The concept of the "adaptive self" discussed in this book is a unifying framework for considering the nature of identity and the development of the self throughout the life-span. As the theoretical and empirical studies here show, this concept of self and identity is unique in including both intentional, regulated self-development, and flexible responses to an unalterable environment within a single framework of self and identity.

Understanding human development necessitates a transdisciplinary approach, which is precisely what this book does. Various figures from fields such as social, personality, developmental, and cognitive psychology have contributed both theoretical and empirically based chapters on the adaptive self.