Leading experts provide cutting-edge reviews of theory and research. Covers issues currently of most importance in terms of basic and/or applied research and policy formulation. Discusses a wide range of topics from basic processes to problem behavior. The ideal basis for a course on adolescent development or for applied professions seeking the best of contemporary knowledge about adolescents. A valuable reference for faculty wishing to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. Now available in full text online via xreferplus, the award-winning reference library on the web from xrefer. For more information, visit www.xreferplus.com

Taking a developmental contextualist perspective, and with a focus on social class, ethnicity and gender, this impressive collection explores how research on adolescent psychosocial development has unfolded from the 1970s to the present. The contributors examine such topics as: autonomy in adolescence and the detachment debate; sexuality from trends in gender sexual scripts to sexual offences such as date rape; intimacy from individual differences to interpersonal situations; achievement from the school or workplace to social settings; identity, including the role of culture; cognitive behaviours, including education for and constraints on critical thinking; and the interplay of biological and psychological processes.

This book presents current research on self-regulation and autonomy, which have emerged as key predictors of health and well-being in several areas of psychology.

This book provides an in-depth examination of adolescents’ social development in the context of the family. Grounded in social domain theory, the book draws on the author’s research over the past 25 years Draws from the results of in-depth interviews with more than 700 families Explores adolescent-parent relationships among ethnic majority and minority youth in the United States, as well as research with adolescents in Hong Kong and China Discusses extensive research on disclosure and secrecy during adolescence, parenting, autonomy, and moral development Considers both popular sources such as movies and public surveys, as well as scholarly sources drawn from anthropology, history, sociology, social psychology, and developmental psychology Explores how different strands of development, including autonomy, rights and justice, and society and social convention, become integrated and coordinated in adolescence

Author, educator, and university professor Robert Sylwester explains in this volume that adolescence is a prolonged odyssey toward maturation and autonomy affecting teachers, parents, family, and the community. This marvelous rite of passage often frustrates adults because adolescents reaching for autonomy don't appreciate the level of adult direction they accepted as children. Sylwester suggests that educators, parents, and other adults can shift their perspective from child management to adolescent mentoring, and explains how to do this in ways that enhance the relationship. The key lies in understanding what's occurring in an adolescent's brain during this important developmental period.

In Parenting and Children's Internalization of Values, leading advocates of these emerging points of view explain the approach to socialization taken in their work, and review recent developments in theory and research that have influenced their conclusions.