ABSTRACT
This chapter presents considerations for empirical investigations when addressing minority group children and adolescents. It addresses general adolescent issues that are commonly investigated. Ecological factors such as cultural stereotypes, family composition, neighborhood characteristics, school experiences, and peer relations play a major role in the interpretation of developmental processes and related behavioral outcomes. Contextual and social influences are not unique to adolescence. The role and significance of these influences vary with development across the life course. Psychosocial development during the preschool years proceeds in parallel fashion with the child’s cognitive construction of the world. Gender, like ethnicity, has been routinely promoted as an important factor in development. The extent to which adolescents experience competence in academic endeavors is critical for their preparation and success in future endeavors. Adolescence, as a transitional period, is frequently characterized by conflicting behaviors that may oscillate between immature, childlike behavior and mature, adultlike behavior.
