Smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating: how can we explain these actions in teenagers? Do teenagers stop to consider potential hazards or is their decision making frantic and impulsive, with little rational thought? In this intriguing book, Kanayo Umeh debunks conventional explanations of teenage behaviour (peer pressure, self-esteem issues, parent-child conflicts) and offers a fresh perspective based on the premise that teenagers, like adults, retain the power of choice. He shows that adolescents sometimes readily commit to a course of action despite being sceptical about its benefits, and reveals how decision strategies that appear ill-considered to adults are regarded as smart by adolescents, and with convincing justifications. Contrary to stereotypes, the teenager emerges as a curious individual: a multifaceted decision maker whose actions may not be quite as mindless as popular myth suggests.

A fresh explanation of teenage behaviour arguing that their actions are not as irrational as popular myth suggests.

About the Author
Kanayo Umeh is a Chartered Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

Reviews
'Umeh takes a refreshingly different approach to the question of adolescent health. He provides a detailed and accessible account of the multifaceted nature of decision making and its significance for understanding teenage health behaviour.' Dr Gillian Penny, University of Northampton



Book Information
ISBN 9780521875264
Author Kanayo Umeh
Format Hardback
Page Count 318
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 780g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 179mm * 19mm