ABSTRACT

Over recent years, it has become clear that group-based approaches cannot directly be used to understand individual adolescent development. For that reason, interest in dynamic systems theory, or DST, has increased rapidly. Psychosocial Development in Adolescence: Insights from the Dynamic Systems Approach covers state-of-the-art insights into adolescent development that have resulted from adopting a dynamic systems approach.

The first chapter of the book provides a basic introduction into dynamic systems principles and explains their consequences for the study of psychosocial development in adolescence. Subsequently, different experts discuss why and how we should apply a dynamic systems approach to the study of the adolescent transition period and psychological interventions. Various examples of the application of a dynamic systems approach are showcased, ranging from basic to more advanced techniques, as well as the insights they have generated. These applications cover a variety of fundamental topics in adolescent development, ranging from the development of identity, morality, sexuality, and peer networks, to more applied topics such as psychological interventions, educational dropout, and talent development.

This book will be invaluable to both beginner and expert-level students and researchers interested in a dynamic systems approach and in the insights that it has yielded for adolescent development.

chapter 2|15 pages

Systems in transition

The adolescent phase transition

chapter 3|19 pages

Matching methods to theory

Using dynamic systems models to understand nested systems of adolescent development

chapter 6|17 pages

The nature of adolescents’ real-time self-esteem from a dynamic systems perspective

The socially embedded self-esteem model

chapter 8|19 pages

Trajectories preceding student dropout

An intra-individual process approach

chapter 10|17 pages

Youth’s sexual relationships and development

Improving our understanding through a dynamic systems approach 1

chapter 12|16 pages

Social development and group processes

A social network application to bullying and network interventions

chapter 13|14 pages

Visualizing individual dynamics

The case of a talented adolescent

chapter 14|16 pages

Conclusion and discussion

What we can gain from a dynamic systems approach to psychosocial development in adolescence