Westenberg distinguishes four development stages. Until the age of thirteen youngsters learn to assert themselves; from thirteen to seventeen they learn to hang around with a group of like-minded peers and from seventeen to twenty-one they begin to understand themselves and others better. Only after this – from the age of twenty-one to twenty-four – does a youngster develop a sense of responsibility. The psychologist thinks that higher education should take these findings into account in the future.

For the time being the influence of parents on the choice of study or profession continues to be of great importance, according to the researcher. The influence of the peer group focuses more on clothes and musical preferences./.