Contrary to what was previously believed, needs for autonomy and attachment appear to be complementary influences on adolescent social development. Needs for autonomy push adolescents to discover their strengths and limitations, whereas needs for attachment keep them connected to adults who nurture and support their explorations. It is therefore appropriate to allow adolescents to have control over some aspects of their lives. Which of the following is an assumption, rather than an inference or an observation, that underlies advice based on these conclusions? Circle the letter of the best answer, and explain why it is the best answer and why each other answer is not as good.

1. The key limitation on adolescents' ability to make good decisions is lack of knowledge.
2. Attachment to parents contributes to social adjustment.
3. Adolescents who are securely attached to their parents experience little depression.
4. Attachment to parents promotes positive relationships with peers.
5. Parents who recognize the attachment-autonomy connection will not experience conflict with their teenage children.

ANSWER KEY

1. This is the assumption. The specific advice is to allow teenagers to make decisions when they have enough knowledge about the choices they have, that is, to relinquish control over these decisions. This appears to assume that knowledge is the main factor determining the quality of decisions because it does not mention that other factors could influence decision making. However, Chapters 4 and 5 describe several other factors (e.g., logical thinking, specific limitations on adolescents' decision-making capacities associated with age) that probably have a strong influence on adolescent decision making and probably should be included in decisions about granting autonomy.

2. This is an inference. It is one interpretation of the correlational data that have established a connection between quality of attachment and quality of social adjustment.

3. This is an observation. Research has documented this association.

4. This is an inference, for the same reason that B is: The supporting evidence is correlational.

5. This is an inference. It is an extension of information presented in the text about optimal ways to parent adolescents, a hypothesis about the effects of recommended parenting practices. It is also an incorrect extension of the information because work done to date appears to suggest that some degree of conflict is probably both necessary and desirable. For example, some kinds of conflict appear to promote identity development.