1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THEORIES ON ADOLESCENCE
THEORISTS ISSUES & CONCEPTS
1 Plato: Greek Philosopher Children are not little adults
427 – 347 BC)
Aristotle: Greek Philosopher There is a period of time between childhood and
384 – 322 BC) adulthood when individuals are unstable and
impressionable
Special schools should be set up for individuals in their
teen years to shield them from the bad influences of
society in order to help them develop self-control and
reason
2 Jean Jacques Rousseau: Swiss / French Philosopher Individuals in their teen years should be specially
. 1712-1778 nurtured for them to develop the character and
John Locke: British Philosopher knowledge required for successful adulthood
1632 -1704)
Teenage Boys and Girls must be prepared and
educated separately because of differences in their
natural traits, differences in their gender roles and the
different types of responsibilities they will have as adult
men and women

2. Dr. A. Y. Gibbons McNeese State University NUFS 420
3 G. Stanley Hall American Educator & Psychologist: “Adolescence” is a useful word to describe the teen
1844 – 1924 years
Reputed to be “The Father of Adolescence” Adolescence is a key stage of life and a transitional
period between childhood and adulthood
Young people in this age group are “wild” and “savage”
and need special guidance in order to become
responsible adults
Adolescents struggle with contradictory emotions:
 Altruism VS Selfishness
 Sensitivity VS Cruelty
 Conservatism VS Radicalism
Adolescence is a period of “Storm & Stress”
4 Sigmund Freud: Austrian Physician / Psychoanalyst & Biology and Sexual urges have a profound influence on
. Psychologist: human development, especially during adolescence
1856-1939
“Stage” theory explains how human beings move from
Reputed to be “The Father of Psychology” one stage of development to another
Adolescence is the final stage of developmental change
Adolescents struggle with sexual development, gender
typing, and notions of masculinity and femininity
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3. Dr. A. Y. Gibbons McNeese State University NUFS 420
Biology forces adolescents to focus on “genital” activity
5 Jean Piaget: Swiss / French Educator & Psychologist Education and learning readiness in children and
. 1896 - 1980 adolescents go through stages of development and
peak in Adolescence
Adolescents can think about abstract concepts and
long-range consequences of their actions
Social, historical and cultural issues influence learning
6 Erik Erickson: Danish/American Psychologist Social perspectives influence human development as
. 1902 - 1994 much as the biological influences proposed by Freud
Reputed to be “The Father of Identity Theory” Human beings go through 8 Psycho-social stages of
human development, and human development
continues beyond adolescence
Psychological, social, historical and cultural influences
are important
The major conflict of adolescence is “Identity
Development VS Identity Confusion” and represents the
5th of 8 stages of human development
7 Carol Gilligan: American Feminist and Psychologist Gender perspectives and gender differences are critical
. 1936 – in understanding human development.
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4. Dr. A. Y. Gibbons McNeese State University NUFS 420
Lawrence Kohlberg: American Psychologist
1927 - 1987 Human Beings go through stages of Moral Development
Historical, social and cultural factors are important
8 James Marcia: Canadian Psychologist Erikson’s theoretical construct of Identity Crisis in
. 1940 - Adolescence, actually includes 4 different tasks:
 Identity Diffusion
 Identity Foreclosure
 Identity Moratorium
 Identity Achievement
9 Modern Social Scientists There are variations in adolescent experiences
.
1970 – There should not be a “one theory’ approach to
understanding adolescents
There are no “one size fits all” theories when discussing
adolescents
All adolescents do not experience the period of “Storm
and Stress” described by earlier theorists
There are key variables of race, class, gender, sexual
orientation, family environment, community relationships
which should be taken into account when evaluating
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5. Dr. A. Y. Gibbons McNeese State University NUFS 420
adolescent development and progress
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