[The youth phase from the viewpoint of children and adolescents: crisis or fun?].
Goal of the present study was to analyze by means of a questionnaire how the life phase "youth" is represented in the mind of children and adolescents. The sample consisted of 152 persons aged between 11 and 18. The questionnaire asked not only for the general assumptions about this phase of life but also for their evaluation. The large heterogenity of the answers are in accordance with recent theories form sociology and psychology according to which common assumptions shared by all individuals of a cohort are replaced by individual conceptions. Based on these results, traditional views of the youth phase made by developmental psychologists are criticized. Especially, the thesis of a normative crisis during this life phase has to be rejected. Instead, a high satisfaction with being in this life phase must be acknowledged, this statement being more valid for female than male subjects. Other differences with respect to the conceptions of life phases due to sex or education have not been found important. The answers of the youngest persons made obvious that especially the increase of permissions and status associated with youth make this life phase more attractive.
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Klinik Niederrhein, Bad Neuenahr.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007063:Identity Crisis; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010553:Personality Development
Die Jugendphase aus der Sicht von Kindern und Jugendlichen: Krise oder Vergnügen?