Early work experience: A partial antidote for adolescent egocentrism

One of the most important lessons a young person may learn from working is how to interact effectively with others. This potential outcome of work experience has received virtually no attention from proponents of the early integration of adolescents into the workplace. In this paper we suggest that working may contribute to the development of more advanced social understanding (i.e., social sensitivity, social insight, and effective social communication and manipulation) by requiring youngsters to (a) shift back and forth between diverse roles and (b) interact frequently with strangers. Illustrative material is presented from interviews with 100 working adolescents and their parents.This study is part of a large-scale investigation of the costs and benefits of part-time employment during the high school years. The first two authors are Co-Principal Investigators of the Spencer Foundation grant and share primary and equal responsibility for this report.Received Ph.D. in human development and family studies from Cornell University. Main research interests are adolescent development, life-span development, and social policy.Received Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Harvard University. Main research interests are adolescence and social institutions, life-span development, and social policy.Main research interests are environmental and community psychology.Main research interests are human development and social policy.