A study was conducted to determine if the "New Realism" in adolescent literature provided a more realistic picture of the psychological and social characteristics of adolescents than did earlier forms of the genre. An analysis was conducted of five novels written before 1960 and five written after that date to determine themes of identity and the social roles of adolescents portrayed by adolescent protagonists. Specifically, the analysis examined the extent to which (1) the protagonist actively demonstrated processes of identity formation, (2) social roles were imposed or actively selected and pursued by the protagonist, and (3) adults controlled adolescent-defining processes and social roles. The analysis of the novels published since 1960 demonstrated that they present more realistic psychological portrayals of the entire range of adolescent developmental tasks and more accurate portrayals of the identity forming processes of adolescents than did the earlier novels. In particular, these novels have begun to address the later developmental tasks that deal with value systems and socially responsible behavior, thus providing a broader range of experiences important to the cognitive and emotional development of the adolescent reader. (A list of developmental tasks depicted in the novels is appended.) (FL)