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Do economic conditions influence how theorists view adolescents?

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Abstract

Eighty-nine articles in thePedagogical Seminary and theJournal of Genetic Psychology appearing during two economic depressions and the two world wars were analyzed for their adolescent ideologies. A systematic, ideological bias in the content of these articles was found to be statistically significant. In times of economic depression theories of adolescence emerge that portray teenagers as immature, psychologically unstable, and in need of prolonged participation in the educational system. During wartime, the psychological competence of youth is emphasized and the duration of education is recommended to be more retracted than in depression. The objective, scientific nature of theory building is questioned and discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development Area, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706, Madison, WI

    Robert D. Enright (Professor) & Victor M. Levy Jr. Ph. D. student

  2. ACT, University of Iowa, 52243, Iowa City, IA

    Deborah Harris (Research Associate)

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, 46556, Notre Dame, IN

    Daniel K. Lapsley (Assistant Professor)

Authors
  1. Robert D. Enright
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  2. Victor M. Levy Jr. Ph. D. student
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  3. Deborah Harris
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  4. Daniel K. Lapsley
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Additional information

Received Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Research interests: adolescent social development, moral development.

Received M.S. in Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research interests: adolescent development, cognitive development.

Received Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research interests: quantitative methods.

Research interests: adolescent social development, cognitive development.

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Enright, R.D., Levy, V.M., Harris, D. et al. Do economic conditions influence how theorists view adolescents?. J Youth Adolescence 16, 541–559 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02138820

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02138820

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