For courses in Adolescent Development.

Adolescence by Ian McMahan and Susan Thompson, combines rigorous, scientific coverage of adolescent development research with a scholarly yet enjoyable narrative style that is rarely found in textbooks. 

When reading the text, listening to lectures, or engaging in classroom discussions, students often have an “aha!” moment when they recognize some tidbit of teen behaviour or thinking that most have so recently left behind. Having a Canadian context to the research and theories means that the text becomes that much more meaningful to these young adults, many of whom will go on to work with teens living in Canadian cities, towns, and rural enclaves. And the addition of material on emerging adulthood means that the text goes beyond adolescence to directly address the current concerns of students in the class.

Hallmark features of this title

• Applications in the Spotlight presents concrete, practical suggestions for putting the ideas and findings of adolescent research to use in the family, the classroom, and the community.
• Research in the Spotlight examines in detail a recent study on the chapter topic—the rationale for carrying it out, the methodological concerns, the results, and the implications of those results. This gives students practice in reading and interpreting empirical research while reminding them that our knowledge of adolescence, like adolescence itself, is constantly evolving.
• Chapter Outlines and Learning Objectives are included at the beginning of each chapter to give students a preview of what they will be reading about and what questions to keep in mind as they read.
• What’s Next? Emerging Adulthood is a capsule discussion of the research on emerging adulthood in selected topic areas. Relationships with parents and romantic partners, sexual behaviour, cognitive advances, and development of a meaningful work role as part of identity are all highlighted. This gives students, many of whom are just entering their own emerging adulthood phase, a better idea of the issues and challenges they are facing. It also allows them to see connections between the development that occurs in adolescence and the outcomes in adulthood.

New and updated features of this title

• As the world shifts to a greater reliance on digital media, it is appropriate that this text evolves as well. This second edition is the first fully digital version of Adolescence. Instructors and students will find that, although the medium has changed, the content is fully consistent with prior editions.