ELKIND DAVID David Elkind is an American psychologist who studies children and young adults. He has researched the changes that occur in the teenage years and looked at the ways the brain changes in this period of people's lives. David Elkind not only studies young people and the changes in their lives, but he also researches how these changes affect the families and connections of adolescents. As the changes in personality can be quite dramatic, the effects of this age can be felt by many that know the young person. Elkind's research has focused on cognitive, perceptual, and social development in children and adolescents, as well as the causes and effects of stress on children, adolescents, and families. Throughout all of his work, Elkind has tried to apply theory and research to real-life arenas, such as psychotherapy, parenting, and education. And he uses real-life experiences to shape his theory and research. One of Elkind's most well-known contributions to psychology is his work on adolescent psychology in which he expands on Piaget's description of adolescent egocentrism (difficulty in distinguishing between the mental occupations of the self and those of other people). Elkind looked at how this egocentrism affects adolescent thought, behavior, and emotion. David Elkind's greatest contribution to psychology is his theory of adolescent egocentrism. This theory is based on Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development - Piaget proposed the idea of egocentrism in children, and Elkind expanded that concept to incorporate teenagers as well. Elkind uses this theory in an endeavor to explain how egocentrism influences teenagers' behaviors, attitudes, and feelings. Elkind’s recent work has turned his attention to educational methods, and how recent changes in society and the family affect children, adolescents, and the family unit. Another aspect of Elkind's work has been his focus on learning and healthy development. He believes that children need to have many varied experiences to develop in a healthy way and that this is also necessary for children to truly learn about and understand things. Elkind thinks parents pushing their infants and children to learn at earlier and earlier ages does not allow a child time to have the "rich" experiences necessary to absorb and learn in a deep and meaningful way. Adolescent egocentrism describes the tendency for adolescents to have differing perceptions between what they believe others think about them and what other people actually think about them. This is a component of David Elkind's theories on child development which are based on Piaget's theory of developmental cognitive stages. Elkind says this happens because many changes occur throughout puberty and adolescence, and therefore teens become absorbed in the emotional, physical, and mental changes they're experiencing. An apparent preoccupation with one's self is formed, resulting in selfconsciousness. According to Elkind, adolescents egocentrism result in two mental construction Components of adolescent egocentrism identified by Elkind Imaginary audience used to represent the false belief that one is being watched and evaluated by others, David Elkind proposed that the construction of an imaginary audience during early adolescence was a form of “adolescent egocentrism,” Personal fable is the phenomenon where one thinks that he or she is exceptional and unique. His or her feelings and emotions are different and more intense than those of others. Self-focus refers to the idea that an adolescent focuses on himself rather than on others. Invincibility fable is a phase of development during adolescence that has been associated with risky behavior. It leads teenagers to have feelings such as; All experiences are unique, nothing happens to anyone else as it does to me.
