Introducing Self-Regulation in School Psychology to Facilitate Psychosocial Maturity in Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical developmental period in which young males and females experience the most difficult obstacles and crises in their lives. For today’s youth, the widespread prevalence and cultural acceptance of many egocentric practices that promote immediate gratification, has psychologically stunted the psychosocial maturation of adolescents, and led to many disruptions in a youth’s ability to successfully transition into adulthood. In order for today’s youth to successfully make this transition, they must first grow in psychosocial maturity and develop a core and stable sense of identity which requires the acquisition of certain virtues and character strengths, such as self-regulation, defined as managing thoughts and feelings in order to engage in goal-directed actions.The purpose of this dissertation therefore is to present the literature and relevant research on how the early encouragement and cultivation of three different types of self-regulation (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral regulation) will enable adolescents to grow in psychosocial maturity and help facilitate the healthy and successful transition from adolescence into adulthood by facilitating the development of a healthy identity and character. Additionally, this dissertation conceptualizes self-regulation both from a general positive psychology framework, as well as from a Catholic/Christian anthropological framework. Lastly, drawing on the theory and research reviewed, this dissertation also proposes a manual of several school-based interventions for building all three types of self-regulation skills in adolescent students.