Being Adolescent: Conflict And Growth In The Teenage Years [Paperback]

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Author), Reed Larson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 1986 | ISBN-10: 0465006450 | ISBN-13: 978-0465006458

To find out what teenagers’ lives are like, two psychologists gave beepers to seventy-five adolescents, signaled them at random, and asked them to record their thoughts and feelings as they sat in classrooms, socialized with friends, and ate dinner with their families. The result is a unique and detailed portrait of the day-to-day world of the average American teenager that offers valuable new insights for parents, psychologists, and educators.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is professor of psychology and education at the University of Chicago. He is the author of a number of books, including the bestselling Flow, The Evolving Self, Creativity, and Being Adolescent. Mihaly Csikszenthmihalyi is professor of psychology and education at the University of Chicago. He is the author of a number of books, including the bestselling Flow, The Evolving Self, Creativity, and Being Adolescent.Reed Larson is assistant professor of human development and family ecology at the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign and director of the Laboratory for the Study of Adolescence at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 9, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465006450
• ISBN-13: 978-0465006458
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is professor and former chairman of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. His previous books include Flow and The Evolving Self. Flow was shown on the 1993 NBC Super Bowl broadcast as the book that inspired Jimmy Johnson, then coach of the Dallas Cowboys. It was also a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Quality Paperback Book Club.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insight into adolescent life, April 4, 2002

By 

"booksbooksbooks7" (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being Adolescent: Conflict And Growth In The Teenage Years (Paperback)

Have you wondered what it is like to be an adolescent? Day in and day out? Dealing with the daily details of life at home and at school? Are you a parent, teacher, or other adult who wants to learn about what goes on inside the adolescents you interact with?

This book describes a great approach to answering these questions using an innovative research protocol. Adolescents were asked to carry beepers throughout the day, and when they were beeped, they wrote down their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors at random moments throughout the day. They obtained many interesting results that gives insight into the daily lives of adolescents, whether at school, at home, or with friends.

In general, they found that adolescents exhibited more extremes of emotions than adults, as well as more self-consciousness and embarrassment. Although this conclusion would not surprise most people, the strength of the findings really comes through in the text. Reading the accumulated data gives a broad range of experiences from numerous individuals, and gives insight into how individual adolescents respond in various situations.

It's a fascinating read, and I really felt that I could get into the skin of these adolescents and get a sense of their daily thoughts and emotions. The diversity of adolescents covered in these studies may be limited, but what is presented is quite good.

I was assigned this book for a graduate education class on adolescent development. We referred to this book often during class discussions, even though it was one of several books we read. I highly recommend the book for parents and educators alike.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Research in Numbers, March 18, 2010

By 

Sarah D (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Being Adolescent: Conflict And Growth In The Teenage Years (Paperback)

This is the driest Csikszentmihalyi I have read. Too many numbers and the information seems drawn out much longer than necessary. Does not seem the authors were able to really "tap into" the adolescent mind. While much information is still relevant, this book lacks a lifelike quality that would have been more appealing. DISCLAIMER: Have only read to chapter 8, perhaps it gets more interesting and personal in the final chapters.