Академический Документы
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Journey through
Adolescence
Overview
The chapters in Part II cover five major areas of adolescent development
that influence the growth of autonomous functioning. They provide a
basis for understanding the developmental forces and contexts that affect
the psychological growth of adolescents. A desirable outcome of this
growth and the unifying theme of all of the chapters is the development of
effective decision-making skills. Therefore, each chapter reviews recent
research in a domain that is relevant for the development of skills that are
important for effective adult functioning.
Prior to adolescence, children are generally not considered cognitively
mature enough to make responsible choices. A few years later, they are
faced with many critical decisions. What happens during this brief time
span to prepare the adolescent for these decisions? In the cognitive
domain, the skills relevant for effective decision making include the
ability to generate and test hypotheses, reflect upon one's own thought,
and consider the likely future consequences of current choices. These are
precisely the skills that Piaget claimed are spontaneously developed
during adolescence. In Chapter 3, Danner critically evaluates Piaget's
account of adolescent intellectual development and how it has influenced
educational practice. He concludes that Piaget overestimated the pace of
intellectual growth during adolescence but his views on the process by
which this growth proceeds provide many useful suggestions for second-
ary educators.
While cognitive growth provides the intellectual basis for decision
making, most important decisions are played out in the social arena.
Therefore, the development of appropriate social skills is another critical
48 Journey through Adolescence