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Adjustment

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Encyclopedia of Adolescence

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Overview

In developmental science, adjustment has many different definitions. Typically, however, it refers to the process of balancing conflicting needs and doing so in either positive (adjustment) or negative ways (maladjustment). As such, it figures prominently in the study of adolescence given that the period of adolescence tends to be perceived as one where individuals begin to learn how to adjust to their new cognitive, physical, and social abilities. They are expected to do so in ways that successfully respond to social demands, including ways that set them on a path toward successful adulthood. Yet, the conceptualization of adjustment still tends to be not well developed, an important limitation given the concept’s importance to the study of adolescence.

Adjustment

In developmental science, adjustment is an often used term that refers to reactions to identifiable stressors, with adjustment involving adapting the self to the situation, changing the situation, or both. Studies...

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University, 302 Sycamore Hall, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Roger J. R. Levesque

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  1. Roger J. R. Levesque
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Correspondence to Roger J. R. Levesque .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

    Roger J.R. Levesque

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Levesque, R.J.R. (2016). Adjustment. In: Levesque, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_487-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_487-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32132-5

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