[2] Teenage rebellion has been recognized within psychology as a set of behavioral traits that supersede class, culture, or race;[3] some psychologists, however, have disputed the universality of the phenomenon.
Teenagers seek to perceive themselves a valued contributor to aspects of culture that more convincingly outlive or transcend the mortal individual's lifespan.
Some posit that an adolescent's failure to achieve a sense of identity can result in role confusion and an inability to choose a vocation, and/or that these pressures may develop from being viewed as adults.
[7] In Scientific American, however, Harvard psychologist Robert Epstein disparaged the notion of "the immature brain that supposedly causes teen problems" as largely a myth, and wrote that the turbulence often seen as typical of these years is not "a universal developmental phenomenon."
Much of goth culture defies majority teenage norms by its interest in subjects such as death, dark music, depression, and emotional demonstration.
Temple University psychologist Laurence Steinberg suggests that "stopping systems within the brain make adolescents more susceptible to engaging in risky or dangerous behavior.
"[11] Steinberg states that "research does not support the stereotype of adolescents as irrational individuals who believe they are invulnerable and who are unaware, inattentive to, or unconcerned about the potential harms of risky behavior.
"[12] He argues that risk-taking declines between adolescence and adulthood,[13] because of the maturation of the cognitive control system, which strengthens the ability to inhibit impulsive behavior.
According to Casey teenagers commit suboptimal choices and actions due to their inability, or lack thereof, to consider, "nonlinear changes."
This being due to the delayed development of the cognitive control system (Prefrontal Cortex) means that teenagers may struggle to weigh the potential consequences of their actions fully.
The band developed both personal freedom expressed by physical appearance and experimentation with drugs, which induced introspective and passive behavior, as opposed to alcohol.
[24] Considering the film and music industries, the specialist John Storey defines popular culture as something that arises from the people rather than imposed upon them.
In his book The Making of a Counter Culture, Roszak stated that teenage rebellion at the time was actually nothing more than a phase that each society goes through periodically.
Eventually, society realized that changes in manners, values, and styles were not simply a trend but a growing expression of teenage rebellion against what teens viewed as conservative ideals they disagreed with.
[30] Numerous historians have attributed the source of the American teenage rebellion to many different factors throughout the years, such as the economic expansion, the wartime effects, media consumption, and the United States becoming increasingly conformist, politically conservative, and intolerant.