Obsession with the Dark Side of Adolescence: A Decade of Psychological Studies

During the 20th century the whirlwind of beliefs and psychological theories of adolescence included divergent views such as a 'stage of storm and stress' and 'adolescents as criminals' as well as a 'stage of abstract and reflective thoughts' and 'adolescents as builders of society'. It is not clear, however, what role the empirical psychological research and the cultural myths have played in the formulation of this dual perspective of adolescence. Do the scientific empirical studies of adolescence generated from these perspectives help to reconcile the contradiction between these perspectives? To answer this question, the present article uses the dual perspective of adolescence as the back drop to examine the psychological research on adolescence as reflected in six human development journals in the decade between 1985 and 1995. A total of 2084 articles were examined for the topic areas researched and information regarding the participants. In summary, the findings show a persistent bias towards research on the negative aspects of adolescence such as risk-taking and adolescent turmoil, especially in the case of Black and Hispanic youth. At the end of the 20th century, the prevailing force within the field of psychology continues to be the view of adolescence as a 'stage of storm and stress'. These results are discussed in light of the need for changes in the empirical approaches to and cultural perspectives of adolescence.