Sources and Summary
Smith, A. R., Chein, J., & Steinberg, L. (2019). Peers increase adolescent risk taking even when the probabilities of negative outcomes are known. Developmental psychology, 50(5), 1564–1568. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035696
The following article investigates why peer influences increase the chances of adolescents indulging in risky behaviors even when the probability of negative outcomes is high. The authors conduct an experimental study showing that people are more likely to indulge in risky endeavors when observed than alone. Teachers, guardians, and educational experts need to read this article since it will help them develop ways of better handling teenagers.
Steinberg, L., Cauffman, E., Woolard, J., Graham, S., & Banich, M. (2009). Are adolescents less mature than adults? Minors’ access to abortion, the juvenile death penalty, and the alleged APA “flip-flop.” American Psychologist, 64(7), 583.
The following article compares teenagers’ and adults’ cognitive and mental capacities concerning sensation seeking, risk perception, impulsivity, and resistance to peer pressures. The authors’ findings support the theory that cognitive mental, and psychological maturation occurs along diverse timetables. The authors of this article do not necessarily associate the youths with being poor in their judgments. Still, they associate some things the youth do with their psychological development. It would be very valuable if students read this article and shared their experiences of some of the things they have found themselves in because of their poor judgments.
Criteria for Evaluating Credibility Application
The first article, by Smith et al. (2019), is a credible source for the research because qualified and experienced development psychologists wrote it. The authors of this article have written numerous psychology articles proving that they can be trusted. The source is accurate because it provides facts from a study with observed participants and is not based on the authors’ opinions. The article was published in 2019, which is less than five years ago, which makes the article a current article. The information provided by the article is advanced and not too elementary, making it appropriate for the research. The authors specified that the article’s purpose is to inform, which makes it credible to teachers and parents who intend to learn how to discourage teenagers from taking unnecessary risks.
The second article, Steinberg et al. (2009), is also a credible source because the article’s authors can be trusted, meaning the information written can be trusted. The authors are developmental psychologists, some working as psychology professors, and others, like Jennifer Woolard, have also worked in the juvenile justice system. The article uses various court cases which prove that it uses accurate information. The article was published in 2009, more than ten years ago, and this shows that it is not a current article and might contain outdated information. The information provided by the article caters to the research needs making it credible, and the article’s point of view seems to be objective, meaning the information is not biased. People interested in the psychological development of teenagers are the perfect audience for this article, and they are the audience for the research.
Specifically, Determining the Viability and Credibility of Each Example
The authors of the first article Smith et al. (2019), include Ashley R. Smith, Laurence Steinberg, and Jason Chein. These authors are psychology scholars who have written numerous publications and conducted numerous studies concerning different topics in developmental psychology. They work for Temple University, USA, as leading professors in the department of psychology. The years these authors have dedicated to studying and teaching the developmental psychology of adolescents prove they have the required qualifications on the topic. The fact that one of the leading universities employs these authors proves that they are qualified on the topic.
The authors of the second article, Steinberg et al. (2009), include Laurence Steinberg, who is a professor at Temple University USA working at the Department of Psychology. Elizabeth Cauffman is also a professor at the University of California and works at the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior. The other professor is Jennifer Woolard, who works at Georgetown University and is among the leading professors in the Department of Psychology. Sandra Graham is also a professor at the University of California and specializes in Psychological Studies in Education. The last author is Marie Banich, a professor at the University of Colorado and among the leading professors of the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry. The authors’ qualifications on the topic are that they are developmental psychology professors or lecturers and have a lot of experience conducting developmental psychology studies.
Comparing and Contrasting the Sources
The two sources discuss the psychological development issues that affect adolescents’ decision-making processes. The sources explain the psychological developmental challenges that teenagers experience and how they affect their capability of making the right decisions or behaving responsibly as adults. The articles are credible because they are written by professors experienced in developmental psychology studies and work for recognized universities. The sources differ because one explains the risk-taking behaviors of adolescents and what increases and reduces their risk-taking behaviors. The other article analyzes the maturity level of adolescents compared to adults by comparing how both groups evince emotional, cognitive, and social maturity. The two sources are credible because they provide vital information to the research, and the authors of the articles can be trusted. The article published in 2009 is slightly less credible because it might contain outdated information.
Reflection
Currently, numerous generations of people are believed to behave differently. Does this generation affect how adolescents behave? Before the introduction of electronic devices and the internet, adolescents used to have different hobbies, social activities, and ways to interact with one another. Do such factors as the internet and the availability of electronic devices change how adolescents behaved in the past compared to how they behave now? I learned that authority is an important element of the criteria for evaluating credibility because if one cannot trust the authors of an article used as a source, that person cannot trust the information written in the article. The research question has become more focused because numerous psychological developmental factors dictate adolescents’ behavior. Focusing on these factors will help me answer the research question. The question has changed to focus on psychological developmental factors and not all other factors that affect how adolescents behave.
References
Smith, A. R., Chein, J., & Steinberg, L. (2019). Peers increase adolescent risk taking even when the probabilities of negative outcomes are known. Developmental psychology, 50(5), 1564–1568. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035696
Steinberg, L., Cauffman, E., Woolard, J., Graham, S., & Banich, M. (2009). Are adolescents less mature than adults? Minors’ access to abortion, the juvenile death penalty, and the alleged APA “flip-flop.” American Psychologist, 64(7), 583.
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