Psych 255 Final

Emerging Adulthood (18-29)

Phase of life distinct from adolescence and adulthood; in some ways an adult, in some ways not.

not financially or emotionally secure.

categorized by experimentation and exploration

emerging adulthood

young adult involves

Intimacy, marriage, childbearing, vocational training/preparation and establishment, peaks in aspects of cognitive development, formal operational thinking, peak physical performances (20s and 30s)

Markers of becoming an adult

Holding a full-time job, Economic independence, Taking responsibility for oneself

Peak physical performance

mid-20s

Sexual activity in emerging adulthood

Patterns of heterosexual behavior:

Males have more casual sexual partners, while females report being more selective.

Casual sex is more common in emerging adulthood than in young adulthood

Do men or women think about sex more?

men

cognition

adolescents and adults think qualitatively the same way

fantasy period of vocational development

in early and middle childhood, children gain insight into career options by fantasizing about them

tentative period of vocational development

between ages 11 and 16, adolescents think about careers in more complex ways. further awareness takes place

realistic period of vocational development

further exploration leading to practical and economic considerations and narrowing down of options

The stage of emerging adulthood tends to characterize a period of development in cultures that

postpone assumption of adult roles

key features of emerging adulthood according to Arnett

feeling in-between, identity exploration, self-focus, instability

The most frequent living arrangement for today's 18- to 34-year-olds is in

their parents' home

Compared to earlier generations, American women today in their late teens and early twenties are more likely to

have a college degree

Today's college students experience more

stress and are more depressed than in the past

Around what age does muscle tone and strength begin to show signs of decline?

30

For adults socioemotional development revolves around

adaptively integrating emotional experiences into enjoyable relationships with others

secure attachment style

Adults have positive views of relationships

avoidant attachment style

Adults are hesitant to get involved in romantic relationships

anxious attachment style

Adults covet closeness, but are less trusting, and more emotional, jealous, and possessive

intimacy versus isolation (6th stage)

finding oneself by losing oneself in another person

platonic relationships

nonsexual relationships with individuals who might otherwise be romantic partners

tannen distinguishes 2 ways of communication

rapport talk, report talk

rapport talk

a way of establishing connections and negotiating relationships

report talk

talk that is designed to give information

Do women enjoy rapport talk or report talk more?

rapport talk

Men prefer to engage in ____ talk

report

proximity

closeness in terms of personal contact

familiarity

typically, the more familiar, the more comfort in relationships

matching hypothesis

the tendency to develop relationships with people who are approximately the same level of attractiveness

7 C's of intimate relationships

-Compatibility

-Communication

-Consensual validation

-Caring

-Commitment

-Conflict resolution capability

-Coitus/copulation

eros

sensual love/feelings

phileo

friendship/brotherly love

storge

familial love

agape

unconditional love

according to ellen bershield:

some friendships evolve into romantic love

affectionate love

type of love that occurs when someone desires to have the other person near and has a deep, caring affection for the person

affectionate love is also called

companionate love

Lawrence Sternberg proposition of consumate love

a triarchic/triangle theory with three main dimensions- passion, intimacy, and commitment

passion

physical and sexual attraction

intimacy

emotional feelings of warmth, closeness, and sharing

commitment

cognitive appraisal of the relationship

type of love: infatuation

passion

type of love: affectionate love

intimacy and commitment but no passion

type of love: fatuous love

passion and commitment

Consumate Love (Sternberg)

intimacy, passion, commitment

main thing missing in many cohabitating relationships

commitment

average age of marriage in the US

females: 27.5

males: 29.5

average duration of marriage in the US is

about 9 years

increases in divorce are correlated with

-Youthful marriage

-Low educational level

-Low income

-Not having religious affiliation

-Divorced parents

-Having a baby before marriage

divorced adults typically remarry within

3-4 years after their divorce

women have split dreams, focusing on

marriage and family, career

vaillant's adaptation to life

Twenties - intimacy concerns

Thirties - career consolidation

Forties - generativity

Fifties - "keepers of meaning"

Which two characteristics would best predict marriage longevity?

education, ethnicity

in recent years, the number of americans who never marry has

increased

Middle adulthood (40s to 60s)

a time of reflection, evaluation, anticipation

midlife: Erikson's 7th stage

generativity versus stagnation

sarcopenia

age related loss of muscle mass and strength; meaning a lack or deficiency of the flesh

what can be used to reduce the decline of muscle mass and strength?

endurance training and resistance training

what is the rate of muscle loss after age 50?

about 1 to 2% per year

women are more likely to experience bone loss due to

osteoporosis

individuals lose height in

middle age

hearing declines after age

40

sleep problems are more common for people who

use a higher number of medications, are obese, depressed, or have cardiovascular disease

the thymus gland is almost undetectable after the age of

50

type A personalities are more likely to experience

heart attacks

hardiness (Kobasa)

ability to turn negative stressors into positive challenges

3 C's of a hardy personality

commitment, control, challenge

climacteric

midlife transition in which reproductive capacity/ fertility declines (begins in mid-30s)

what is the average age menopause occurs?

51

what happens during menopause?

menstrual periods completely cease, production of estrogen drops, reduction of bone mass and skin elasticity, shrinkage of reproductive organs

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

replacement of hormones, estrogen and/or progesterone, to treat symptoms associated with menopause

phytoestrogens

plant derived estrogens that have a chemical structure similar to those produced by the body, used to treat symptoms associated with menopause

Black cohosh

used for hot flashes

antidepressants for menopause

alleviates menopausal symptoms like hot flashes

local vaginal hormone therapy

given for vaginal estrogen insufficiency

testosterone production continues throughout life, meaning

men can father children throughout their life

Many older adults are sexually active as long as

they are healthy

cystallized intelligence

individual's accumulated information over time (nurture). tends to build throughout adulthood

fluid intelligence

natural (nature) ability to reason abstractly; begins to decrease in middle adulthood

perceptual speed begins

declining in early adulthood and continues declining in middle age

leisure

the pleasant times after work when individuals are free to pursue activities and interests of their own choosing

religious attendance is linked to

a reduction of BP and hypertension, increased longevity, coping with stress

many of the symptoms of menopause are caused by

decreased estrogen production

HRT increases the risk of

breast cancer

According to Erikson, the psychosocial crisis in middle adulthood is

generativity versus stagnation

generativity

commitment to continuation and improvement of society as a whole

life span

The number of years an individual can live (120-125 years)

life expectancy

number of years that the average person will probably live

women outlive men by

about 5 years

life expectancy crossover

age-related reversal in life expectancy of sectors of the population

worldwide life expectancy

female: 81

male: 76

countries with longest life expectancies

Monaco, Japan, Singapore, Macau

countries with very short life expectancies

Chad, Angola, Mozambique

Jean Louise Calment

lived to be 122

Longest marriage in Louisiana

Norm and Norma Burmah; married 83 years

centenarians

people 100 years old or older

supercentenarian

a person who lives to be 110 or older

senescence

biological aging; genetically influenced declines in the functioning of organs and systems