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concern (Elkind & Bowen, 1979). As a result, they become
extremely self-conscious, often going to great lengths to avoid
embarrassment. Sabrina, for example, woke up one Sunday
morning with a large pimple on her chin. “I can’t possibly go to
church!” she cried. “Everyone will notice how ugly I look.” The
imaginary audience helps us understand the hours adolescents
spend inspecting every detail of their appearance. It also
accounts for their sensitivity to public criticism. To teenagers,
who believe that everyone is monitoring their performance, a
critical remark from a parent or teacher can be mortifying.
A second cognitive distortion is the personal fable.
Because teenagers are so sure that others are observing and
thinking about them, they develop an inflated opinion of their
own importance. They start to feel that they are special and
unique. Many adolescents view themselves as reaching great
heights of glory as well as sinking to unusual depths of
despair—experiences that others could not possibly understand (Elkind, 1994). As one teenager wrote in her diary, “My
parents’ lives are so ordinary, so stuck in a rut. Mine will be different. I’ll realize my hopes and ambitions.” When combined
with a sensation-seeking personality, the personal fable seems
to contribute to adolescent risk taking by convincing teenagers
of their invulnerability. In one study, young people with both
high personal-fable and high sensation-seeking scores took
more sexual risks, more often used drugs, and committed
more delinquent acts than their agemates (Greene et al., 2000).
The imaginary audience and personal fable are strongest
during early adolescence, after which they gradually decline
(Lapsley et al., 1988). Yet these distorted visions of the self do not
result from egocentrism, as Piaget suggested. Rather, they are
an outgrowth of gains in perspective taking, which cause young
teenagers to be more concerned with what others think (Vartanian & Powlishta, 1996). When asked why they worry about the
opinions of others, adolescents responded that they do so
because others’ evaluations have important real consequences—
for self-esteem, peer acceptance, and social support (Bell &
Bromnick, 2003). Adolescents also have emotional reasons for
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Chapter 11
These adolescents are acting for the camera, but the imaginary
audience leads them to think that everyone is monitoring their
performance at other times as well. Consequently, young teens
are extremely self-conscious and go to great lengths to avoid
embarrassment.
clinging to the idea that others are concerned with their appearance and behavior. Doing so helps them maintain a hold on
important relationships as they struggle to separate from parents
and establish an independent sense of self (Vartanian, 1997).
Idealism and Criticism
Adolescents’ capacity to think about possibilities opens up the
world of the ideal and of perfection. Teenagers can imagine
alternative family, religious, political, and moral systems, and
they want to explore them. As a result, they often construct
grand visions of a perfect world with no injustice, discrimination, or tasteless behavior. The disparity between adults’ and
teenagers’ worldviews, often called the “generation gap,” creates
tension between parent and child. Aware of the perfect family
Applying What We Know
Handling Everyday Consequences of Teenagers’
New Cognitive Capacities
Thought expressed as . . .
Suggestion
Sensitivity to public criticism
Refrain from finding fault with the adolescent in front of others. If the matter is important,
wait until you can speak to the teenager alone.
Exaggerated sense of
personal uniqueness
Acknowledge the adolescent’s unique characteristics. At opportune times, point out how you
felt similarly as a young teenager, encouraging a more balanced perspective.
Idealism and criticism
Respond patiently to the adolescent’s grand expectations and critical remarks. Point out
positive features of targets, helping the teenager see that all worlds and people are blends of
virtues and imperfections.
Difficulty making everyday
decisions
Refrain from deciding for the adolescent. Model effective decision making and offer diplomatic suggestions about the pros and cons of alternatives, the likelihood of various outcomes,
and learning from poor choices.