Adolescent Rationality and Development (PDF)

Frequently cited in scholarly books and journals and praised by students, this book focuses on developmental changes and processes in adolescence rather than on the details and problems of daily life. Major developmental changes associated with adolescence are identified. Noted for its exceptionally strong coverage of cognitive, moral, and social development, this brief, inexpensive book can be used independently or as a supplement to other texts on adolescence.

Highlights of the new edition include:

• expanded coverage of thinking and reasoning.


• a new chapter on metacognition and epistemic cognition.


• expanded coverage of controversies concerning the foundations of morality.


• a new chapter on moral principles and perspective taking.


• a new chapter on the relation of personal and social identity.


• a new chapter addressing current controversies concerning the rationality, maturity, and brains of adolescents.


• more detail on key studies and methodologies and boldfaced key terms and a glossary to highlight and clarify key concepts.

Rather than try to cover everything about adolescence at an elementary level, this book presents and builds on the core issues in the scholarly literature, thus encouraging deeper levels of understanding. The book opens with an introduction to the concepts of adolescence, rationality, and development and then explores the three foundational literatures of adolescent development - cognitive development, moral development, and identity formation. The book concludes with a more general account of rationality and development in adolescence and beyond.

Appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on adolescence or adolescent development offered by departments of psychology, educational psychology, or human development, this brief text is also an ideal supplement for courses on social and/or moral development, cognitive development, or lifespan development. The book is also appreciated by scholars interested in connections across standard topics and research programs. Prior knowledge of psychology is not assumed.