Domains of Social Knowledge and Socialization Theory

摘要

Adolescence is probably the most puzzling period of the life span: to a greater or smaller degree, children who are pleasant, loving, and easy to get along with suddenly become sullen, noncommunicative, and noncompliant. Explanations for this alarming change of character often include consideration of the physiological changes in the body that occur with the onset of puberty. For example, Steinberg [2006] suggests that adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability due to possible disjunctions between the development of brain, behavior, and cognitive systems that mature according to different timetables. These systems are associated with response inhibition, calibration of risk and reward, and emotion regulation, and it has been argued that their uneven development creates a situation comparable to that of starting an engine without a skilled driver behind the wheel [Dahl, 2001].