Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize

Research for Practice

Laurence Steinberg

Laurence Steinberg has been highly influential in the way in which adolescent development is understood by both scientists and politicians.

Laurence Steinberg’s childhood and youth, which he himself once described as “disgustingly normal”, provided no indication of his later research interests and career. Today, Laurence Steinberg is one of the most renowned experts in adolescent psychological development – an expert who has made a name for himself well beyond scientific and specialist circles.

During the course of his 30-year career in research and teaching, Professor Steinberg has made groundbreaking contributions to the scientific study of adolescent development. His research activity is not only extremely wide-ranging, but also unusually profound. Alongside basic research regarding cognitive, social and emotional development during adolescence comes work on adolescent psychopathology and antisocial behaviour and, more recently, adolescent risk-taking and decision-making. His approach to research is highly interdisciplinary, with a particular focus on the dynamic interplay between biological, psychological and contextual factors.

For Laurence Steinberg, applied research with clear relevance for policy and practice is equally as important as basic science. This perspective led to studies of adolescent employment during the school year, which led to changes in US legislation concerning child labour. The US Supreme Court quoted Steinberg several times in its decision to abolish the death penalty for adolescents. And current ongoing investigations into the link between brain development and risk-taking behaviour aim to provide health care policy makers with clear guidelines as to how dangerous behaviour among adolescents
can be reduced.

With the Research Prize for Productive Youth Development, the Jacobs Foundation is rewarding Laurence Steinberg for his large contribution to improving the personal circumstances of adolescents and their families.