For citation:
Vershinina V. V., Danilov S. V. Image of an Adolescent in Psychology: Specific Features of Age or Research?. Izvestiya of Saratov University. Educational Acmeology. Developmental Psychology, 2019, vol. 8, iss. 4, pp. 313-320. DOI: 10.18500/2304-9790-2019-8-4-313-320
Image of an Adolescent in Psychology: Specific Features of Age or Research?
The relevance of this study is conditioned by the need to solve the problems of studying Generation Z and the absence of a holistic, consistent image of adolescence in the psychological literature. We have put forward a hypothesis, according to which the reasons for ambiguous understanding of adolescence are connected with the techniques used. Accordingly, the purpose of the study presented in the article was to identify the causes of contradictions in the descriptions of adolescence features. We used the analysis of adolescence concepts presented in the educational and scientific literature as the research method. Analysis of these works revealed five reasons for inconsistency of the image of an adolescent in modern psychology. The first one is specific features of adolescence as a research subject, i.e. research subject’s vagueness. The second one is the specifics of the study sample studies, which helped us to make generalizations: sample limitation of most studies reduces the possibility of applying the research results to explain what is happening with adolescents outside the sample. The third one is the specifics of setting the research objectives, i.e. conducting a social order research causes a shift in the emphasis of the interpretation of their results “from real to the desired ones”. The fourth one is the specifics of results interpretation: original attitudes of researchers influence the research results. The fifth one is the specifics of the XXI century studies: general problems associated with the development of the humanities at the present time. We have established the characteristic of these features and showed their role in the image-building of a modern adolescent and adolescence as a psychological phenomenon. We have also substantiated the need for expanding the view on the construction of studies on adolescence, a more detailed consideration of social and cultural contexts, the need of developing clearer criteria when setting objectives and interpreting research results. Finally, we have outlined the practical conclusions from the study.
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