Chapter 1: Achieving Self-Regulation: The Trial and Triumph of Adolescence¹

Adolescence was envisioned at the dawn of the 20th century by G. Stanley Hall as a period of “storm and stress” and at mid-century by Erik Erikson as a period of “identity versus identity confusion” (Grinder, 1978). Although the hazards of the passage from childhood to adulthood have continued to grow for each subsequent generation, social cognitive psychologists at the turn of the 21st century now describe this pivotal developmental transition in terms of the attainment of self-regulation. Unlike personality trait or stage views of self-regulation, a social cognitive account focuses on the metacognitive processes, behavioral skills, and associated motivational beliefs that underlie youths’ growing self-confidence and resourcefulness in acquiring the skills needed to succeed in adulthood. These include such self-regulatory techniques as goal setting, strategy use, time management, self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-reflection. Operational definitions for these and other self-regulatory techniques will be provided later. There is substantial evidence that experts in diverse areas of skill from academics to sports utilize these techniques to learn and perform at optimal levels (Zimmerman, 2001).