Teenager's reality

Resident’s Name:  Joanne Lewis                                                            Date: September 18, 2009

Article title:  The teenager’s reality

Author(s):  David Elkind PhD

Journal:  Pediatric Dentistry

Volume (number):  9(4)

Month, Year:  December 1987

Major topic:  Psychology of teenagers

Type of Article:  Professional opinion

Main Purpose:  To review some of the realities constructed by adolescents as an aid to understanding their behavior.

Discussion:  Adolescence is a time of expanded logic and understanding (called the “second age of reason”) that is associated with an increased ability to conceptualize time and space as well as the outlook of others.  Teenagers are able to think about the thinking of others, but they routinely mistake what others are thinking about with what they are thinking about; the teenager has trouble taking the mental position of another person when it is different from his/her own.  Teenagers assume that everyone else is thinking about what they are thinking about, which is themselves.  This viewpoint allows teenagers to construct an “imaginary audience”, by whom they are constantly being observed, admired, or criticized.  This construct can have positive consequences – it can prevent people from behaving badly even when no one else is around, or serve as a motivator for personal success – and it can have negative consequences, as it makes teenagers particularly susceptible to peer pressure.  Teenagers also begin to develop the “personal fable”, which convinces them that bad things (drunk driving accident, unwanted pregnancy, etc.) can happen to other people, but not to them.  Teenagers are convinced that their experience is unique and couldn’t possibly be understood by anyone else (“you don’t know what it’s like to be in love!”).  Both the imaginary audience and the personal fable stay with us in an adapted (more moderate) form the rest of our lives and help us to deal with the challenges and risks of daily living. 

Key points/Summary:  The teenager’s actions are not guided by education or lack of it, but rather by their imaginary audience (peer pressure) and personal fable (belief of invincibility).  This sheds some light on why teenagers often make bad decisions and disregard known consequences.  It does no good to fully accept or deny these assumptions; rather, put them to the test.  For example, “Look, I don’t think most people will notice or care that you are wearing braces, but I could be wrong and you could be right.  Why don’t you wear them for a few days, and if people really do notice, then we can talk about which is worse, some temporary unpleasantness or a lifetime of crooked teeth?”

Assessment of article:  Interesting theories to put the reader in the mindset of a risk-taking, self-obsessed teenager.  Applying these theories may help the practitioner to motivate patients and increase compliance.