Adolescents concepts on their own lives - A new research model and synthesis proposal

The aim of the theoretical analysis and empirical results presented in this study was to gain a better understanding of an important problem of the adolescence stage, namely, of adolescents' attempts at defining the concept of their own lives. The theoretical analysis was focused to reveal the relations between adolescents' psychical development (particularly that of thinking, personality and social development) and the formation of concepts concerning their own lives. The empirical research undertaken was to give a more precise definition of such basic elements of the concept of their own lives as: adolescents' value system, preferred life-styles as well as their life planning and goals. An original conception of research was also put forward concerning adolescents' concept of their own lives, the aim of which was to highlight those elements as well as to define the relations existing between them. It deserves mentioning that this pioneering study is the first attempt of conjointly investigating the values, life­styles and life goals of adolescents as well as it being the first attempt of examining the correlation existing between them. This is the first attempt at conducting such research to date. There is a need for further research to be carried out on larger and more diverse groups of adolescents in order for it to be more authoritative.